UKH

The original edition of Ken Wilson's classic Hard Rock has a photo of a climber ascending Sloth at the Roaches, a climb that curiously is not included among his selection of routes in the book. But there is no acknowledgement of who is the climber in the picture. Has anyone got any idea who is this mystery climber?

Doug Scott, I believe.

Funny how the 3rd Ed also has a photo of Rob Matheson on The Rasp at Higgar Tor - also not included in the listings.

 Paul Nunn, I thought.

My copy of Classic Rock has Pegasus at Chair Ladder on the cover, that's not in the book.

I think somewhere I heard it was a deliberate move to prevent a honeypot within a honeypot ( i.e. everyone  wants a Hard Rock tick, but absolutely everyone wants to climb the "cover star" route)

This one, isn't it? 

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41yPELkw8BL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

I realise I'm thinking of a completely different picture!

The first 3 editions all have cover shots of routes not in Hard Rock; Sloth, Shrike, Rasp.

The re-release in 2020 is the first to go against that "tradition"; Central Buttress (unless I've miss-identified the photo)

I can't remember whether the "tradition" was Ken's intention or whether he was merely looking for an iconic dramatic cover shot for the original. No doubt someone will have asked him and it may even be in whatever interviews he did.

I think TXG's reason is correct. I think I can remember Ken actually saying as much.

Thats the cover,  I remember thinking it was Paul Nunn at the time but my memory had the shot taken from the other side, so maybe another photo. 

Regarding the other edition cover shot, on the way to climbing in the Peak with Ian Dunn, we called in on Ken, who showed us a few  drafts of the latest Hard Rock. Ken said this was the cover but he did not know the climber. I told him it was Rob, so it was either a conscious decision to be uncaptioned or too late in the production process.

This one? A crop of my copy - Paul Nunn?

 "Easter Eggs"? I.e. hints to those with enough understanding that Wilson was aware of some great routes being left out of the list?

I'll always wonder why he never stated who the climber is. A forgetful oversight or deliberate ploy,  but then why? One of life's mysteries.

Doesn't say who the climber is on Shrike on the cover of 2nd edition - so presumably deliberate since there'd been 7 years for people to ask about the Sloth photo.

I think you're right with Henry Barber.

Had Barber been to the UK by 1974? I'm not so sure,

Chris

Hot Henry Barber definitely visited us in the Leeds University Union Climbing Club in 1973, and fitted right in with the climbing and rather debauched party scene at the time. He got on famously with John Syrett in both scenes.

Interestingly Valkyrie at tge Roches is also way better than tge one at Froggatt as well and batchellors left hand  at Hen cloud is way better than anything else in the book as well?

It's not Shrike it's Aries! Definitely not in for the quality of the route as it must be in the top ten of routes that look great but are rubbish?

Well if it's not Shrike then Ken Wilson got it wrong in the Forward to the 1981 edition, as he describes it as " a rather decadent" photo of a climber using a point of aid on Shrike (I just checked my copy). I don't know what it is - I've never done anything on the pinnacle at Cloggy.

Rick

I think maybe there were 2 different cover shots of cloggy routes, as I do have a faint memory of Shrike being on the cover too. When I search on cover photos I just see the Aries one though.

Hmm, interesting.

Can you post a photo of that (Aries) cover, when I get home tonight I'll post the Shrike one unless someone else does it first.

Well i am wrong it is Shrike! Maybe i am getting confused with the cover of the old cloggy guide which was a very dramatic shot of Aries. 

apologies to all!

mike

There is a brilliant shot of Aries as the frontispiece of the 'Book of Modern Mountaineering' (1968). Inspirational, though I've never got round to doing it ... and never known anyone else who has, either.

Rock Climbers in Action in Snowdonian has a great shot of Pete Crew on Aries, taken by John Cleare. Is that the same picture?

Just looked at my second edition with Shrike on the cover.  Funny, I'd never really looked at it before and it's still on my tick list.

I notice that the frontispiece is Park Lane, also not included in the featured climbs.

That photo of Pete Crew on Aries just told me that had to be the 1st route I did on Cloggy back in 1970 and also Pete was from Barnsley same as me

keith