Colin Kirkus

Last updated • 2 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Colin Kirkus
Personal information
NationalityBritish
Born18 September 1910
Liverpool
Died14 September 1942 (aged 31)
Relative Wilfrid Noyce (cousin)
Climbing career
Type of climberOutdoors, post-golden age
Known forBook: 'Let's Go Climbing'
Named routesClogwyn Du'r Arddu, Snowdonia, Wales (Great Slab 1930, Chimney Route 1931)

Colin Fletcher Kirkus (18 September 1910 – 14 September 1942 [1] was a British rock climber. He climbed extensively in Wales and elsewhere, such as the Alps and the Himalaya. [2] He wrote the instruction book Let's Go Climbing! which inspired Joe Brown to take up the sport.

Contents

Early life

Kirkus was born in Liverpool, England on 18 September 1910.

Kirkus was a cousin of Wilfrid Noyce, seven years older than Noyce, Colin developed an active interest in climbing during his early teens and the families of Kirkus and Noyce shared holidays in the Welsh hills. [2] It was Kirkus who first introduced Noyce to rock climbing. [3]

Climbing

Kirkus made pioneering climbs in Wales and elsewhere and wrote the instruction book Let's Go Climbing!. [4]

Jack Longland described the greatest rock face in Wales, Clogwyn Du'r Arddu, as "Colin’s Cliff". [5]

Kirkus' series of new routes on "Cloggy" was unparalleled until the emergence of Joe Brown, 20 years later.[ citation needed ]

In 1933 Kirkus was a member of Marco Pallis's expedition to the Gangotri area of the Himalaya and the team climbed several peaks. [6] During the expedition Kirkus and Charles Warren made a pioneering alpine-style ascent of the central or 'second Satopanth peak' which is now known as the 6,454 metres (21,175 ft) Bhagirathi III; [2] [7] Kirkus' account of the climb is included in Pallis's book Peaks and Lamas. [8] That ascent has been described as "amongst the most important ascents by British climbers in that decade". [9]

Death

Kirkus was killed in the Second World War, on a sortie to Bremen on the night of 13/14 September 1942. He was a navigator on Vickers Wellington BJ879 of 156 Squadron an RAF Pathfinder squadron. He was one of four brothers, all of whom saw flying service in the RAF, and three of whom were killed in action in the Second World War. [5]

His name is listed on the Runnymede Memorial for airmen with no known grave. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gasherbrum I</span> Eight-thousander and 11th-highest mountain on Earth, located in Pakistan and China

Gasherbrum I, surveyed as K5 and also known as Hidden Peak, is the 11th highest mountain in the world at 8,080 metres (26,510 ft) above sea level. It is located between Shigar District in the Gilgit–Baltistan region of Pakistan and Tashkurgan in the Xinjiang of China. Gasherbrum I is part of the Gasherbrum Massif, located in the Karakoram region of the Himalaya. Gasherbrum is often claimed to mean "Shining Wall", presumably a reference to the highly visible face of the neighboring peak Gasherbrum IV; but in fact, it comes from "rgasha" (beautiful) + "brum" (mountain) in Balti, hence it actually means "beautiful mountain."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shishapangma</span> Worlds last eight-thousander and 14th highest mountain located in the Himalayas

Shishapangma, or Shishasbangma or Xixiabangma, is the 14th-highest mountain in the world, at 8,027 metres (26,335 ft) above sea level. It is located entirely within Tibet. In 1964, it became the final eight-thousander to be climbed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masherbrum</span> Mountain in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

Masherbrum is a mountain located in the Ghanche District in the Gilgit Baltistan region of Pakistan. With an elevation of 7,821 metres, it ranks as the 22nd highest mountain globally and the 9th highest in Pakistan. It holds the distinction of being the first mapped peak in the Karakoram mountain range during the Great Trigonometrical Survey, leading to its K-number designation as "K1".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Band</span> English mountain climber

George Christopher Band was an English mountaineer. He was the youngest climber on the 1953 British expedition to Mount Everest on which Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first to ascend the mountain. In 1955, he and Joe Brown were the first climbers to ascend Kangchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Machapuchare</span> Mountain in Nepal

Machapuchare, Machhapuchchhre or Machhapuchhre, is a mountain situated in the Annapurna massif of Gandaki Province, north-central Nepal. Its highest peak has never been officially climbed due to the impossibility of gaining a permit from the government of Nepal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Angelo Jackson</span> English mountaineer, explorer and educationalist

John Angelo Jackson was an English mountaineer, explorer and educationalist.

Tom George Longstaff was an English medical doctor, explorer and mountaineer, most famous for being the first person to climb a summit of over 7,000 metres in elevation, Trisul, in the India/Pakistan Himalayas in 1907. He also made important explorations and climbs in Tibet, Nepal, the Karakoram, Spitsbergen, Greenland, and Baffin Island. He was a founding member of The Alpine Ski Club in 1908 and the Himalayan Club (1929), was elected as an Honorary Member of the Climbers Club in 1932 and was its President from 1933–1935 and was president of the (British) Alpine Club from 1947 to 1949.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trivor</span> Mountain in Pakistan

Trivor is one of the high mountain peaks of the Hispar Muztagh, a subrange of the Karakoram range in the Shimshal Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan of Pakistan. Its height is often given as 7,728 metres (25,354 ft), but this elevation is not consistent with photographic evidence. The height given here is from a Russian 1:100,000 topographic map.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Evans (mountaineer)</span> English mountaineer

Sir Robert Charles Evans was a British mountaineer, surgeon, and educator. He was leader of the 1955 British Kangchenjunga expedition and deputy leader of the 1953 British Mount Everest expedition, both of which were successful.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trisul</span> Mountain in Uttarakhand, india

Trisul is a group of three Himalayan mountain peaks of western Kumaun, Uttarakhand, with the highest reaching 7120m. The three peaks resemble a trident - in Sanskrit, Trishula, trident, is the weapon of Shiva. The Trishul group forms the southwest corner of the ring of peaks enclosing the Nanda Devi Sanctuary, about 15 kilometres (9 mi) west-southwest of Nanda Devi itself. The main peak, Trisul I, was the first peak over 7,000 m (22,970 ft) to have ever been climbed, in 1907.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thalay Sagar</span> Mountain in indian himalayas

Thalay Sagar is a mountain in the Gangotri Group of peaks in the western Garhwal Himalayas, on the main ridge that lies south of the Gangotri Glacier. It lies in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, 10 kilometres (6 mi) southwest of the Hindu holy site of Gaumukh. It is the second highest peak on the south side of the Gangotri Glacier, but it is more notable for being a dramatic rock peak, steep on all sides, and a famed prize for mountaineers. It is adjacent to the Jogin group of peaks, and has the lake Kedartal at its base.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Estcourt</span> British mountaineer

Nicholas John Estcourt was a British mountaineer and alpinist who was killed in an avalanche on the West Ridge of K2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilfrid Noyce</span> British mountain climber

Cuthbert Wilfrid Francis Noyce was an English mountaineer and author. He was a member of the 1953 British Expedition that made the first ascent of Mount Everest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zygmunt Andrzej Heinrich</span> Polish mountain climber (1937–1989)

Zygmunt Andrzej Heinrich was a Polish mountaineer who made several ascents of eight-thousanders. He died in an avalanche on the northwest slopes of Mount Everest in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pumasillo</span> Mountain in Peru

Pumasillo is a mountain in the Vilcabamba mountain range in the Andes of Peru, about 5,991 m (19,656 ft) high. Pumasillo or Sacsarayoc also refers to the whole massif. It includes the peaks Pumasillo, Sacsarayoc and Lasunayoc. It is located in the Cusco Region, La Convención Province. Its slopes are within the administrative boundaries of the Peruvian city of Santa Teresa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Satopanth</span> Mountain peak

Mount Satopanth (7084m) is one of the prominent peaks of the Garhwal range in the Himalayas, located within the Indian subcontinent. It is also the second highest peak in Gangotri National Park.

Elizabeth Davenport Woolsey was an American alpine skier. who competed in the women's combined event at the 1936 Winter Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhagirathi Massif</span>

Bhagirathi Massif or Bhagirathi Group is a mountain range of Garhwal Himalaya in Gangotri Glacier Uttarakhand India, It has four peaks between 6856 meter and 6193 meter. The Bhagirathi I summits is 6856 meter or 22493 feet. It was first climbed by A Japanese team in 1980. It is surrounded by Glaciers on four side on the eastern side of the Massif is Vasuki Glacier, on the western side its Gangotri Glacier the main glacier in this area, northern side is surrounded by Chaturangi Glacier and southern side guarded by Swachhhand Glacier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douglas Busk</span> British diplomat and mountaineer (1906–1990)

Douglas Laird BuskKCMG (1906–1990) was a British diplomat, mountaineer and geographer.

Henry Snow Hall Jr. was a mountaineer, a long-time benefactor of the American Alpine Club and patron of American mountaineering. He was a generous supporter of the Boston Museum of Science and for 40 years he was one of the Museum's trustees.

References

  1. 1 2 "Casualty Details: Kirkus, Colin Fletcher". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  2. 1 2 3 Dean, Steve (1993). Hands of a Climber - A Life of Colin Kirkus. Ernest Press. ISBN   9780948153211.
  3. Hunt, John; Cox, David (1993). "Wilfred Noyce 1917-1962: Some Personal Memories" (PDF). Alpine Journal. #98 (342): 67–70. ISBN   978-0948153273. ISSN   0065-6569 . Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  4. Kirkus, Colin (March 2004). Let's Go Climbing!. ISBN   1-904466-17-6.
  5. 1 2 Hargreaves, A.B.; Longland, J.L. (1943). "In Memorium – Colin Fletcher Kirkus – Club Member 1928–1942" (PDF). Climbers' Club Journal. Vol. #7, no. 69. pp. 168–181. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  6. Pallis, Marco (1934). "Gangotri and Leo Pargial, 1933". Himalayan Journal. #6: 106–126. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  7. Warren, Charles (1933). "The Gangotri Glacier and Leo Pargial, 1933" (PDF). Alpine Journal. #45 (247): 306–320. ISSN   0065-6569 . Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  8. Pallis, Marco (1939). Peaks and Lamas. Cassell. pp. 40–50. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  9. Gray, Dennis (2020). "Marco Pallis and the Round of Existence" (PDF). Alpine Journal. #124 (368): 141–150. ISBN   978-0956930996. ISSN   0065-6569 . Retrieved 15 November 2024.

Bibliography