UKC

Looking at Ben Bransbys' ascent of Parthian Shot I thought, hey, awesome. I also thought that he has that Clark Kent channel working, where he does not at first sight look like a great climber. One of my all time climbing heroes is John Allen and he did not look the part either, until that is you actually saw him in action; in fact on the one occasion I was introduced to him I thought he must be a tax collector or something. So who is the best climber who doesn't look like an athlete?

In reply to robate:

The pie eter JD - until you see him climb...

In reply to Skyfall:

yep, that is true, but he always looked like a middleweight so I'd never dare suggest he did not look the part..

In reply to robate: Just because he wears glasses?

In reply to robate:

With out a doubt Pete Livesey

In reply to robate:

No-one beats John Dunne for climbing hard whilst looking like he shouldn't.

In reply to The Bronze:

good call; that inner steel was well hidden by the 'geography teacher from Hull' vibe - favored by many mountain types imho

In reply to robate:

Andy Kirkpatrick.

In reply to robate:

Grahhhhhh!!!!! I looked up pictures of "John Allen" climber, to see what he looks like, and guess what came up?

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRLFwgVk-txAo2K0224NKK...

In reply to robate:

Adam ondra. He looks like more like a scrawny teenager

In reply to Andrew Wilson:


I have to agree. Andy Kirkpatrick gets my vote too.

In reply to tlm:

, this comes straight from google: http://judecalverttoulmin.blogspot.co.uk/2007_01_01_archive.html

In reply to robate:

See - now if I had been googling that, I would be more prepared...

In reply to robate:

Allan Austin

In reply to Andrew Wilson:

you are not wrong!

In reply to tlm:

many, many years ago I was at Froggat and this geezer, who even then did not look anything like, say Ron Fawcett, staggers along in dodgy office trousers and teeshirt and did Artless with a real economy of technique. Sure enough it was Mr Allen, who has done some grit routes I believe

In reply to NorthernGrit:

always thought he looked like Philip Larkin if he had got into outdoor pursuits....

In reply to NorthernGrit:


All those baggy jumpers! What were they hiding? Inner steel??

(Remember the old sequence of shots of him moving up to the break on the FA of Wall of Horrors? Pretty futuristic for circa 1960.)

Mick

In reply to robate:

Me?

In reply to robate:
I'd like to put a vote in here for Hank Pasquill, scrawny with a fag permanently hanging out of his mouth, he didn't look the part at all. Also the younger Steve Bancroft who just looked like a homeless street urchin, which he was Sorry Steve.

In reply to Al Evans:

hmm, don't know what Hank Pasquill looks like but at one time I honestly thought he was a musician. Steve Bancroft, yes, no doubt, but that picture on Strapadictomy made him an icon regardless, so I have to strike him off the list ....

In reply to robate:

My pal and I had just started climbing and we were told that Shepherd's was a good crag to learn on so off we went, shiny gear dangling aplenty. Feeling like I was now a member of a club I watched in horror as this old man came shuffling along the bottom of the crag, I wasn't ready to climb while somebody was watching, even if it was an auld geezer. I thought it was an old guy who'd come up for a look at all these "athletes" engaged in this rock climbing malarkey and he wanted a closer look. A little while later, whilst slapping furiously at some Hard Severe and thinking I was going to die, I turned for one last look at the world and this old guy was floating up a climb far harder than that we were on, I knew because to go with all the shiny gear we had the guidebook brand new and well thumbed in our possession. His composure and the effortless way that he moved up the cliff face made me realise that this auld geezer knew what he was about. My shock at this made me forget I was going to die and I completed the climb. Many of you will know who I'm talking about.....it was Ray McHaffie. Later, whilst breathing deeply and trying to drink and not fear the next climb, I noticed the huge forearms. So the next time I saw someone in flannel trousers and an old jersey with white hair I didn't think that this was some auld duffer, I wanted to hear his stories.

Tom

In reply to the abmmc:



Good call. Its always worth listening to the auld duffers.