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Peter Harding (climber)
Encyclopedia
Peter Reginald James Harding (30 December 1924 – 24 October 2007) was a British
rock climber
who was prominent in the sport during the period following World War II
.
but raised in the East Midlands
and took his first job as an apprentice as the Rolls Royce
factory in Derby
. He was inspired to climb during a cycling
holiday in Snowdonia
in late 1943, and the following January he bought a cotton
rope and began to visit the crags of the nearby Peak District
with his girlfriend and climbing partner Veronica Lee. By the following summer, Harding was one of the leading climbers in the Peak District, and was beginning to make first ascent
s of his own, including many routes now regarded as mid-grade classics. The first of these was Promontory Traverse at Black Rocks (modern grade
E1 5b) which crosses a large overhanging prow. This was followed by routes such as Goliath's Groove at Stanage Edge, the first route to be graded "Exceptionally Severe", and Suicide Wall at Cratcliffe Tor in 1946, to which he gave the same grade. While modern protection
has made Suicide Wall safer than it was for Harding, it is still regarded as one of Britain's most exciting rock climbs.
In 1947, Peter Harding moved to Shrewsbury
where he became a lecturer in engineering at the technical college, and began to climb in North Wales
. He made numerous first ascents there, the most important of which were Spectre and Ivy Sepulchre in the Llanberis Pass
, which would remain among the hardest routes in the area for the next decade.
in conjunction with the back of the hand to grip the inner part of the crack. He is sometimes credited with inventing the technique, though it is more likely that he rediscovered a method which had been used occasionally since the late 19th century. However, he did much to promote the use of hand jams at a time when most climbers preferred to climb fist-width cracks by tiring laybacking, or by forcing their hands against opposite sides of the crack, as if opening sliding doors. Using the hand jam, Harding claimed, it was possible to hang comfortably from one hand, while smoking a cigarette
with the other – and he would regularly demonstrate this.
Another of Harding's innovations was the introduction of aid climbing
tactics from Europe, which had previously been regarded as unsporting by British climbers. His most important route in this respect was Kaisergebirge Wall in the Llanberis Pass which he climbed in 1948 and which presaged the increased acceptance of the use of piton
s in the 1950s.
In his professional life, Harding took an interest in climbing equipment, and a large amount of data was generated from his experiments on karabiners, ropes and pitons in his workshop.
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Harding's time at the peak of British climbing was relatively short. He climbed his last major new route in 1949 with Demon Rib at Black Rocks; possibly his most difficult route of all, which is now graded
E3. However, by 1950 his family and career had begun to take priority over climbing and a new generation of climbers, led by Joe Brown
and Don Whillans
, took his place at the fore of the sport.
Harding left teaching in 1951 to work on brake linings at Small & Parkes, and later Mintex, where he eventually became Research and Development Manager, and produced many technical papers on the braking of road vehicles. This job allowed him to indulge his interest in motor racing, and he became a regular rally driver
. He continued to climb into his seventies, and in 1994 surprised many younger climbers by making a solo ascent of the difficult Younggrat route on the Breithorn
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
rock climber
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
who was prominent in the sport during the period following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Climbing career
Harding was born in BlackpoolBlackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
but raised in the East Midlands
East Midlands
The East Midlands is one of the regions of England, consisting of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. It encompasses the combined area of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and most of Lincolnshire...
and took his first job as an apprentice as the Rolls Royce
Rolls-Royce Limited
Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
factory in Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
. He was inspired to climb during a cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
holiday in Snowdonia
Snowdonia
Snowdonia is a region in north Wales and a national park of in area. It was the first to be designated of the three National Parks in Wales, in 1951.-Name and extent:...
in late 1943, and the following January he bought a cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
rope and began to visit the crags of the nearby Peak District
Peak District
The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England, lying mainly in northern Derbyshire, but also covering parts of Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, and South and West Yorkshire....
with his girlfriend and climbing partner Veronica Lee. By the following summer, Harding was one of the leading climbers in the Peak District, and was beginning to make first ascent
First ascent
In climbing, a first ascent is the first successful, documented attainment of the top of a mountain, or the first to follow a particular climbing route...
s of his own, including many routes now regarded as mid-grade classics. The first of these was Promontory Traverse at Black Rocks (modern grade
Grade (climbing)
In rock climbing, mountaineering and other climbing disciplines, climbers give a climbing grade to a route that concisely describes the difficulty and danger of climbing the route...
E1 5b) which crosses a large overhanging prow. This was followed by routes such as Goliath's Groove at Stanage Edge, the first route to be graded "Exceptionally Severe", and Suicide Wall at Cratcliffe Tor in 1946, to which he gave the same grade. While modern protection
Protection (climbing)
To make climbing as safe as possible, most climbers use protection, a term used to describe the equipment used to prevent injury to themselves and others.-Types of climbing:...
has made Suicide Wall safer than it was for Harding, it is still regarded as one of Britain's most exciting rock climbs.
In 1947, Peter Harding moved to Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
where he became a lecturer in engineering at the technical college, and began to climb in North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
. He made numerous first ascents there, the most important of which were Spectre and Ivy Sepulchre in the Llanberis Pass
Llanberis Pass
The Llanberis Pass in Snowdonia carries the main road from the SE to Llanberis, over Pen-y-Pass, between the mountain ranges of the Glyderau and the Snowdon massif. At the bottom of the pass is the small village of Nant Peris, clustered round the ancient church of Saint Peris...
, which would remain among the hardest routes in the area for the next decade.
Innovations and contributions to climbing
Harding's most important contribution to climbing technique was to perfect and popularise the hand jam; a method of climbing cracks using the fleshy part of the thumbThumb
The thumb is the first digit of the hand. When a person is standing in the medical anatomical position , the thumb is the lateral-most digit...
in conjunction with the back of the hand to grip the inner part of the crack. He is sometimes credited with inventing the technique, though it is more likely that he rediscovered a method which had been used occasionally since the late 19th century. However, he did much to promote the use of hand jams at a time when most climbers preferred to climb fist-width cracks by tiring laybacking, or by forcing their hands against opposite sides of the crack, as if opening sliding doors. Using the hand jam, Harding claimed, it was possible to hang comfortably from one hand, while smoking a cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
with the other – and he would regularly demonstrate this.
Another of Harding's innovations was the introduction of aid climbing
Aid climbing
Aid climbing is a style of climbing in which standing on or pulling oneself up via devices attached to fixed or placed protection is used to make upward progress....
tactics from Europe, which had previously been regarded as unsporting by British climbers. His most important route in this respect was Kaisergebirge Wall in the Llanberis Pass which he climbed in 1948 and which presaged the increased acceptance of the use of piton
Piton
In climbing, a piton is a metal spike that is driven into a crack or seam in the rock with a hammer, and which acts as an anchor to protect the climber against the consequences of a fall, or to assist progress in aid climbing...
s in the 1950s.
In his professional life, Harding took an interest in climbing equipment, and a large amount of data was generated from his experiments on karabiners, ropes and pitons in his workshop.
Later life
Grade (climbing)
In rock climbing, mountaineering and other climbing disciplines, climbers give a climbing grade to a route that concisely describes the difficulty and danger of climbing the route...
E3. However, by 1950 his family and career had begun to take priority over climbing and a new generation of climbers, led by Joe Brown
Joe Brown (climber)
Joseph Brown, CBE is an English climber, born the seventh and last child of a family in the Manchester suburb of Ardwick. He became famous for climbing during the 1950s, and was a member of the Valkyrie climbing club and founding member of the Rock and Ice climbing club. An early climbing partner...
and Don Whillans
Don Whillans
Don Whillans 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...
, took his place at the fore of the sport.
Harding left teaching in 1951 to work on brake linings at Small & Parkes, and later Mintex, where he eventually became Research and Development Manager, and produced many technical papers on the braking of road vehicles. This job allowed him to indulge his interest in motor racing, and he became a regular rally driver
Rallying
Rallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...
. He continued to climb into his seventies, and in 1994 surprised many younger climbers by making a solo ascent of the difficult Younggrat route on the Breithorn
Breithorn
The Breithorn is a mountain in the Pennine Alps, located close to the Matterhorn. It is considered the most easily climbed 4,000 m Alpine peak. This is due to the Klein Matterhorn cable car which takes climbers to over 3,820 m for a starting point. The standard route continues over a glacial...
.