So there's a lot to like about him. But then there's the bad stuff. Propensity for violence, reputation around women, alcoholism etc. I think it's worth noting some of the bad stuff went beyond the "lovable rougue" categoryand tipped him into the "utter bastard"or even the "complete c***" categories, and I think it's for this reason he was never lauded or honored as much as his contemporaries. Some would marry and settle down. But others, Brown and Whillans included, would find a less conventional path. In North Wales particularly, the two men established a series of climbs on cliff s such as Dinas Cromlech and Clogwyn du'r Arddu that retain a mystical quality, made even more special by their very obscurity. Douglas, Ed (6 March 2005). "Don Whillans: the vertical beatnik". The Observer. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017 . Retrieved 18 January 2020. Yet the attraction of climbing remains. 'We still have choice,' he says , 'however much our free will is imposed on by the strictures of a materialist and infantilised society. The old anarchies of climbing, to my mind, grow more rather than less attractive with the passage of years.' There seems to be no secret that Don, especially in later years, drank a few pints - probably more than was healthy. The interest in alcohol could be explained by statements as "People ask me why I drink so much. It's because of a morbid fear of dehydration." Give Don Whillans a thought next time you have a pint on the terrace at the bar "Le National" in Chamonix. When Don was not sitting in his favourite place he was most certainly out climbing. One might wonder why Whillans, with so obstinately and sometimes cynical behaviour, has become so famous? Probably it is not only due to his qualities as climber and mountaineer. The question is difficult to answer but we all love heroes – and anti-heroes – don’t we?

This urge to escape among the working classes expressed itself in the rambling clubs - usually politically oriented - that sprung up in many northern cities at the start of the 20th century. A similar urge first brought Whillans to the moors of Derbyshire and Staffordshire, even if he was too singular to bother with the communal appeal of a Sunday walk. His reputation as a hard drinker went hand in hand with his notoriety for the odd bit of fisticuffs. There are many tales covered in a book called ‘The Villain’ by Jim Perrin. It’s well worth a read if you can get a copy.We can speculate till the cows come home as to WHY Don might have felt insecure, and felt the need to adopt a confrontational stance to the world: genetics? being evacuated during the war? absent father? distant non-emotional parenting? macho tough culture? etc etc. Jim Perrin has had the luxury of having more evidence at his disposal to piece together a version of Don's persona that 'fits' his behaviour. All we can do is indulge in amateur speculation. Of course, no one is entitled to judge anyone else's life or make definitive statements as to how happy he was. However, Perrin (or anyone else) is entitled to their opinion that, given Don's talents as a mountaineer, he could have achieved even more; and, given the evidence of his behaviour to others, he did not SEEM to be a contented soul. Chris Bonington first climbed with Whillans in 1958. He grew up in a one-parent family and, though well spoken, was more of an outsider than his contemporaries assumed. Rescues on the hills and mountains of Scotland became a significant part of Hamish’s life. Hamish writes, 'Only too often it is a fight for life: there is nothing more satisfying than the successful evacuation of a critically injured person on a highly technical rescue, where a single mistake could result in the death of the casualty. It is, on a grand scale, a game of chance in which nature holds most of the cards'. Perrin grew up in Manchester just after the war, first in Fallowfield and then among the slums of Hulme. Like Whillans, he found freedom in the hills.

Following this success, Troll, already familiar in parts of Europe and the States, became internationally known, and expeditions from all over the world were using and recommending our gear. And with him, too, came a character generous, playful and straightforward. His mind may not have been academically trained, but he was sharp, informed, argumentative, and I think very wise. He loved the contest, be it physical or intellectual; he loved to wrestle. A lot of stuff goes on round here (North Lakes) which is very much off the radar. There are many climbers close by, quite a few famous, some less so. A couple of years ago we had a Hesket Spiders lecture evening where there were a couple of talks about new routes, climbing in France, then Doug Scott gave an excellent talk about Don. He wanted to correct the impression that Don was (according to Perrin) "a villain". It was a generous, adulatory little talk, much enjoyed and quite touching. Clearly Don to those who really knew him was a top man, very kind, likeable, tough yes, but very fair. Doug was certainly very complimentary about Don. There are many Whillans jokes doing the rounds, one of the best being the World Cup joke when Whillans gave his response to Dyrenfurth's comments on "national sports" on the International Everest Expedition. forgotten name> [despite researching him for my 'entrepeurial management' course at business school] (for starting the project that led to the Foundry, arguably the precursor for all modern climbing walls) For me, the book also failed to give any insights into Don & Audrey's relationship. Even as a child of 10, it had seemed "unusual" to me, what with them both going off on expeditions and having no kids. Audrey probably deserves a book of her own and certainly a larger part in Don's story. Again, she isn't with us any longer so she can't comment on what Jim Perrin has said.Re the televised ascents with Brown and Bonington, I too had the feeling that there was tension beneath the surface - on his side. My impression is that both Brown and Bonington were magnanimous towards him but he just wouldn't let stuff go. And, if you don't let stuff go, it eats away at you. Hamish acted as Safety Officer to Clint Eastwood during the production of The Eiger Sanction in 1975. He had recently had an unusual accident when a stone wall fell on his leg resulting in an emergency operation for gas gangrene. Hamish was left with a wound on the side on his leg. Ever resourceful, he used his workshop to make a perforated aluminium alloy guard to protect the damaged area before travelling to Switzerland. He was also instrumental in the design and development of new gear, (correct me if I'm wrong) the Whillans harness was the first harness to raise the legs into a sitting position, It was pretty close to the modern sit harness we all use today. It's just that it had a strap that went between the legs that made it a particularly uncomfortable fall for gentlemen.The Whillans box tent was grounbreaking and stood up better than any of its contemporaries. The following winter, MacInnes showed their effectiveness by making the first winter ascent of Astronomy (VI,5) on the Ben with Spence and Fyffe. It was a typical unconventional MacInnes affair involving a bivouac and seconds following on jumars, but it demonstrated the effectiveness of the new ice tools on steep, thinly iced ground. Terrordactyls went into production later in 1971 and the 'curved axe revolution' was underway.