Harold Drasdo

Harold Drasdo (21 February 1930 – 3 September 2015) was an English

Harold climbed regularly in the late 1940s and 1950s with most of the leading northern rock climbers of the day including Joe Brown and members of the famous Rock and Ice Club. Another regular partner throughout his active career was his brother, Neville Drasdo, who became a formidable climber during this period in his own right and whose activities included an ascent with Joe Brown of one of the hardest British routes of its day, "Hardd" (now graded E2 5c) on Carreg Hyll Drem in Snowdonia.

Harold and Neville Drasdo were the first climbers to explore

Harold was an outdoor education instructor who worked in Derbyshire and North Wales which culminated with a twenty-year period as Chief Instructor of the Towers Outdoor Education Centre, Capel Curig, North Wales. Apart from his guidebooks, he published Education and The outdoor Centres (1972); The Mountain Spirit (1979); and his autobiography, The Ordinary Route (1997). A frequent essayist and reviewer, Harold's published works are included in journals and magazines.

Personal life

Politically he has been a lifelong anarchist and environmentalist who has frequently defended the natural environment in both actions and print. Harold lived in North Wales and still active in mountain activities.

Harold Drasdo died after a short illness, in Bangor, North Wales on 3 September 2015.^[2]

References