The Villain: The Life of Don Whillans

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The Topham Brothers (Harold Ward 1857-1915; Edwin **; Alfred George Wilberforce Newton Tribe (1855-1928) With his high-altitude career apparently over, Whillans returned to drink. He spent his final years appearing at festivals , playing up to his image as the straight-talking northerner with the ready put-down. The slower-moving baggage train of 140 porters set off from Pokhara on 22 March, and Clough and his 240 porters were able to leave Bombay with the delayed baggage on 24 March. [30] Don Whillans participated in the 1972 European Everest Expedition. The atmosphere was not the best among the various nationalities, no one wanted to carry loads because everyone was saving himself for a possible summit attempt. The German climbers heard on the radio that England had lost a soccer game to Germany. The conversation went "It seems that we have beaten you in your national sport", said a proud German to Don. After a minimal pause Don replied "Aye lad, and we've beaten you at yours, twice." forgotten name> [despite researching him for my 'entrepeurial management' course at business school] (for starting the project that led to the Foundry, arguably the precursor for all modern climbing walls)

I was born in 1961, so the first time I was really aware of Don and his exploits was the Annapurna expedition. I had the poster on my wall at home for years. My mother still has a copy. It's telling that hardly anyone pictured on it is still alive. My few memories of Don, apart from family gatherings at Christmas and such, are from the house at Penmaenmawr. I went there with my family several times when they had just moved in. Whillans was a heavy drinker, which harmed his career after the expedition to Annapurna and may have contributed to his early death. Although he was only 5' 4" tall, he had a reputation as a brawler and stories of his prowess circulated. Ed Douglas is the author of Tenzing (National Geographic). 'The Villain: The Life of Don Whillans' by Jim Perrin is published by Hutchinson.I loved Don. I never saw him be mean-spirited, though I did know he drank and had his frustrations. He was especially intolerant of people who overrated themselves or simply did not know what they were talking about. I respected that quality in him, although he could have tempered his opinions, certainly, at times. I don't think I ever saw him get wrankled with someone who didn't deserve it.

That night at Camp III they discussed their religious beliefs – Bonington was a sceptic and Frost a Mormon. Bonington wrote to his wife, "He is a convinced and fervent Mormon, never rams it down your throat, yet his faith has given him a code of conduct that puts him way out in front of most of us." [64] The next day, it was straightforward to re-climb their fixed rope, but once again, onward climbing was extremely difficult. Whillans and Haston had been ferrying supplies from Camp II up to Camp III, and following their second climb, they started exploring the shelf which Bonington had investigated previously beside the ridge. They made such good progress that the pair on the ridge needed little persuasion to entirely abandon their efforts on the lowest part of the ridge. [65] Bonington recalls climbing with Whillans for a television documentary in the early 1980s. Whillans drank a bottle of whisky the night before and the next day Bonington had to pull his former mentor up a climb that he would have once found easy. 'It was good because we settled our differences without needing to say anything, but it was also immensely sad to see a man of such ability in his condition.' It was in this era that climbers throughout the country began developing and experimenting with new methods of aid and protection. As ideas and innovations spread, more and more climbers advanced to the outer limits of their vertical environment. With the safety element raised, thresholds of difficulty were pushed even further, and the demand for more refined equipment continued to escalate. Consequently, like many others nurtured in this exciting time of expanding frontiers, three people, who were later to form Troll, Alan Waterhouse, Paul Seddon and Tony Howard, each individually became involved in developing new concepts in climbing gear.Yet the attraction of climbing remains. 'We still have choice,' he says , 'however much our free will is imposed on by the strictures of a materialist and infantilised society. The old anarchies of climbing, to my mind, grow more rather than less attractive with the passage of years.'

Jim Perrin stands on the bank of the Irwell looking across Whillans's childhood playground. In those days, foamy effluent from the city's factories would float downstream and the young climber would dive in for laughs. Perrin has just climbed a mountain of his own, completing the biography of Whillans, a project that took more than 20 years. On 30 May, the mountain was being cleared with most of the party reaching Base Camp when Thompson rushed down, calling out in despair. He and Clough had been passing under the place of the "Sword of Damocles" when a serac fell, creating an avalanche which killed Clough. [note 15] His body was carried down to base camp and he was buried at the foot of a face where Clough had taught the Sherpas and the television crew to use jumars and to abseil. Returning down the valley, they found the earlier snow had melted and flowers were blooming. [100] Aftermath [ edit ] Man and Mountain, it's fair to say that Sir Chris Bonington found his calling in remote high areas across the globe. But when did he first realise he was made for the mountains? And did anything ever stand in his way of making these daring ascents? Mountain Heritage Trust's own Jonny Dry explains how Sir Chris' love of climbing and mountaineering helped him resist the status quo. Hamish climbed with a truly golden generation of British climbers at a time when the great mountains of the world were still isolated and enjoying early ascents. Perhaps it remains as the most rewarding time to have been a young, ambitious, invincible mountaineer. Huts aren’t just a place to stay, they’re a place to socialise. They are communal places, with beds or bunks in dorm type rooms, so you’ll need to bring a sleeping bag or blanket, and possibly a pillow. You can expect to find separate men’s and women’s bathrooms. Depending on the size of the place there might be several rooms to sleep in, and depending on the mix of people attending, rooms might be allocated for men, women, couples, families and/or visitors. Often it’s just down to individuals to grab their preferred space on arrival - this is usually down to the meet organiser to coordinate, so just ask if you’d like to know more.

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He continued to climb into his old age and the list of his achievements grew longer with the years. His last recorded new climbs, on Welsh slate and in the Anti-Atlas of Morocco, were accomplished in his late 70s. But after those two great Himalayan ascents of the mid-1950s, his climbing involvement was more relaxed. Brown and Whillans were heroes from outside the mainstream but, in their way, their climbs are as much part of British sporting history as Roger Bannister's sub-four minute mile or Geoff Hurst's extra-time goals in the 1966 World Cup final. The two men were certainly afforded a similar level of respect by those in the know. It seemed inevitable that they would go on to achieve similar things in the mountains . That first climb was a new route up a steep buttress at the Roaches, a series of gritstone crags that emerge from the Staffordshire moorland like a dragon's crest. In 1995 crag rat and competition climber Graham Desroy complete with flowery shirts, white flares and surfboards joined the Troll sales team. Evidently the thought of working with Graham was too much for the founders who swiftly retired after 30 years in the hot seat. Alan is a keen sailor and now spends much of his time on his beloved boat. Paul is sill actively involved in the industry and still sits on the relevant BMC and European Standards Committees. Tony and his long time partner Di Taylor, then a member of Troll's design team, continue to spend their time exploring remote areas of the world. In 1999 Tony received a Geographical Award on behalf of Troll from the Royal Geographical Society for the design and supply of expedition equipment. While Brown is making the first ascent of Kangchenjunga, the world's third highest mountain, Whillans is left at home, his hell-raising reputation causing him to be alienated.