UKC

Reading about Leo Houlding and Chris Bonnington's recent ascent of The Old Man of Hoy and having a young boy who is very keen on trad rock climbing, I had my curiosity tweaked by a few suggestions that Leo is the youngest to have climbed the stack. Further googling turned up a story from 1969 indicating that a chap from Lancashire had climbed it with his 7 year old son, Roy Clarkson. Sadly it seems they were both killed a year later attempting the Matterhorn. Does anybody out there know any more about this story? I know that at the time they seem to have caused some controversy. Accidents involving children pursuing their parent's passions will always do this but we applaud young achievements at the same time and certainly retrospectively once the kid has made it into independent adulthood. I am sensitive to the idea that some people who know what my boy gets up to may well be shaking their heads and tutting at my "irresponsibility" behind my back. Hopefully not fellow climbers who understand that self preservation is always paramount when we're out there playing. And I consider my child an extension of "self" in that regard. Even with the time that has since lapsed I am wary of upsetting any relatives as his sibs would only be around 60 years old now. I hope my genuine interest isn't regarded as disrespectful by anyone.

In reply to Karl Bromelow:

I remember this story from the time but I'm afraid I don't know any more about it. As far as I recall, it wasn't mentioned in Rocksport or Mountain. Obviously, back then, we didn't have the same climbing media 'discussions' as we have now, just the odd letter to a magazine. Climbing reporting in newspapers/television was generally pretty dire re accuracy/informed comment. A rare exception was my local newspaper, The Belfast Telegraph, where the political editor, the extremely talented Barry White, was a former climber. My guess is that he discreetly kept them on the right track re climbing reporting.

I don't know your circumstances re your son's climbing but the big questions I'd ask of anyone's climbing, irrespective of age, is do they know what they're doing, are they aware of their emotions towards climbing and are these emotions under control. If it's yes to all three, then by all means do it. Obviously any of us can make mistakes and, in climbing, such mistakes may well be deadly. But all we can do is do our best and be compassionate about mistakes - other peoples' and our own.

Good luck!

Mick

In reply to Mick Ward:
Thanks for the response, Mick. By modern standards it does seem peculiar, if you are right, that the climbing press of the time ignored the Clarkson's activities. I'm sure that their climbing of the Old Man of Hoy and attempt on the Matterhorn would make front page news on sites such as this. What light those efforts would be painted in, I guess, would depend on what kind of regard the father was held in by the climbing community. I suspect that with climbing becoming a little less esoteric of an activity nowadays the climb of the Old Man by a 7 year old might be more happily accepted than it might have been in 1969. That is if he was actually climbing. If he was strapped to his father then that would, of course, be a different matter. And as for the subsequent events on the Matterhorn I suspect the father would be widely vilified by climbing commentators now. As for me and my boy. I carry on climbing because it enriches my life. I take my boy along just as a fella who likes angling would introduce his kid to the side of a canal, or a footy fan would dress his kid in red and white and teach him how to freeze on the terraces. The difference is, of course, the danger element. And as with most parents the well being of my child will always supersede my own ambitions if the risk is unjustifiable. That still leaves me with lots of room for adventure and joy in the company of my most loved ones. I hope the mother, brothers and sister of little Roy found some peace after what must have been a dreadful time beyond my imagination.

In reply to Karl Bromelow:

What do people think of climbing Everest at 13?

In reply to Coel Hellier:

Seems a bit young. They have the rest of their lives to climb Everest. Why does hit have to be done at such a tender age? Similar to the family who were happy for their 13 year old daughter to sail single handedly across the Atlantic. It all seems a bit premature to me.

In reply to Karl Bromelow:

In early 1968 the Clarksons were climbing a route adjacent to mine in the Lake District. The lad was being hauled up the first pitch and did not appear to be enjoying it. I knew who they were so there must have been a precious article about them in the press.

There is a short paragraph about the disappearance of Arthur and Roy Clarkson in Mountain Magazine No 6 (November 1969).

In reply to mikej:


Thanks. My apologies to the OP for getting that wrong.



Not a good sign.

I starting losing people I knew in 1968, one that year, another in 1970. And then it continued. They could have been dangling grandkids off their knees today.

Climbing gives us such joy; but you've got to be so bloody careful, especially as to why you're doing it.

Mick

In reply to Karl Bromelow:

Short article on the disappearance on the Matterhorn here from the Glasgow Herald.

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19690917&id=kZRAAAA...

In reply to mikej:
Thanks for that MikeJ. If he was as you say being hauled up I wonder how they managed the descent from the Old Man. I'm guessing on that occasion dad must have strapped the lad on. Perhaps Roy is the youngest boy to have stood atop the Old Man of Hoy whereas Leo is still the youngest to have climbed and descended under his own steam. I guess the absolute truth is lost in the mists of time. Do you remember which route you were on in the Lakes? I doubt I could accurately recall anything after 46 years, I struggle with 20.

In reply to Moorside Mo:
Thanks Moorside Mo, I saw that and it was the last paragraph that got me wondering about how we react to parents including their offspring in risky activities and whether attitudes have changed.

In reply to Karl Bromelow:

This old story is completely new to me. Thanks.

If the deaths on the Matterhorn happened today the headlines would be very harsh.

In reply to Karl Bromelow:

It was Sunday 21st January 1968 and the Lake District was heaving with climbers as it was the first weekend that the National Park was open after its closure due to the 1967/1968 winter foot&mouth epidemic.

The Clarksons were climbing Troutdale Pinnacle Direct while we were on Troutdale Pinnacle Ordinary Route. My hand written notes of the day state that the 7 year old lad was famous due to some reported event associated with a chimney? and that Nick Escort and Chris Bonnington followed them up the same route.

In reply to mikej:


Yes; memory suggests that they climbed a brickwork mill/factory chimney. I think the father took a substantial fall when a peg pulled (aid climbing would have been the only possible means of ascent) and was held by the son; the non-climbing press would have probably gone to town on this.

In reply to Ian Parsons:
Good belaying for a 7 year old to hold a fall from his dad! Indicates the kid had a fair bit of skill and understanding.

In reply to Karl Bromelow:

Quite possibly using a waist (or shoulder) belay. I don't think Salewa started marketing the first Sticht plate until about 1969, which this event may well have preceded; and they didn't immediately catch on in the UK.

In reply to Ian Parsons:

I did wonder whether this would all have preceded Sticht plates. Extraordinary.

In reply to Karl Bromelow:

While I have absolutely no basis for further speculation about this particular ascent, it is of course true that the generally slower pace of aid climbing could allow the use of more cumbersome, harder-to-feed-out belaying systems than would be realistic for normal free climbing; a fig-8 descendeur backed up by a body belay, for instance, would clearly be more effective at stopping a severe fall than either component on its own. Indeed, in the days before people started to realise the possible consequences of overloading a toothed-cam ascender I don't think it was altogether unusual to feed out rope to the leader on an aid route through a jumar - particularly on a wall where the belayer might have all sorts of other useful things to do as well. (Just in case the reference to "possible consequences" doesn't make it entirely clear, this technique would clearly be regarded these days as a big no-no; not to mention entirely unnecessary with all the other kit now at our disposal.)

In reply to Karl Bromelow:

Hi Karl.
Roys dad Arthur was best man at my parents wedding and they were on the same trip to the alps when they were lost. Dad was with them on their first attempt when Roy got sick so they went down, they went back a week later by themselves when they were lost. As well as the Old Man and Troutdale Superdirect Roy prussocked up a rope from the bottom of Malham Cove to the top! Dad often talked about how handy Roy was. Best regards James Mchaffie

In reply to caff:
Thanks Caff. That really does help me to understand something of who Roy and Arthur actually were. If Roy's dad was a mate and climbing partner of your father then his skill and knowledge must have been impressive. And his son was obviously a tough little mite. What a sad tale. I really hope I haven't upset anybody by raising the subject. Sincere thanks to everyone who has helped to illuminate this story for me, Karl.

In reply to Karl Bromelow:

It's a sad story.

As for kids, and as a father, I think 14 is about right in modern times for ropey responsibility. It may well have been different then. And I started younger too.

But kids today are not so physically savvy. I learned to climb into other peoples' gardens over cemented in broken bottles. Time has moved on.

Prussicking up Malham. After a life spent climbing and rope-access that gives me the horrors. Fair play though.