Ron Fawcett – Rock Athlete: The Story of a Climbing Legend

In the early 70’s I was on the periphery of the group that included Ron. Many of the others in that group became well known names in climbing circles. Ron focussed on pushing the limits of rock climbing, world wide. This book reflects the amazing climbing life of one of the great climbing innovators. It is written in the same style as Ron lived, understated. There are desciptions of new routes, which at that time were among the hardest in the world, and they are described only with reference to how they made him feel as a person, not how they would affect the rest of the climbing community.
Probably the best climbing biography I have ever read. It will take a lot to top this. If you are a climber, or you are interested in world class athletes, this is a must read book.

Great

Nicely engaging biography. In many ways there’s a curve to the book that follows my own climbing ‘career’, albeit at an infinitely lower level. The dreams that filled my early life just starting out were one’s punctuated by Ron’s exploits (a man recognised by first name alone, long before this became a pre-requisite for celebrity). As youths trying to get off the ground on polished limestone VSs, we’d quote back lines from Rock Athlete for inspiration… ‘come on arms, do your stuff!’ A rich source of banter as well as a steady stream of routes at the very top level.

It’s only now from the wrong end of the telescope that you realise quite how brief was the period Ron occupied at the top of the tree. But he owned that tree, and the land around it. And he seems so very young now, whilst he was occupying it. Maybe it was the moustache, that made him seem older.

Later when I got half-good, I’d tread modestly around his big routes. Later still you’d spend time in the Peak and would bump into the man, ready to share a moment. He knew that you knew who he was, that was part of the joke. It was the moustache again. But you were just climbers, climbing. Later still I found myself fell running more as another way of enjoying the big outdoors, and competing with a tired body. He’s not bad at that either.

Written in a straightforward and honest way, there’s nevertheless some sly humour in there. The understated, modest way he presents his achievements almost belies the scale of those achievements. Ed Douglas should be congratulated for the way he brings the stories out, without getting in the way. It almost helps to have been around in the 80s to have known quite how such a big figure he was, such is the lack of hype. I liked it.

Over the 1970s and 1980s Ron Fawcett was Britain’s leading rock-climber as testified by his remarkable record of first ascents, repeats of top climbs and freeing of aid routes. His fantastic natural talent and level of skill is immediately endorsed in the `Prologue’ of `Rock Athlete’ with an account of soloing 100 Extreme routes in a single day. If this is not enough then for further confirmation readers should peek at the end of the book to `Significant Ascents and Dates’ with details including Mulatto Wall, Malham (E3 5c) at age 16 years, early ascent of Astroman, Yosemite (5.11c), first ascent of Strawberries, Tremadog (E6 6b) etc. etc. As well as covering Ron Fawcett’s greatest climbs in Britain and elsewhere, in engaging and readable style `Rock Athlete’ tells of TV and film experiences, competitions, fell running and of family life.

`Rock Athlete’ appears as an autobiography narrated with modesty and humour in first person by Ron Fawcett yet written by well-known climber-author Ed Douglas. Ron Fawcett’s reign coincided not only with a rise in standards of difficulty but also with a massive shift of outlook. His book embraces a `warts and all’ approach to Ron’s life in a refreshingly unaffected manner that clearly appealed to judges granting the well deserved Boardman Tasker Award for 2010. Insights are provided to attitudes and abilities of other leading climbers and to the evolving ethics of yo-yoing, prior inspection, bolt and peg protection, red-pointing etc. with Ron’s deliberations over what practices to phase out and what to change, and commentary on influences of sport climbing, emergence of bouldering, etc. Ron Fawcett is acknowledged as the first British professional rock-climber (as opposed to mountaineer) but at heart he remained a free-climber with a love of the natural world. He may be rather shy and not a born communicator (qualities that perhaps held back his career), but his book `Rock Athlete’ is a masterpiece. It deserves to become a `classic’.

One of the most honest biographies I have read. Despite his status as a climbing icon, Ron comes across as self-effacing, warm-hearted and a true lover of nature. Climbing is just one aspect of who he is and this book brilliantly encapsulates that. In this age of over-inflated climbing egos, Ron’s story makes us aware of the true roots of climbing.

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