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Colin Kirkus

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Colin Kirkus
Personal information
NationalityBritish
Born18 September 1910
Liverpool
Died14 September 1942 (aged 31)
RelativeWilfrid 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.

Early life

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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

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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

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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]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Casualty Details: Kirkus, Colin Fletcher". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Edit this at Wikidata
  2. ^ a b c 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. ^ a b 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

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