John Angelo Jackson (March 21, 1921 – July 2, 2005) was an English mountaineer, explorer and educationalist.
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He was brought up and educated in Nelson, Lancashire. Before World War II, he was apprenticed in pharmacy. However, at the outbreak of war, he left to volunteer for the R.A.F. in which he served for six years. He flew with No. 31 Squadron RAF in India and Burma, flying in much needed supplies to the 14th Army who were stranded behind Japanese lines, for which he was mentioned in despatches.
After the war he became a schoolmaster. He taught geography and science in Nelson and Redcar, during which time he would voluntarily undertake extracurricular activities after school hours and weekends introducing his students to the mountains.
He was an avid and skilful photographer, something that lasted all his life, much of this work was used in lecture tours around the world, books that he wrote, pictures and detailed information for books that other people wrote, magazine articles, the BBC etc.
He started climbing on the Yorkshire Moors, and later moved to the Lake District and Scotland. His experience as a first-class rock climber was crucial to becoming Instructor and later Chief Instructor at the RAF Mountaineering Centre at Sonamarg in Kashmir.
- First dry ski slope in North Wales built mainly by staff but in the main by Richard McHardy, it was a great success and would attract people from all over Wales and England.
- The first cross-country dry ski track in Wales and possibly the UK, later tested and used by the British Biathlon Team.
- Two snow-making projects, the first being at Rhyddolion above Betws-y-Coed North Wales using an underpowered compressor, the second being at Bryn Engan, Plas y Brenin with a more powerful compressor
- Brought about the Mountain Leader Training Board along with Sir Jack Longland, the MLT Certificate and the Mountain Instructor Certificate.
- Built the first all-weather training pool for teaching canoeing and life-saving skills and still very much in action to this day.
- He understood the value of marketing and would devote a good part of his time single-handedly lecturing to colleges, universities, Local Education Authorities, schools, Mountaineering - Climbing - Walking and ski clubs (anyone who wanted to use the outdoors) to encourage people to use the Centre; his approach proved an enormous success and was pivotal in establishing Plas y Brenin as a world leader in outdoor education.
- Took the first early ski and ski mountaineering groups to the French Alps; these were extended to "Dolomiti Superski" courses at Plas Menai and now are now mainstay activities at both outdoor centres.
- It was always a high point when staff took up prominent positions or created their own projects that became successful. For example, Don Roscoe and Barbara Sparks went on to run the Outdoor Education Department at UCNW Bangor, Dave Alcock went on from being a Mountaineering Instructor to be the Director of Plas y Brenin for eleven years, Roger Orgill was twice Chief Instructor (after resigning at least once) was an avid committee man and was awarded an MBE.
Within the public engagement framework rules laid down by the CCPR that effectively prevented him from actually sitting on committees of external bodies, he extensively guided major governing bodies, i.e. the B.M.C and M.L.T.B, to become involved with all aspects of "Outdoor Pursuits", not solely the climbing aspects.
With the assistance of a grant made by the then Sports Minister Dennis Howell, he was able to install the canoe training pool, extend the dry ski slope and provide a Bar which added greatly to the existing facilities of the Centre.
Wrote extensively for many magazines and journals, e.g. Climber and Rambler, The Great Outdoors, The Himalayan Club, The Fell and Rock Journal and the Alpine Journal.
Jackson's successes came from a complete love of being in the mountains, his direct and single mindedly focused attitude in bringing about necessary changes in safety in the mountains, quality instruction and training, and the importance of having this process monitored and certifiable qualifications be obtained.
Jackson's determined approach often brought him into conflict with the politically motivated individuals in the sport, they would wait until he retired in an attempt to redress old scores, however despite these difficulties he still managed to establish Plas y Brenin as the pre-eminent outdoor pursuits centre in the UK and was known worldwide for its excellence.
He ran (with the aid of his wife, Eileen Jackson) countless treks to the Himalaya, Zanskar, Kashmir, Nepal, India, Peru, Ecuador & Galapagos Islands, Kilimanjaro.
Its is important to relate that he did not do this for money - he received no payment for these services as he considered it his "hobby" - he did this work for the love of travel, for the people who wanted to experience the mountains he held in such high regard.
In June 2005, he was interviewed for the last time, by Jamie Owen for BBC Wales during the making of a series of documentaries for Welsh television "Welsh Journeys". In this interview, he again re-affirmed his love for mountains, Wales, lives experiences and also the view that mountains were for everybody.
Jamie Owen, Welsh Journeys (Published in 2005, by Gomer Press, www.gomer.co.uk, ISBN 1-84323-569-2, Snowdonia - pages 79 – 101)
Books still in Print
Photography