UKC

Mick Ward reflects on the life and climbs of a Yorkshireman and gritstone pioneer...

Allan Austin, who recently died at the age of 90, climbed about 700 new routes. He was noted for his boldness and his fierce commitment to climbing ethics. 

'Was he a good egg? Yes, I'm certain he was. A trifle hard-boiled perhaps. But, when all's said and done, a damned good egg. And forever a Yorkshireman.' 

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In reply to UKC Articles:

Thanks, Mick, that was a good read. When I started caving 'properly' in the seventies we used to meet up at Brian Evans's house near Preston. I recall once while we were having a brew, he brought out some photo albums to show us. All black and white shots of Allan Austin (plus a few other aspiring hopefuls like one Joe Brown!). I'd done a bit of bimbling around the local quarries to know my history and that those pictures were pure climbing gold. A few years later when I got more into my climbing I think of all the figures I could most relate to it was Allan Austin. It was for his limestone routes more than grit as this was what was easier to reach and we saw those crags often when we were out caving.

In reply to UKC Articles:

Good article, nicely written and a pleasure to read.

Re: "ground up". If my memory serves me right Austin's point was that they were not, and that routes should be doable ground up. Pretty sure Cruel Sister and another, Pecadillo, were first done by abseiling down and preplacing slings for aid.

I think that was the argument, oh and that the easiest line should take precedence on a new piece of rock, not the 'eliminate'. Paladin, a blindingly obvious line that others had left for someone who was good enough. Why Matheson put a peg in it i have no idea, perhaps it was loose. It's a zillion grades easier than say Holocaust on Dow so should have been a stroll. Whether or not there was an ulterior motive to these arguments, i wouldn't know. To be slightly provocative, you could argue that Austin was right when you see really truly amazing vids of Matheson repeating these routes free in his '70s that he used aid on in his twenties. I only mention it because i had some sympathy for Austin's views. It doesn't matter in the slightest of course. 

In reply to UKC Articles:

A right good read about a fascinating character.

In reply to UKC Articles:

l I recall these arguments getting played out over several months in the letters page of the climbing magazines. Sally free and easy v Ragman’s Trumpet was another spat . However if I recall correctly the frcc were being a bit hypocritical over the use of aid and it all seemed a bit like dogs fighting over territory.There is no doubt though that Austin was an absolutely amazing driven climber whose contribution to climbing was irreplaceable.

In reply to UKC Articles:

Excellent article. Thanks

That was a lovely read Mick. Really appreciate the effort you put into it - Thanks.

John

In reply to UKC Articles:

As a teenager in the very early 80’s the article castaways on a gritstone island in mountain magazine absolutely blew me away. Some of the best photos I’d ever seen with a narrative that epitomised everything I ever wanted to achieve in climbing. I must have read it hundreds of times. The picture of big Ron on the shelf at crookrise with the narrative that it had been lead far fewer times than many of the harder better protected extremes drew me to want to do it. (though obviously this article had been written in the seventies when gear was pre cams) An Allan Austin classic from the sixties, Still having a reputation of a bold lead and an iconic photo of big Ron himself doing it. Wow! I had to do it.

So I did. Fast forward to 1985. I used my dads old gear from the sixties ( a couple of moacs, a couple of hexes for the authentic rack and a sneaky chouinard stopper number 3 that I’d just bought and set off. 
18 and stupid. I basically got feck all in it. Thought I was going to die. Panicking and gibbering I scraped my pathetically weak carcass up it by the skin of my teeth. Unbelievable exhilaration at the top. I’d done Austin’s classic at crookrise. Some routes stand out amongst all the ones you do. Usually it’s just a handful. Memories fade, routes blur into one another but some just manage escape that fate and this Austin classic did for me.  I think like Brown and Whillans his routes were special, they took uncompromising, strong lines and were bold achievements in their day. He left a legacy that will continue to give great experiences for generations to come. 

In reply to UKC Articles:

Nice article Mick.

I'm fairly certain that the photo of Austin climbing in Leicestershire is from Whitwick Quarry on the high quality block of rock near the entrance. He's either on the VS - Grudge, or the HVS to its right - Pig's Ear (would probably get E1 nowadays) - grades are as per the old Leicestershire yellow guide, before technical grades became widely used.

If I can pull out an old cine film of an ascent of Grudge I'd be able to tell which of the two he's on but from that angle it's a bit tricky to tell since they weren't that far apart and memory is fallible especially since that block's not been seen for 30 odd years since it's now well underground.

In reply to UKC Articles:

Great article. And nice to see some first ascent pics of Wall Of Horrors. Who would be good enough nowadays to solo it in that footwear (and wearing that jumper!)?

In reply to string arms:

I've never heard of this. Would love to read it!

In reply to Sam Beaton:

Greet article & what a hero. Doubt i've good enough to do any of his routes.

A wool sweater on gritstone, sticks like velcro, so  is that one point of aid?

Mind you it can also hinder upward
progress aswell!

If modern climber tried PAs or EBs rather than resin rubber I doubt they would fare so well!

In reply to alan moore:

Here you go:

You will have to work out page order. 

In reply to alan moore:

And, from the soon to be sold, archives:

In reply to UKC Articles:

"Yorkshire Gritstone: the roughest, toughest, knarliest, knobbliest gritstone in the world. And it serves the b*ggers right" (copyright Steve Ashton from a column in High magazine)

In reply to UKC Articles: Thanks Mick - Excellent article brings back lots of memories of Yorkshire and Bradford, The AA climbing shop up Manchester Road was where I bought my first EBs, the Yorkshire Gritstone Guide with AA on the front cover and an Annapurna duvet amongst many other things. The Bradford University Wall and the infamous Walmer Villas which is where I met you when I was still at school!  And those routes; now who did I do those with?  I remember holding a rope for Iain Edwards on High Street after a pint in the Hermit beforehand, Dave Cooper on the Macabre (same starting point as Carnage and seriously scary stuff!) and the Shelf at Crookrise on a freezing day before Christmas Eve in 1977 (yes I still have the guide), and Wino (Dave Griffiths) on Western Front. Good times. Thanks again - Dave

In reply to UKC Articles:

Another of Allan's prophesies; in the 1970s when he used to come to Don Robinson's wall at Leeds Uni, Allan predicted 'the time will come when climbers train like Olympic athletes'.  How right he was!

In reply to UKC Articles:

Fascinating article Mick about a true one off. The 1973 Dennis Gray interview also sheds light on his views on Brown and Whillans and their respective climbing styles. He could never quite work out how Brown got up a piece of rock but thought Whillans was probably the best climber of the the lot of them. But who cares, they were all stars.

In reply to UKC Articles:

Superb article wants me to TR Wall of Horrors again, it is and was NAILS, the boulder start is so bloody hard , laughable grade. Lots of history I did not know and very well researched. They were Brave and Hard in those days!

Wonder what they would have made of the Big Depot Manchester, not a crack in sight!

In reply to string arms:

As you say! His routes are total class. Some of them were too hard for me even at my prime, but if you got up one of his routes onsight you were well chuffed.

In reply to ian caton:

I'll enjoy reading that when i see you!

In reply to salathe:

When we lived in Nottingham we often drove to Northumberland for a weekend's cragging. One Friday evening on the way we stopped and did Wall of Horrrors, one of my finest evenings memories.

In reply to ian caton:

Thanks Ian!

In reply to UKC Articles:

In Joe Brown's defence, I once saw him painting the windowsills of his shop in Llanberis sometime in the early 90s.

In reply to michael donohue:

We walked into Joe's shop once and there he was, on duty behind the counter, smiling at us. My brother asked him about a VS we had just done in the Pass, Ribstone Crack (VS 4c). My brother said it was hard. Joe said "Well it's VS". He then asked us who led it, I said me, and he gave me a shrewd and long pleasant smile. Very nice guy, easy-going, relaxed, I liked him 

In reply to salathe:

The grades correct, but top roping is self delusional and detracts totally from the onsight experience, which trad. is graded for.

In reply to UKC Articles:

Great piece Mick, you did him proud.

Yourself too; lovely to read your writing again.

In reply to UKC Articles:

 I knew Allan from him starting to climb, he was the story book Yorkshireman, and though I could write a reply as long as Mick Ward's article, my memories of him are nothing but

good! I was with him when he first tried to lead Western Front. He struggled over the overhang, tried to reach the crack which splits the face but took a terrible ground  fall. I jumped off the boulder I was belayed on at the foot of Crack of Doom, ran round and he was laid unconscious in a heap. 'Allan, Allan speak to me' At which he slowly opened his eyes and opined 'I'll lead it next time!

I made the second ascent of both 'The Shelf' at Crookrise and 'High Street' at Ilkley, when I met up with Allan after which, his only comment was 'I did not think you were that good!' A wonderful Bradford Wool Waste merchants comment.

Some comment in the article are a little awry, I made the first ascent  of 'Wombat' and 'Macabre' at

Malham with Robin Barley, he was not climbing with his brother Tony.....and the photograph of Allan bouldering at Amscliff and the final portrait in the article are both my pictures!

Adios   Dennis

PS. I was at school with Brian Evans, but had not really met him until he was with Allan at Amscliff. He  was the senior in their partnership when this was in its early days.

In reply to Dennis Gray:

Good to hear your side of things, Dennis. You won't recall a spotty teenager (me) buying his first rope from yourself and Alex MacIntyre in the old BMC Office on Oxford Road. That set me on the road to getting up the likes of Wombat and The Shelf a few years later.

In reply to Dennis Gray:

Hahaha, that's a lovely story!

In reply to UKC Articles:

That was an interesting read, very good, but tbh it tells little of the man, where he was born, education, childhood, career.....

I believe Jim Birkett would get frustrated with people only interested in his climbing which was actually a small part of his life, though his life was a big part of climbing.

I get the feeling there was much more to Allan Austin.

As a read 9/10 as an obituary 5/10.

In reply to UKC Articles:

I used to enjoy his articles in the FRCC journal. His writing had that deadpan humour which was common in British climbing reportage at that time, and contrasted with the dry earnestness of many American articles and Continental self-aggrandisement.  

In reply to ian caton:

Nice to see a photo of Ken Wood. It's not only Lancashire that produces dark horses. He was as good a climber as I've ever seen, but didn't give a toss about ambition and took his family responsibilities seriously.

In reply to UKC Articles:

Great Article Mick, it takes time and effort to put something like that together and I always really enjoy your writing style.

As always, keep them coming.

In reply to UKC Articles:

Great article Mick and brings back many memories. Alan was a true legend when I was a teenage climber in the 60s in Yorkshire and my friends and I stood back to watch in awe whenever Allan and his team turned up at the crag.

In fact, despite their obvious youthful talants even the Barley brothers shared that deference to Allan and I have just had a phone call from Robin Barley in Canada asking that your paragraph about the brothers' nicknaming  Allan, Tubby be amended. Robin asserts that it was Dennis who came up with the name Tubby (Dennis has a nickname for everyone - he used to call me 'big fat Dave'!) though it was eventually used by them as a term of endearment rather than disparagement.