Adapted from the article Hard Rock first published in Climber & Hillwalker November 1992
© Derek Walker 1992

Note: Since this article was written, two routes in Hard Rock have been badly effected by rockfall, both in the Lake District. In fact Deer Bield Buttress has collapsed completely! Also the chockstone has fallen out of the Great Flake on Central Buttress. This has increased the difficulty of the original route from HVS, 5b to E3, 5c. Fortunately an alternative way has been found up the front of the flake at a more reasonable E1, 5b: this is described in the latest FRCC guide.

Ken Wilson adds:-
On Hard Rock, the mainspring was the parochialism that I saw in the 1960s when it was very difficult to get the teams I was associated with to go away to anywhere but Wales, the Peak and the South West. I could never get my friends in those days to head up to Scotland or the Lakes. Equally those in the Lakes and Scotland never seemed to come south. As soon as I showcased all these climbs they became desirable and people started to travel. I thought that once people had sampled the big cliffs they would return to do more and to some extent (Carn Dearg, Shelter Stone etc that did occur). This was the reason that I thought the whole idea of ticking them all wouldn't have struck anyone (Drasdo said differently ... he was right). When it became clear that people were doing this in Hard Rock I tried to moderate the effect
(that became jocularly known as "puerile ticking") in Classic Rock by adding lists of comparable routes. The real afficionados are those that have done not only the Classic Rock routes but all the climbs in the other list too. That is verging on genuine curiousity and even a collector's instinct that I, as an ex-train-spotter, can identify with. I once remember Dave Cook saying to me with amazement - regarding the Idwal Slabs - "I have just realised what you want to do Ken... you want to climb all of them!". There are obsessive route repeaters and obscure crag visitors but not too many of them.

The three big influences behind Hard Rock were "Rock and Ice" by Andre Roch (for its very detailed captions), "Rock for Climbing" by C.Douglas Milner (for its marvellous sense of period and its sequences), and "In Extremen Fels" (Extreme Alpine Rock) for episodic discipline and Wolf Jurgen Winkler's marvellous crag photos with very precise detail that can be picked out easily as they were taken in sunlight at exactly the correct moment. What was less of an influence was "Rock Climbers in Action is Snowdonia", though I do think that it is a fine book, but it is not my style. It is all about the feeling of climbing and its verve and position and very "photographic" and the captions are poetic rather than factual. Leo Dickinson, Ray Wood, Bob Keates and John Beatty are photographers that might be said to be part of that school. I favour a more scrupulously factual (some might say boring) approach and I particularly like to see the climber in his architectural setting. Malcolm Griffith is one who I would associate with. His marvellous picture of Stevie Haston on Creag Rheadr in Cold Climbs is very much my cup of tea. Another fine photographer of that style is Dave Dillon of the Karabiner Club and Dave Simmonite took some marvellous pictures of John Dunne on a new route in Ireland. Colin Foord and Doug Scott are also good photographers, very good at capturing action during alpine or snow climbs.

You only have to look through these books - both the walks books and the climbing books (and in that I would include The High Mountains of the Alps) to see what a range of talented photographers we have. Probably in the tradition of the Abraham brothers and people like Donkin and Milner we are lucky to have a great photographic head of steam in Britain. There are scores of really talented photographers and these books of mine have given me a valuable opportunity to become familiar with the work of many of them and I have been greatly privileged to use their work. It is a real buzz to get a good photo and then showcase it properly in the correct context and well captioned so that it achieves its maximum potential. The books allow the various styles to be "picked and mixed" to great advantage. For example John Cleare's picture of Left Wall in Extreme Rock (a very conventional silhouette though a very good example of the type), is juxtaposed against Bernard Newman's very factual pictures of Basher Atkinson leading Right Wall (all taken in the Douglas Milner tradition) with every detail of the climb in full view - essential information to anyone who wants to do the climb.

One point that everyone should remember is the vital importance of snap-shots (impromptu conversation pieces and even formal groups) that capture for ever a moment in time that is unique. These pictures are almost always far more interesting after a few years that action shots or landscapes, unless the former is an actual moment of history like a first ascent. My call to everyone is take more snapshots. Remember that you and your friends and what you are doing, what you are wearing and where you are doing it is a unique moment in time and history. Make sure you capture it!

In addition to these photographic musings there is a whole literary tale to tell about these books. Suffice to say that there is little point in publishing any written passage unless the writer has something interesting to say. The various permutations of this and its various styles are what constitute a good or bad article, the judgement of which is very subjective anyway. I have been really lucky in the great efforts the authors have gone to for these books and I think we can claim a reasonably high success rate, though sometimes the most talented writer gets it wrong and their essays have to be diplomatically "sidelined".

The main charge against the books is the honey-potting effect, most notable on limestone climbs that can get very polished. This is a fair point, but in general the widely spread and distant location of many of the climbs schemes against this. The compensating encouragement to young climbers to get out and check out climbs and crags that they might never otherwise visit (thus keeping at least a skeleton of our marvellous repertoire in working order) is well worth the odd bit of wear and tear on the more popular routes.

Another point that I think should be noted is the value of these books as a grading "corset" preventing, to some extent, the devaluation of grades. Climbs like Main Wall, Doorpost, Bracket and Slab, Ardverikie Wall and Cioch Direct should remain as challenging hard Severes in my view and not be upgraded to VS just because todays climbing-wall trained luvvies cannot bear to think that they might find a severe hard. These are all tough hard Severes and they should remain as such. I see no reason why a climb like Black Slab on Stanage should be upgraded, especially as footwear and protection equipment are so much better these days. These are the type of climbs on which young climbers should "learn their trade" and in doing so they will be far fitter to face the serious business of "staying alive" rather than wobbling up some fashionable HVS or (these days) more likely a bolted E1 on Pen Trywyn or Portland. Equally, Right Unconquerable (HVS), White Slab (E1) The Crack (VS) and Praying Mantis (HVS) might be considered yardsticks for their grades.

The website looks splendid. I am impressed!

Ken Wilson

HARD ROCK ARTICLES

Hard Rock Routes List

HARD ROCK COMPLEATERS
A special mention should be made of Wil Hurford who by 1978 had done every route except the final hard pitch of the Scoop, the term Puerile Ticker was allegedly coined by Ken Wilson with Wil in mind!

The following are known Hard Rock "Compleaters":
July 1988 Stephen Reid (started 1978)
20th July 1997 Peter Hardman (started 1987)
8th October 2000 John Elwell (started 1984)
17th August 2007 Rich Mayfield and Mark Stevenson compleated all the Hard Rock Routes (substituting Totalitarian for the collapsed Deer Bield Buttress) in an amazing 5 weeks, having started on Friday 13th of July In 2007. Actually Rich finished the compleat tick slightly early than Mark as he had climbed many of the routes before starting with Gogarth in 1983 and finishing with Dwm on 14th August 2007! To climb all the routes in five weeks is an absolutely phenomenal achievement especially considering the foul weather that they had to put up with during that period.

Hard Rock Challenge Check out Hard Rock Challenge and Hard Rock Challenge Blog for more information. Left: Mark Stevenson (leading) and Rich Mayfield (belaying) on a rather damp ascent of The Crack (VS), Gimmer Crag, The Lake District. Below: Mark Stevenson, Sam Mayfield (organiser extrordinaire), Rich Mayfield and Tufa the three-legged dog, with the Hard Rock Challenge van in 2007. (Photos: Stephen Reid)

Have you completed all the Hard Rock Routes, or all of them with the exception of Deer Bield Buttress (which collapsed in 1997), or do you know anyone who has? Or have you just got some comments? If so please let us know! (NB Ken wilson adds: Anyone wishing to complete their Hard Rock ticks should do Totalitarian (E1), Raven Crag, Thirlmere (earmarked to replace Deer Bield Buttress) and probably Spillikin Ridge (E3) in Wicklow to introduce a major (and woefully neglected) Irish climb of the same era).

Buy Hard Rock

Classic Rock is a companion volume to Hard Rock. It covers easier routes - from Difficult to Hard Severe.

Extreme Rock

Extreme Rock is a companion volume to Hard Rock. It covers harder routes - from E1 to E9.

It has been out of print for many years now but unfortunately the plates from which it was printed were accidently destroyed, and it is unlikely to be reprinted again in its original format. To add insult to injury 4000 unbound copies were pulped, meaning that of the original 8000 print run, only around 4000 were ever sold. Second hand copies change hands for up to £200, so if you see an old copy going cheap, snap it up!

Cold Climbs

Cold Climbs is a companion volume to Hard Rock. It covers winter ice and mixed climbs throughout the British Isles.

Registered Compleaters:
If you have ticked all the routes in any of the above volumes, please email us!