Ron Fawcett

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Ron Fawcett
Personal information
NationalityBritish
Born (1955-05-06) 6 May 1955 (age 68)[1]
Embsay, North Riding of Yorkshire, England.[1][2]
OccupationProfessional rock climber
Height6 ft 3 in (191 cm)[3]
Climbing career
Type of climberSport climbing, Traditional climbing, Bouldering, Free solo climbing
Highest grade
Known forPioneer professional British rock climber
First ascents
  • Strawberries (E6 6b)
  • Lord of the Flies (E6 6a)
  • Tequila Mockingbird (E6 6c)
  • The Prow F7c (5.12d)
Major ascentsMaster's Edge (E7 6b/c)
Free solo of 100 E-grade routes in a single day
Updated on 26 March 2023.

Ron Fawcett (born 6 May 1955) is a British rock climber and rock climbing author who is credited with pushing the technical standards of British rock climbing in traditional, sport, bouldering and free soloing disciplines, in the decade from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, and of pioneering the career of being a full-time professional rock climber. At the end of the 1970s to the early 1980s, Fawcett was widely considered the best and most notable rock climber in Britain.[1][4][5]

Climbing career[edit]

Fawcett is considered as a legend of British rock climbing,[6][7][8] and a prolific developer of challenging new routes that attracted international recognition.[9][10] By the start of the 1980s, Fawcett was considered the most famous rock climber in Britain, with a reputation for high levels of fitness and mental fortitude.[11] He produced bold routes that embraced both traditional climbing and early sport climbing techniques, and that are still considered test-pieces for rock climbers.[11][5]

Fawcett's dominance of British rock climbing from the mid-1970s followed on from British climber Pete Livesey, with whom Fawcett had an unusual friend–rival relationship; Livesey was Fawcett's early climbing mentor and climbing partner.[9] Fawcett's dominance waned during the mid-1980s, as emerging British climbers such as Jerry Moffatt and Ben Moon began to push technical levels not just in British climbing, but in international sport climbing.[9][8]

Fawcett was also a noted free solo climber,[12] and admitted to being addicted to it, saying, "I broke lots of bones while soloing, but I always went back for more. It's only since having children that I've stopped".[13][14] In 1986, Fawcett free soloed over 100 extreme gritstone routes in a day (graded E1 and above, with half above E2 5c, and 4 at E5 6b) in the Peak District.[1][15] His free soloing extended into highball bouldering, and in 1987, Fawcett climbed Careless Torque 8A (V11) at The Plantation in Stanage Edge, considered one of the first-ever boulders climbed at that grade in history,[16] and which is still one of the most intimidating boulder routes in Britain.[17][18]

While Fawcett had a strong determination and competitive drive to remain at the top of his emerging professional sport, he was also painfully shy, and in 2011, The Guardian said of Fawcett, "As Moffatt rose through the ranks of British climbing, the man who stood firmly at the top was Ron Fawcett – and you could never meet a man less likely to be described as an extrovert. Fawcett was almost pathologically shy. He would far rather climb alone, hundreds of feet above the ground, than have a casual conversation with a stranger".[3]

Facwett won the 2010 Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature with Ed Douglas, for their book Ron Fawcett, Rock Athlete.[19]

Notable climbs[edit]

  • 1976: Slip 'n' Slide (E6 6a), Crookrise, North Yorkshire, the hardest gritstone route in Britain at the time. First ascent, free solo.[1]
  • 1978: Desperate Dan (E7 6b), Ilkley, West Yorkshire, since re-graded to E6 due to the use of bouldering pads, but a contender for first-ever E7 in Britain. First ascent.[1]
  • 1978: The Cad (E6 6a) Gogarth North Stack, Anglesey; controversially placed two bolts that were removed. First ascent.[1][11]
  • 1979: Lord of the Flies (E6 6a), Dinas Cromlech, Snowdonia. First ascent.[1] Filmed by Sid Perou,[11][20] and the famous Fawcett line, "C'mon arms, do your stuff".[4]
  • 1980: Strawberries (E6 6b), Tremadog, North Wales. First ascent.[1] Considered one of Britain's most famous traditional routes (regraded to E7 6b, or F7C).[11][21][22][23]
  • 1982: The Prow F7c (5.12d), Raven's Tor, with Gill Fawcett, over 3 days. First free ascent.[1] Sport climbing route described as a watershed route in British climbing.[24]
  • 1982: Tequila Mockingbird (E6 6c), Chee Tor, Derbyshire. Use of bolts was controversial. First ascent.[1][11]
  • 1983: Master's Edge (E7 6b/c), Millstone Edge, Peak District. Top roped for inspection but no practice. First ascent.[1][11] Described as "Fawcett's Masterpiece" by the BMC guidebook.[25]
  • 1984: Revelations 8a+ (5.13c), Raven's Tor. Second ascent after Jerry Moffatt (FFA, 1984).[1]
  • 1986: Free soloed 100 grade E1 (and above) gritstone climbs in Derbyshire in a single day.[1] Included four routes graded E5 6b, and over half were graded above E2 5c.[26]
  • 1987: Highball of Careless Torque 8A (V11), Stanage Edge. First ascent,[1][17] and one of first at that grade in history.[16] Still one of the most intimidating boulder routes in Britain.[18]
  • 1992: The 5,000-metre Girdle Traverse (E5 6b), Stanage Edge. Completed by Facwett in 6 hours and 10 minutes.[27][28]

Bibliography[edit]

  • Fawcett on Rock (with John Beatty and M. John Harrison), 1987, HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-04-440076-9.
  • Ron Fawcett, Rock Athlete (with Ed Douglas), 2010, Vertebrate Graphics Ltd. ISBN 978-1-906148-17-1.
  • Peak Rock – The History, The Routes, The Climbers, (Phil Kelly, Graham Hoey, Giles Barker), 2013. ISBN 978-1906148720.

Filmography[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Haston, Steve (30 March 2010). "Stevie Haston Reviews Ron Fawcett's New Book". UKClimbing.com. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  2. ^ Tate, Leslie (21 November 2019). "A Craven diary: Rock climber who grew up in Embsay". Craven Herald & Pioneer. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  3. ^ a b Pearsons, Neil (2011). "Abandon all rope (Part 1)". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  4. ^ a b Lucas, James (2011). "Ron Fawcett Rock Athlete". American Alpine Club. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  5. ^ a b Thompson, Simon (March 2012). Unjustifiable Risk?: The Story of British Climbing. Cicerone Press. ISBN 978-1852846794. Fawcett would dominate British climbing for a decade
  6. ^ Ryan, Tony (2 March 2010). "Ron Fawcett autobiography". British Mountaineering Council. Retrieved 6 January 2022.>
  7. ^ "Fawcett Tells All in New Book". Gripped.com. 26 February 2010. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  8. ^ a b Jerry Moffatt (2020). Jerry Moffatt Revelations. Vertebrade. ISBN 978-1906148195. It's Ron Fawcett!' He said this in a loud whisper, his voice almost cracking with emotion. 'It's RON FAWCETT!' My God! We all ran after the boy and hid in a bush where we could watch. Ron Fawcett was the biggest legend in British climbing.
  9. ^ a b c Milani, Alberto "Albertaccia" (19 January 2018). "Cimbing Here: Ron Fawcett". UP-Climbing. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  10. ^ "Andy Pollitt & 'Big' Ron Fawcett: Interview". UKClimbing.com. 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g "Ron Fawcett - The Fingertip Phenomenon". PlanetMountain.com. 19 March 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  12. ^ Osius, Alison (27 April 2022). "Free Soloing Means No Rope. These Climbers Have Defined the Pursuit". Climbing. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  13. ^ Pearsons, Neil (2011). "Abandon all rope (Part 2)". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  14. ^ Fawcett, Ron (16 February 2010). "Ron Fawcett talks about Soloing". UKClimbing.com. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  15. ^ McDonald, Dougald (26 June 2014). "100 5.10 and 5.11 Solos in One Day in England's Mountains". Climbing. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  16. ^ a b Oviglia, Maurizio (23 December 2012). "The evolution of free climbing". PlanetMountain.com. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  17. ^ a b "Mina Leslie-Wujastyk makes first female ascent of Careless Torque at Stanage". PlanetMountain.com. 21 March 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  18. ^ a b Hutton, Mike (12 November 2019). "No-Bolt Roulette: The Evolution of Headpointing on Peak District Gritstone". Climbing. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  19. ^ Gardiner, Tina (24 November 2010). "Ron Fawcett Rock Athlete wins Boardman Tasker". British Mountaineering Council. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  20. ^ "Ron Fawcett old style on Lord of the Flies, E6 6a". UP-Climbing. 22 March 2020. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  21. ^ "Twyford fires Strawberries". Climber. 5 October 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  22. ^ Messenger, Alex (18 June 2014). "Sweet taste of Strawberries for Steve McClure". British Mountaineering Council. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  23. ^ "Hansjörg Auer onsights Strawberries at Tremadog". PlanetMountain.com. 29 May 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  24. ^ Farqhar, Grant (30 November 2018). "Mission Impossible: British Climbing's Great Challenges". UKClimbing.com. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  25. ^ "Millstone Area". Eastern Edges: North - Burbage, Millstone and Beyond Paperback. The British Mountaineering Council. 2006. ISBN 978-0903908771.
  26. ^ "Ron Fawcetts 100 extremes in a day ticklist". UKClimbing.com. February 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  27. ^ Levy, Michael (29 November 2018). "The Glorious Inanity of the Girdle Traverse". Rock & Ice. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  28. ^ Whittacker, Peter (1 September 2007). "Complete traverse of Stanage". British Mountaineering Council. Retrieved 6 January 2022.

External links[edit]

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