Pete Livesey

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Pete Livesey (1943-1998) raised the standard of difficulty of rock-climbing in England in the 1970s. As one of the best climbers the United Kingdom has ever produced he had an international reputation for hard routes and a professional training regime. He was one of the first climbers to fully understand the benefits of training and his serious attitude to training enabled him to ascend his difficult new routes such as Footless Crow, on Goat Crag, in the Lake District and Downhill Racer at Froggatt in the Peak District.

Livesey was not only a top rock climber but also a fell-runner, athlete, caver, canoeist and orienteer. He took up orienteering in his 40's and within two years was topping the M45 rankings in Britain. He also had a remarkable record as a fell runner, including four consecutive top ten placing's in the Karrimor International Mountain Marathon (KIMM).

Towards the end of his life he lectured in Outdoor Studies at Ilkley College, Yorkshire. He died on February 26th 1998 from cancer.

[edit] Selected Routes

Yorkshire

  • Crossbones, Malham - E2 5c (First Free Ascent - 1967)
  • Doubting Thomas, Malham - E5 6b (First Ascent - 1971)
  • Face Route, Gordale - E3 6a (First Ascent - 1971)
  • Jenny Wren, Gordale - E5 6a (First Ascent - 1971)
  • Central Wall, Kilnsey - E4 6a (First Free Ascent - 1972)
  • The Diedre, Kilnsey - E2 5b(First Free Ascent - 1972)
  • Deliverance, Gordale - E5 6b (First Ascent - 1973)
  • Mossdale Trip, Gordale - E6 6a (First Ascent - 1977)

Lake District

  • Lunatic, Chapel Head Scar - E3 5c (First Ascent - 1974)
  • Footless Crow, Goat Crag - E5 6b (First Ascent 1976)
  • Javelin, Trowbarrow Quarry - E1 5b (First Ascent - 1976)

Peak District

  • Debauchery, High Tor - E1 5b (First Free Ascent - 1967)
  • Darius, High Tor - E2 5c (First Free Ascent - 1974)
  • Nightmare of Brown Donkeys, High Tor - E3 6a (First Free Ascent - 1975)
  • Behemoth, Water-cum-Jolly - E5 6b (First Free Ascent - 1976)
  • China Spring, High Tor - E5 6a (First Ascent - 1976)
  • The Girdle Traverse, High Tor - E5 6b (First Free Ascent - 1976)
  • Downhill Racer, Froggatt - E4 6a (First Ascent - 1977)

Wales

  • Right Wall, Dinas Cromlech - E5 6a (First Ascent - 1974)

[edit] References