PHOTO: JIMMY CHIN.
WHAT'S MADE YOU? Under the
What doesn’t kill us, makes us. From conquering Everest to the rise of cool, what’s shaped our collective psyche?
Geoffrey Winthrop Young
Geoffrey Winthrop Young lived to the full: from ticking off an impressive list of alpine fi rst ascents to climbing the Matterhorn after losing a leg in WW1. But his lasting legacy? Creating the BMC: a national body that would support all mountain lovers “regardless of race, religion or political party”. Well played, Geoffrey.
The leader could fi nally fall
Invented in 1935, the magical new substance of Nylon found its way into climbing ropes during WW2. Post-war, nervous rock leaders relaxed slightly; fi nally they could chance falling off without threat of the rope, or their back, snapping.
Suicide Wall
It’s only 1945 and already in North Wales Charlie Preston is leading a route that will be deemed the hardest of his era. Idwal’s Suicide Wall is modern in every sense: steep, technical wall climbing in a serious position. Even today, with a grade of E2 5c, this route is beyond the reach of most modern climbers. Extreme is born.
Climbing in Britain
The war’s ended and everyone's desperate to slack off and enjoy the countryside they've risked everything to protect. The hills are increasingly alive with walkers, climbers and mountaineers and life has never been so good. John Barford seizes the moment to revitalise rock climbing with his new handbook, Climbing in Britain, eventually selling 120,000 copies.
Q British trad-climber-of-the-moment Hazel Findlay deep-water soloing in Oman. What infl uences have shaped Hazel, and you?
50 | 70TH ANNIVERSARY | FOR BRITISH CLIMBING AND WALKING SINCE 1944
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