Hazel Findlay Climbs Full Quarryman in U.K.
And listen to an interview on racism with 1960s climber Trevor Massiah
Top British climber Hazel Findlay has climbed the classic Johnny Dawes testpiece trad/mixed route The Quarryman in the Dinorwig near Llanberis in North Wales. It’s one of the most legendary multi-pitch lines in the U.K.
Findlay projected Quarryman with partner Angus Kille, who repeated it a few weeks ago, and redpointed it yesterday. In 2018, Caroline Ciavaldini became the first woman to climb the four-pitch line, in which the pitches break down to E6, E5, 8a (5.13b), 7c+ (5.13a).
Johnny Dawes made the first ascent in 1986 during the start of the slate cliff exploration days. Dawes was featured in a film called Stone Monkey in which he climbed the Groove pitch in bright 1980s tights using gymnastic-style moves to stem the box chimney.
Findlay is known for her cool head on bold climbs. In 2011, she became the first British woman to climb E9. Then in while in 2014 she became the first British woman to send 5.14b.
In 2019, she sent Magic Line 5.14b trad in Yosemite, and over the years has ticked many 30-plus pitch big walls, including Golden Gate 5.13, Pre-Muir 5.13, Freerider 5.13 and Salathé Wall 5.13.
In Canada, Findlay has established and repeated a handful of hard trad routes, including her route Tainted Love 5.13d and Adder Crack 5.13b.
Earlier this week, Findlay interviewed Trevor Massiah on her podcast and talked about what it’s like growing up in a racist environment and to be the only climber that looks like you.
Findlay wrote on Instagram that they also discuss “living with racism today, how much (or little) racism he’s experienced within the climbing community, the concept of race as a convenient construct, why intentions matter, the ignorance of the white person to racism, the burden/responsibility being a member of a minority, the difference between racism and prejudice, education and the removal of black history, tribalism, class and racism, the current movement and why it’s long overdue.” Listen below.
