Stevie Haston: A Climbing Legend
Stevie Haston on Digital Crack, Chamonix courtesy Laurence Gouault Haston
#Bornonthisday 1957.05.12; Stevie Haston, arguably Britain's one of the most accomplished all-round climber and alpinist who is known for his bold routes on loose rock and his intense training regimen, which at one time consisted of 2,000 pull-ups and 3,000 push-ups a day.
Stevie was for many years, ‘The Forgotten Man’ of British climbing and although he has been a mountaineering over-achiever for 40 years it is only relatively recently that the climbing media appear to have recognized his amazing track record, and belatedly accorded him the attention it is due.
Born in Stepney, London, still in his teens during the 1970s, Haston started climbing on Malta's loose sea cliffs, pioneering on the UK slate and soloing hard routes which he slowed down after death of his friends Jimmy Jewell and Derek Hersey from ropeless falls. Soon he had graduated onto performances like the second British winter ascent of Eiger North Face, climbing some of the hardest rock routes in Wales without prior knowledge or practice, doing Grade VII ice routes, the first free solo of the major alpine route, The Walker Spur, and putting up E7s before training-induced injury slowed him for a while during the late 80s. In 1990 on a trip to Shivling in the Indian Himalaya he met the ace climber Laurence Goualt who became his future wife and climbing partner, followed by a move to Chamonix marking his return by onsighting F8a, redpointing F8c, making first ascents of VII (Scottish IX) ice-falls, and free-soloing the Walker Spur in winter in just 8 hours. In 1996 Stevie set out for U.S.A and introduced himself to the Americans by cruising up another ‘Hardest ice route in the world’; Jeff Lowe’s much photographed Octopussy (M8), followed by Will Gadd’s route Amphibian (M9).
A young Stevie (Photo by Chris Griffiths courtesy steviehaston.blogspot)
Over the years, Haston has established the first Scottish Grade IX, Terminator at Crag Du in Wales; put up the first M10/M11, The Empire Strikes Back, at Val d'Aosta, Italy; established eight routes that have since crumbled into dust, including the off-widths Fear of Rejection (5.12a) and Lost Castle (5.13c); and climbed three or four 9as (5.14d), depending on whether they hold the grade; put up Cannabis in the French Pyrenees, a 70-meter 8a rock climb to an M8 ending on Scottish Grade VI+ terrain; and has attempted to snowboard down Everest!
Never short of a controversial opinion, and famously outspoken and iconoclastic, Haston is in constant demand as a public speaker, as well as appearing frequently on TV and in magazines.
Stevie Haston at present, resides on the island of Gozo, thirteen miles north of Malta where he first learned to climb, with his girlfriend Alex and their dog Diego. Stevie devotes most of his time in developing new climbing routes, and diving.
He blogs regularly and one can find loads of wisdom and pearls of climbing in his writing here: (Blog : http://steviehaston.blogspot.com)
“So its a long story, maybe 50 years of climbing so far, and with many attempts by mother nature, and my own daft ambition to kill me. I started climbing on loose undeveloped sea cliffs, soloing around, deep water soloing before the term was invented, this gave me a sense of autonomy that I took to the Alps at 16. I began developing and designing my own gear at this time, and from these humble beginnings I have probably become even more humble, lots of my life is about getting more out of less.
Some of my best times were in North Wales doing new routes in the Slate quarries, and on Gogarth, in the late 70s and mid 80s. Concurrently visits to the Alps in winter started my tally of solos of alpine routes to around 86 of TD grade and above, there has been a slow down as paranoia has crept in, or avalanched in. Anyway I moved to Chamonix for 20 years finally moving when I became badly smashed up due to a high speed snowboarding prang. Relocating to the Pyrenees, recovery were aided by two of my old loves, Caving and slow hill running, these brought back some of the soul to my climbing after being a jaded 'Pro' for so long. It was also there slowly but surely that the lessons of such a terribly long career finally bore fruit and I began to climb a little better, 9a arrived at the tender age of 52! Another good year was when I did the inaugural Tor de Geants 200 mile mountain race, a 9a, and some E8 first ascents. Hopefully I might have another good year....... ” - Stevie Haston
Stevie in his elements (Photograph: Inigo Taylor)
Stevie Haston - Time Line
• 1957: 12th May, Born Steven Haston in Stepney, London.
• 1970: 1979 Age 13. Started rope climbing on Yorkshire grit in plimsoles and big boots. Was part of the great bouldering culture of the 70's along with Ron Fawcett and Jerry Peel. Solo'ed hard routes at Harrisons Rocks, made repeats of many hard routes and went on first trips to the Alps, including his first winter season at age 16.
• 1979: Got noticed with the second British winter ascent of the North Face of the Eiger with Victor Saunders. This was big news and featured on News at Six on ITV for over a week. Stevie also made a pair of the first Gore-tex overboots for this ascent. Repeated Welsh E5's, bouldered Font 7c+/8a. Free climbed Amanita a Tony Wimot A5 aid route in the Avon Gorge.
• 1980: Climbed the Nant Blanc Face of L'Aiguille Verte in a few hours. Start of the slate boom; first ascent of Comes The Dervish, the classic E3 in the Vivian Quarries, Llanberis, but was more like E5 when it was first climbed.
• 1981: Solos of the North Face of the Droites, Grand couloir du Plan and Super Couloir Gspaltenhorn. Second ascent of Cockblock E5 in Llanberis Pass.
• 1982: Ten winter routes in Ogwen, North Wales in a day. Some new ice routes in the slate quarries. The Purple Pimpernel, Tom Jones and Stevie climbed Cabbage Crack (Stoney Quarry).
• 1983: First onsight ascent of Electric Cool Acid Test E6 6c on Pen Trwyn, North Wales. First ascent of a hard and badly-protected slate off-width crack, Fear of Rejection, slate's first E6. It fell down
• 1984: A quick summer solo of the Walker Spur, Grandes Jorasses. All the more impressive as this ascent was off-the-couch, he didn't do much climbing this year.
• 1985: First ascent of Terminator on Craig Du in Wales, VIII. Unrepeated (and ignored) could be the first Scottish IX, well ahead of its time.
• 1986: First ground up ascents of Gogarth E6/7's with the likes of Isis is Angry, The Drunk, Me and Free Stonehenge. The guidebook describes Isis, 'Looking for trouble? This route takes no prisoners!'
• 1987-88: Vertical access work on bridges, rock faces and buildings
• 1989: More work but did a few first ascents as weekend warrior including Sea Witch E6 and Angel DustE6 at Gogarth.
• 1990: Met Laurence Goualt in the Himalayas, start of a great climbing partnership.
• 1991: Did a lot of running and had 40 days pure ice climbing around Chamonix up to WI6+.
• 1992: The first of five knee operations. Soloed five ice routes on the Argentiere glacier in a day
• 1993: First solo of the Walker Spur in winter, free, in 8 hours. Pitches of E1 rock, Scottish VI, people say ED3 in winter.
• 1994: Nuit Blanche WI7 first ascent (Repeated by JC Lafaille but he placed a bolt on the crux). Solo of the two pitch Argentiere WI 6+ Ice Lander; onsighted 8a; redpointed The Maginot Line, 8c. Freed aid routes in Chamonix: Pannoramix, Eau et Gaz, Empire State Building, Entrez dans la Legende.
• 1995: First ascent of the still unrepeated Sans Liberty 8b+, on Pic Adolphe Rey, in Mont Blanc. Second ascent of Octopussey M8 in Colorado, and first ascent of After Eight M8+ in Vail: Gelati M8, Italy. Free ascents of desert towers in the Four Corners region of the USA including: Hindu, Sharks Fin, Mongoose, Spinnaker. First ascent of Garwhali Porter 8a at 4,400m, India.
• 1997: First M9's. Solo second ascent of Lafaille's Les Compères 7+ (M9). Second ascent of Amphibian M9, Vail, Colorado. First ascent of 009, M9 in Italy,
• 1998: First M10 X-Files, Val d'Aoste, Italy. Snowboarding Pakistan
• 1999: Snowboarding at 7000m in Tibet.
• 2000: Empire Strikes Back, Val d'Aoste, Italy, the first M10/11. Italian Mauro "Bubu" Bole, confirmed the route's beauty and difficulty. Onsighted 8a+ at Sarre, Italy. Attempted Cho Oyu, Tibet.
• 2001: Second ascent of Mission Impossible M10, Italy, but without spurs to make it a bit harder. This spurless ascent started a bit of a trend amongst the world's top Mixed climbers.
• 2002: Free ascent of Sundevil Chimney on the Fisher Towers, USA: with two 5.13 pitches. The ransom incident in Nepal whilst on the Slovenian Janak '02 expedition. Rebels threatened the team unless they paid a £4,000 ransom.
• 2003: Serious snowboarding accident after a very enjoyable time snowboarding in the Himalaya. Severed achilles tendon and a shattered ankle. The doctors and Laurence told him that he was fine, if he'd know the truth, "I might have killed myself."
• 2004: Climbed 8a again after losing hope. Grandfathers Challenge ground up E8 and Melody E9 at Craig Dorys, North Wales.
• 2005: Moved to the Pyrenees to get away from the danger of alpine climbing and claustrophia of Chamonix. Whilst Chamonix is home to some of the best climbers on earth, climbing 8a is standard, it is also home to the most competitive and cut-throat climbing scene. Found peace, gardening and farming in Ariege.
• 2006: Spent most of the year caving in the Pyrenees. Cave exploration involving digging and explosives, 'like a big alpine day out'.
• 2007: More caving and redpointed 8b+.
• 2008: Redpointed 8c+ Descente en Enfers in the Grotte de Sabart, in Ariege and onsighted 8b. Started hill running again.
• 2009: Climbed Descente Lolitta 9a, flashed Greenspit a roof crack given 8b. Established Harmony, Bam Bam E8 6b, Dream Canyon Handshake E7 6b, 6a, Requiem for a Vampire E8 6b and Nightstalker E9 at Craig Dorys, North Wales.
• 2010: Climbed another 9a, Fred Rouhling's route Hugh at Les Eaux Claire and established Cannabis, a crazy and beautiful hybrid mixed route on granite, 70 metres of 8a rock climbing to M8 mixed to Scottish 6+.