UKC

There's a number of routes on Stanage and some more at the Roaches and Stoney called directly or indirectly after a Harry Kelly

Kelly's Crack (VD)
Kelly's Eye (HS 4b)
Kelly's Corner (HVD)
Kelly's Overhang (E1 5c)
Kelly's Eliminate (HS 4b)
Kelly's Eye (E4 6a)
Kelly's Direct (E1 5b)
Kelly's Shelf (S 4b)

I don't know much about the character. Does anybody have some history to share about this man?

In reply to drolex:

https://www.mountain-heritage.org/archive.php?ID=51

In reply to drolex:

When I was researching for my Peak book I was fortunate enough to be able meet a man who knew Harry Kelly – another of the great pioneers, Frank Elliott. When Elliott started to go up to Stanage in the late 20s - early 30s just about the only person he'd ever meet was Kelly, who was getting quite old by then and was no longer climbing above v diff. One point about him which was relevant in those days was that he'd been a conscientious objector in the Great War and this did not go down well with the climbing establishment (so he was shunned by some), I believe. I would have to look this up again. Another quite important fact was that he did not make the first ascent of Kelly's Overhang at Stanage, nor did he ever climb it. But he was the one who had spotted it and had made early attempts on it. First ascent was by Pigott, another pioneer that Frank Elliott knew. (Some of this is in my Peak book.)

In reply to drolex:

PS. to the above. Perhaps Kelly's greatest contribution to the climbing world was the first ascent of the wonderful Moss Ghyll Grooves on Scafell.

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

And was this the same man who pioneered Tophet Wall? Even better than MGG if you ask me.

In reply to Rog Wilko:

Indeed. I'd completely forgotten that. Agreed, even better than MGG. Two fantastic routes of their standard.

In reply to drolex:











Him and his friends sounds like a bunch of hero's

In reply to drolex:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_bingo_nicknames

Kelly's Eye (E4 6a) is, of course, next to Bingo Wall (E2 5b)

In reply to drolex:

Kelly was also one of the first to advocate "rubbers" over nailed boots, abseil inspection (hence lines like Tophet Wall), and climbed with his wife, Emily Kelly, until she died - who, along with Eleanor Winthrop, challenged the idea that climbing was a male occupation. One of the first "modernists" within the tradition of climbing.