ken wilson’s great climbs
Tuesday 15th June 2021
ken Wilsons impact on aspiring climbers
Everything you need to know about the man who discovered the best rock climbs in Britain.
In the early days of mountaineering, climbers would find small crags to climb on before slowly, the sport of rock-climbing was formed. One climbing enthusiast who became a great influencer was Kenneth John Wilson who was born in 1941. Wilson inspired many climbers from beginner to advanced as well as the young generation who are being introduced into climbing with his extensive knowledge inside his books of the British Crags.
In an interview with Wilson, he says, “The architecture of a crag, by its nature, is intrinsically adventurous” showing his passion for the sport and it being more than just a climb, but an art. After many years of exploring crags, Wilson was then offered the opportunity of writing his own book from publishers based in Soho, Carnaby Street. The books he had written were, Classic Rock, Hard Rock, and Extreme Rock which were just some of Wilson’s greatest achievements. He was also the editor of Mountain Magazine, helping develop the principles and ideals of traditional climbing in Britain, building a community of climbers making it accessible and secure for everyone of all ages and abilities.
Above image of Ken Wilson in 1973 holding Britain’s Mountain Magazine.
Photo Credit: Chris Bonington Picture Library
With a passion and skill for climbing, Ken’s books focused on the best routes all discovered, tried, and tested by the mountaineer himself. Not only did they inspire those from the 70s generation onwards, but young climbers take notes from Wilson’s detailed paths and slowly ticking off their checklists. His list can also be now found online with more of his work documented in various articles.
Taken from the role model of climbing, No Boundaries have created the Hard Rock Climbing and Classic Rock Climbing weeks inspired by Wilson. Below is a list of the activities No Boundaries are holding and you are able to book on to the adventure by clicking on each of the links.
tick-off the best British climbs according to Ken Wilson:
Classic Rock Climbing week in the West Highlands
Classic Rock Climbing week in the East Highlands
Classic Rock Climbing week in the Lake District
Classic Rock Climbing Week in Snowdonia
Hard Rock Climbing Week in the Lake District
Hard Rock Climbing Week in North Wales
Ken Wilson in Everest Basecamp in 1972.
Photo Credit: Doug Scott