A. W. Andrews

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Arthur Westlake Andrews (b 1868, d. 1959) was a British geographer, poet, rock-climber and mountaineer.

He trained as a geographer (FRGS 1896) and became a teacher of geography and history in Southwark. In 1913 he published 'a text-book of geography', reprinted in 1922.

As a climber, his first contribution appears to have been, in 1899, the route now called 'Andrews' renne' on Storen, Norway.

He is especially remembered for two later climbing contributions :- for his co-authorship, with J. M. A. Thomson in 1909 of the first rock-climbing guide-book, to the cliffs of Y Lliwedd, in Snowdonia; and for being the 'father' of Cornish sea cliff climbing, beginning with an early ascent (1902) of the Bosigran Ridge Climb (aka Commando Ridge grid reference SW413368) followed by Ledge Climb (also Bosigran) in 1905. With E. C. Pyatt he later produced the first official (Climbers' Club) Cornish climbing guide, in 1950.

He is also believed to have had a project to traverse all the Cornish cliffs, between the high and low water marks, aided where necessary by a grappling-iron.

In later years he appears to have turned to poetry inspired by the scenery of West Penwith, Cornwall.