Don Whillans (18 May 1933 -- 4 August 1985) was an English rock climber and mountaineer. Born and raised in a two-up two-down house in Salford, Lancashire, he climbed with both Joe Brown and Chris Bonington on many new routes, and was considered the technical equal of both. He was an apprentice plumber when he first started his climbing career with Joe Brown in 1951. Don met Joe Brown while climbing one day at the Roaches, Staffordshire. When Joe's climbing partner failed to follow Joe up a new route, Don shouted up to ask if he could try—and subsequently led the second pitch of Joe's new route, which became known as Matinee.
Whillans had from an early age walked all around the local Pennine moors; climbing therefore was the next step for an adventurous young boy. From rock climbing he expanded into mountaineering with trips to the Alps. Ascents in the alps included the "Bonatti Pillar" of the Dru and the first ascent along with Chris Bonington, Jan Długosz and Ian Clough of the Central Pillar of Freney on Mount Blanc. In 1962 with Chris Bonington he made the first ascent of the Central Tower of Paine, Patagonia. With Dougal Haston, he made the first ascent of the south face of Annapurna in Bonington's 1970 expedition.
This is probably nit-picking but didn't he actually die on Cloggy climbing a route with Bill Peascod? Heart attack on a stance if I remember correctly.
Other way round - Bill Peascod had the heart attack and died on the first pitch of Great Slab just after Don had led it. Don then died in his sleep a few months later.
I like the Brown /Whillans video but I enjoyed the Bonigton /Peascod episode of Lakeland Rock a lot more.
I seem to remember them actually using socks and combined tactics and I'm pretty sure Bill used the F word at one point, not really the done thing in 1980s documentaries ( not that I am endorsing profanity on the crag in any way, shape or form...)
Edit: just watched a shortened version again on You Tube. Excellent stuff, well filmed and some nice insights, particularly his wife's reported comment about his painting. The bit where he really was in extremis was edited out, which is a pity .
If you've never done Eagle Front it doesn;t show the route in the best light but don't let that put you off.
You Tube also has Whillans and Bonington doing Dovedale Groove , Pt 2 of Lakeland Rock I think.
Once again it's pretty riveting stuff: Bonington leads it in plimsolls using a Viking No4 tied round his waist, and regrets his choice of footwear high on the route, a muttered expletive being quite audible.
Whillans just about copes but I suspect he would have succumbed to a heart attack topping out if he'd seen the spike belay that his leader supposedly brought him up on.
Never been there but it looks like a frighteningly steep crag for antics like this!
Comments
This is probably nit-picking but didn't he actually die on Cloggy climbing a route with Bill Peascod? Heart attack on a stance if I remember correctly.
Other way round - Bill Peascod had the heart attack and died on the first pitch of Great Slab just after Don had led it. Don then died in his sleep a few months later.
I like the Brown /Whillans video but I enjoyed the Bonigton /Peascod episode of Lakeland Rock a lot more.
I seem to remember them actually using socks and combined tactics and I'm pretty sure Bill used the F word at one point, not really the done thing in 1980s documentaries ( not that I am endorsing profanity on the crag in any way, shape or form...)
Edit: just watched a shortened version again on You Tube. Excellent stuff, well filmed and some nice insights, particularly his wife's reported comment about his painting. The bit where he really was in extremis was edited out, which is a pity .
If you've never done Eagle Front it doesn;t show the route in the best light but don't let that put you off.
Thanks - at least I got the crag right!
You Tube also has Whillans and Bonington doing Dovedale Groove , Pt 2 of Lakeland Rock I think.
Once again it's pretty riveting stuff: Bonington leads it in plimsolls using a Viking No4 tied round his waist, and regrets his choice of footwear high on the route, a muttered expletive being quite audible.
Whillans just about copes but I suspect he would have succumbed to a heart attack topping out if he'd seen the spike belay that his leader supposedly brought him up on.
Never been there but it looks like a frighteningly steep crag for antics like this!