1977 and I had escaped to Chester after 6 years in London. It seemed a good place to work and was not too far from North Wales; all I needed was someone to climb with! Through a colleague at work I was introduced to Bob who had just started to climb with someone called Dave…and I should meet him. This turned out to be one of the defining moments of my life.
Dave was a character and completely different from anyone this southern lad had ever met before. He was friendly, outgoing, talkative, hard drinking, competitive and blessed with an incredible sense of humour combined with a sharp wit, yet crucially, warm, welcoming and generous. He soon convinced me I could climb far better [and harder], than I thought possible! He took me under his wing and introduced me to his climbing friends in a ‘Club’ known as The Black and Tans. My life changed for ever! Looking back, these were formative years and, guided by Dave, I saw my climbing standard rise, but not to the level he was aiming at. I used the excuse of a young family and needing to work for exams!
I moved on from Chester and, whilst we kept in touch, I didn’t climb again with Dave until after I had settled in The Potteries in 1985. By this time he had a phenomenal climbing CV. As ever he was kind, generous and encouraging. We started climbing together again in 1987 and, under his tutelage, I blossomed. He had a unique ability to instil confidence in me [“you’ll be fine kid, just take it steady” was a frequent mantra] which, along with his ability to remember crucial moves and holds, saw me leading climbs I had only previously dreamed of doing. This, combined with the fun to be had just being ‘out’ with him for a day was addictive, as they were always exciting and often unpredictable! Memories of driving up the A55 from Colwyn, with music blasting out flood back frequently; Queen, Pink Floyd and Fleetwood Mac were the favourites.
Sadly, Dave became increasingly ill. Too many long nights in ‘The Legion’ took their toll and, like many, I watched on as he underwent what I knew was serious and major surgery followed by a significant amount of time in intensive care. Importantly he came through all this remarkably quickly looking back and within 12-18 months had regained his enthusiasm and zest for life.
Once again, we were out climbing together regularly. He appeared to gain great pleasure from watching me regain my enthusiasm and drive as we ticked off numerous Welsh classics he had already climbed. He was keen to repeat the Cullin Ridge in a day, something he had previously done with Don; this felt like a real privilege for me and we duly did it in 1993 and it remains one of the best mountain days I’ve ever had. The next year we went to Yosemite…after a long day flight to LA, we headed to a local motel to sleep, however from about 2 in the morning Dave was up, constantly brewing up on our stove in the bathroom, leaving teabags strewn across the floor! I still remember him stopping the car as we got our first view of El Cap…“there you go kid, take a look at that!” and then he traced out the Nose, telling me I had to do it! Trips with Dave were always an adventure!
We shared a lot of interests together, which meant we kept in touch as the climbing faded. I would frequently call and see him on trips to North Wales. Dave was a one off…intelligent, witty, self-deprecating, generous and, to me, an extraordinarily good friend and mentor for over 40 years. I miss him very much.
1977 and I had escaped to Chester after 6 years in London. It seemed a good place to work and was not too far from North Wales; all I needed was someone to climb with! Through a colleague at work I was introduced to Bob who had just started to climb with someone called Dave…and I should meet him. This turned out to be one of the defining moments of my life.
Dave was a character and completely different from anyone this southern lad had ever met before. He was friendly, outgoing, talkative, hard drinking, competitive and blessed with an incredible sense of humour combined with a sharp wit, yet crucially, warm, welcoming and generous. He soon convinced me I could climb far better [and harder], than I thought possible! He took me under his wing and introduced me to his climbing friends in a ‘Club’ known as The Black and Tans. My life changed for ever! Looking back, these were formative years and, guided by Dave, I saw my climbing standard rise, but not to the level he was aiming at. I used the excuse of a young family and needing to work for exams!
I moved on from Chester and, whilst we kept in touch, I didn’t climb again with Dave until after I had settled in The Potteries in 1985. By this time he had a phenomenal climbing CV. As ever he was kind, generous and encouraging. We started climbing together again in 1987 and, under his tutelage, I blossomed. He had a unique ability to instil confidence in me [“you’ll be fine kid, just take it steady” was a frequent mantra] which, along with his ability to remember crucial moves and holds, saw me leading climbs I had only previously dreamed of doing. This, combined with the fun to be had just being ‘out’ with him for a day was addictive, as they were always exciting and often unpredictable! Memories of driving up the A55 from Colwyn, with music blasting out flood back frequently; Queen, Pink Floyd and Fleetwood Mac were the favourites.
Sadly, Dave became increasingly ill. Too many long nights in ‘The Legion’ took their toll and, like many, I watched on as he underwent what I knew was serious and major surgery followed by a significant amount of time in intensive care. Importantly he came through all this remarkably quickly looking back and within 12-18 months had regained his enthusiasm and zest for life.
Once again, we were out climbing together regularly. He appeared to gain great pleasure from watching me regain my enthusiasm and drive as we ticked off numerous Welsh classics he had already climbed. He was keen to repeat the Cullin Ridge in a day, something he had previously done with Don; this felt like a real privilege for me and we duly did it in 1993 and it remains one of the best mountain days I’ve ever had. The next year we went to Yosemite…after a long day flight to LA, we headed to a local motel to sleep, however from about 2 in the morning Dave was up, constantly brewing up on our stove in the bathroom, leaving teabags strewn across the floor! I still remember him stopping the car as we got our first view of El Cap…“there you go kid, take a look at that!” and then he traced out the Nose, telling me I had to do it! Trips with Dave were always an adventure!
We shared a lot of interests together, which meant we kept in touch as the climbing faded. I would frequently call and see him on trips to North Wales. Dave was a one off…intelligent, witty, self-deprecating, generous and, to me, an extraordinarily good friend and mentor for over 40 years. I miss him very much.
