Who stands as Britain's top mountain conquerors throughout history, from the pioneering rock climber to today's acclaimed boulderer?
Make no bones about it, the UK's diverse landscapes are bloody brilliant for reeling in an adrenaline-seeking rock climbing adventure. From the wild, rugged buttresses of the Scottish Highlands and the rhyolite crags of North Wales to the gritstone majesty of the Peak District and the limestone gorges of the southwest, there's more than enough to keep even the most ardent climber busy for a lifetime. And then some. Yeah, those 12,500 kilometers of coastline don't hurt either, offering up some of the most iconic sea cliff climbs the world has ever seen.
It's not exactly a surprise, then, that the UK has produced its fair share of top-notch climbers, including legends like Jerry Moffat, Don Whillans, and contemporary greats like Will Bosi and Toby Roberts. It could be the unpredictable weather, the long hikes to reach the perfect climbing spot, or just the sheer grit required to climb on British soil that has forged such a rich climbing heritage.
So, let's take a gander at some of the UK's rock climbing legends, from the 'Father of Rock Climbing' in the 1800s all the way up to those pushing the boundaries today.
Britain's Legendary Rock Climbers
Here's a selection of Britain's finest climbers through the ages, from Walter Parry Haskett Smith to the current crop of climbers making waves on the international scene.
Walter Parry Haskett Smith
Looking like the privileged gentleman he was, born in 1859 in Bognor Regis, Walter Parry Haskett Smith was a historical figure in the annals of rock climbing. He was referred to as the 'Father of Rock Climbing' and his pioneering efforts helped lay the groundwork for the sport as we know it today.
Menlove Edwards
This ladder-climbing, wild-swimming, canoeing adventurer was a great of the pre-World War II era. Born near Liverpool in 1910, John Menlove Edwards pulled off an array of jaw-dropping first ascents on the mountains of North Wales' Eryri (Snowdonia), often on terrain that was considered completely unachievable and dangerous at the time. Tragically, his mental health deteriorated through the 1940s and '50s, and he took his own life in 1958.
Don Whillans
Born in a working-class Salford family in 1933, Don Whillans shook things up by rising from humble beginnings to achieve great things in both climbing and mountaineering. He achieved notable success in the latter, including the summit of Annapurna with Dougal Haston during the Chris Bonington-led British Annapurna South Face expedition in 1970. Whillans was a rebellious character with a penchant for booze and cigarettes, and his excesses eventually caught up with him in 1985, when he died from a heart attack at the tender age of 52.
Joe Brown
Legendary climber Joe Brown is forever etched in high-altitude mountaineering lore as the first person to stand on the summit of Kanchenjunga, alongside George Band, in 1955. Born in Manchester in 1930, Brown went on to form a highly successful partnership with fellow northerner Don Whillans. Brown's rock routes in North Wales were particularly pioneering, including his famous first ascents on Clogwyn Du'r Arddu, a legendary crag on Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon). Brown died at home in Llanberis in 2020, at the foot of Yr Wyddfa, at the ripe old age of 89.
Jerry Moffat
Regarded as the world's finest climber in the mid-1980s, Jerry Moffat was a contemporary and friend of German sport climbing legends Wolfgang Güllich and Kurt Albert. Born in Leicester in 1963, he burst onto the British climbing scene in the early '80s, quickly becoming one of the world's first professional climbers. Moffat had a prolific presence in the '80s and '90s, putting up many impressive new routes, and is still making waves in the sport today.
Dave MacLeod
Born in 1978, Dave MacLeod is a decorated Scottish climber known for his bold free solos and impressive sport, trad, and bouldering achievements. In 2008, he became only the second person in history to free solo and climb an 8b+ (5.14a) route on Darwin Dixit in Margalef, Spain. He's also made a name for himself in winter mountaineering, with his ascent of the 220-meter Anubis on Ben Nevis, an E8 summer route graded as a Scottish Winter grade XII, 12.
Hazel Findlay
Born in 1989, North Wales-based Hazel Findlay is one of Britain's most pioneering female climbers. Her climbing odyssey began as a child on the stunning limestone sea cliffs of Pembrokeshire in South Wales, and she's since developed into an all-rounder, excelling in big wall climbing, sport climbing, and alpinism. In 2013, she became the first British woman to climb an E9 trad route on Chicama on the North Welsh island of Anglesey. She's also made history with her ascents of the Pre-Muir Wall (5.13c) in Yosemite, the Salathe Wall (5.13b), and the awe-inspiring Freerider (5.13a) on El Capitan.
Will Bosi
Will Bosi is quickly making a name for himself as a bouldering legend, mixing it up with the likes of Nalle Nukkataival, Daniel Woods, and Shawn Raboutou on some of the world's toughest bouldering problems. He's on a prolific run, having climbed more V17 boulders than anyone else in history. In 2022 alone, he repeated four of the world's five V17 boulders, including Shawn Raboutou's Alphane in Switzerland and Nalle Hukkataival's Burden of Dreams in Finland.
Meet the Expert
Former President of the London Mountaineering Club, Alex is a passionate lover of exciting outdoor pursuits, including all forms of climbing, whether trad, sport, scrambling, alpine mountaineering, or winter mountaineering. He enjoys taking on snow-covered peaks in winter and has climbed many of the world's classic climbs, including the North Face of the Eiger, the North Wall of the Pillar, and the North Ridge of Ben Nevis.
In the rich tapestry of British climbing heritage, sports-analysis reveals that Jerry Moffat, a contemporary of German sport climbing legends, excelled in the mid-1980s, solidifying his position as one of the world's finest climbers. On the other hand, Will Bosi, a rising star in the bouldering scene, is swiftly making a name for himself among the likes of Nalle Nukkataival, Daniel Woods, and Shawn Raboutou, by repeatedly climbing numerous V17 boulders.
