Peter Harding (climber)

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Peter Reginald James Harding (30 December 1924 – 24 October 2007) was a British rock climber who was prominent in the development of traditional climbing in Britain during the period following World War II.

Climbing career

Harding was born in

protection has made Suicide Wall safer than it was for Harding, it is still regarded as one of Britain's most exciting rock climbs.[4][5]

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.[6] He made numerous first ascents there, the most important of which was Spectre (HVS 5a) and Ivy Sepulchre (E1 5b) in the Llanberis Pass, which would remain among the hardest routes in the area for the next decade.[3]

Legacy

first free ascent
of the route in 1946.

Harding's most important contribution to the climbing technique was to perfect and popularise the hand jam; a method of climbing cracks using the fleshy part of the thumb 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 that 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.[3] 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.[7]

Harding also introduced new European aid climbing to Britain, which had previously been regarded as unsporting by British climbers. His most important route in this respect was Kaisergebirge Wall (HVS 5b) in the Llanberis Pass which he climbed in 1948 and which presaged the increased acceptance of the use of pitons in the 1950s.[3]

In his professional life, Harding took an interest in

karabiners, ropes and pitons in his workshop.[7]

Later life

Harding's time at the peak of British traditional 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 at E3 5c.[8] 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 over.[1]

Harding left teaching in 1951 to work on

motor racing, and he became a regular rally driver.[6] 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.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b "Peter Harding". The Daily Telegraph. 14 November 2007. Retrieved 25 May 2008.
  2. ^ "Promontory Traverse". Rockfax. Retrieved 25 May 2008.
  3. ^ a b c d e Wells, Colin (30 October 2007). "Peter Harding". The Independent. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 25 May 2008.
  4. ^ Perrin, Jim (19 December 2007). "Peter Harding". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 May 2008.
  5. ^ "Suicide Wall". Rockfax. Retrieved 25 May 2008.
  6. ^ a b Allen, Kim (October 2007). "Peter Reginald James Harding: 1924 – 2007". ukclimbing.com. Retrieved 30 May 2008.
  7. ^ a b "Peter Harding". The Times. 13 November 2007. Retrieved 30 May 2008.
  8. ^ "Demon Rib". Rockfax. Retrieved 31 May 2008.