UKH

It is with sadness that we have heard that Harry Smith has died, in his mid-nineties. Though he started (and finished) his climbing with the Birmingham-based Cave and Crag Club, his talent was spotted by Nat Allen and friends while he was making an early lead of Kipling Groove, and he was soon climbing regularly with the Rock and Ice. He made some first ascents of his own, particularly on the Tremadog cliffs and in Dovedale, but is probably best-known for sharing the first ascent of Shrike (with Joe Brown and Joe 'Morty' Smith) and Dwm (with Joe Brown).

He joined the Rock and Ice when it was reformed in 1959 by Nat Allen and Dennis Gray.

Was Harry the final survivor of that 'golden group' of the 50s and early 60s?

RIP

I knew Sutty the best in this club and I really miss him (and his contribution to the forums and UKC meets) but on the question: I thought Denis is still with us and I'm sure other less well known climbers will be as well.

I once met Ron Moseley at Thomas and Taylors climbing shop in Sheffield in the 70s. I often wonder if he's still alive?

Sorry to hear of Harry's passing, Andy. Just out of interest, was the Dovedale you mention the Lakes or the Peak one? I had a flick through my FRCC guide but didn't spot anything in the history pages.

The Peak Dovedale. I can only spot Venery on Ravens Tor, but there are probably others in the definitive guide?

I remember that chockstone, which rattled around in the crack. Could never decide if it was help or hindrance, but as it was the only pro we used to climb round it. What an effort!

I have a vague memory of a story about his plastering prowess, apparantly he would apply the finish direct from the hawk by running it up the wall only finishing off with his trowel.

Ray Grenall is still around from that generation.   

Thanks for the memory, David. Several Cave & Crag members have recorded various incidents from Harry's climbing life. Apparently he liked to climb Cenotaph Corner every year on his birthday.

Quite by coincidence I recently came across a whole section about Harry in Dennis Gray's 'Tight Rope!', pages 83 - 87. 

When he came back after his first Dolomite trip he said to Ron James,snotherBrummy, "Eeh Ron, better get out there quick before they all fall down"

And wasn't it he in his strong  Brummy accent who told the editor of the Maroc guide book that he'd done a set of variations on the Peuterey route he wasn't best pleased when it was recorded as Pear Tree variations

I remember a whole host of Harry Smith tales, mainly from Ken Hipkiss, a friend from the Ceunant club who often climbed with Harry.

Perhaps my favourite of these was when Ken and Harry abseiled down Wen Slab - I'm not sure which route they were aiming at doing maybe Concrete Chimney or something like that. Ken went down first and realised when he got to the lip of some enormous overhangs that they had set the abseil too far to the left (looking in) and he was somewhere above T-Rex, so he tensioned rightwards and then down the slab till he could set up a belay, then told Harry to come on down. Harry appeared, abseiling classic style and wearing his normal footwear, a pair of rigid Terray Saussois leather boots, and, noticing Ken way off to the right he too started tensioning across and down... and suddenly lost his footing and swung back left, only to disappear under the rooves and out of communication. Which left Ken in a bit of a quandary - try to pull Harry back rightwards and round onto the slab, but with his classic abseil set-up the risk of pulling the rope completely off Harry was too great - or do nothing and leave him to his fate and the waves below... As Ken was staring at the point the rope disappeared over the edge, first one hand appeared, gripping the rope, then another, followed by a frenzied bellow in Harry's high pitched Brummie accent...  "Pull like fu*k..."