UKH

Can anyone think of a simple way of finding out the dates of first ascents without trawling through the back pages of guidebooks?

Nothing of any importance happened on my actual birthday in national or world events but I would like to know if any famous routes were put up on that date. 

Probably a bit unlikely since it was a Monday. (3.3.52) I know that Joe Brown made the first ascent of the Corner that year and as a treat one of my mates took me up it as a  21st birthday gift. 

So if there was just a data base somewhere with first ascents of 1952......

The logbooks on here record first ascent date for some routes, but apart from Rockfax routes it's entirely dependent on whether anyone bothered to enter the info. And when it is there, it's often just a year.

From a quick Google, Rienetta (VS 4b) was the closest I could find. Right week in the right year but five days out. Looks like a decent route though.

A proper query of the database might turn up something closer if you ask the admins nicely.

Being March I would have thought you might have better luck finding a Scottish Winter route. Tom Patey and friends were very active then - Mitre Ridge was done in 53' and gets 4 stars in the guide so good routes were being done.

Also the Lancaster Bomber which crashed on Beinn Eighe did so in 1952 and to which Fuselage Gully gets its name - a belay can be taken to the jammed wreckage!

 Fuselage Gully (II)

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/beinn_eighe-774/fuselage_gully-452...

I only looked at the obvious crags, but it looks like 1952 was a warmish spring in Scotland. Johnnie Lees put up a summer Severe on the Buachaille on 28.02.52 and Patey did summer routes right up on Sputan Dearg in April. On the other hand the first winter ascent of Observatory Buttress Direct was 23.3.52, but then that's the Ben.

thanks for the time you spent, much appreciated.

Hah! You're one day and one month too late; on 2.2.52 Magnone and Terray climbed Fitzroy.

Right, I'm off to look through my guidebooks and see if I can find a route on my birthday - 23/05/1959

I was born on 05.04.54. FA of Gogarth was 04.04.64 and I climbed it on 04.04.74. Close but no cigar.