10 Facts About Don Whillans

Donald Desbrow Whillans was an English rock climber and mountaineer.

Don Whillans climbed with Joe Brown and Chris Bonington on many new routes, and was considered the technical equal of both.

Don Whillans was an apprentice plumber when he started his climbing career with Joe Brown in 1951.

Don Whillans met Brown while climbing at the Roaches in Staffordshire.

Don Whillans was attributed with safety and mountain awareness, as evidenced by his retreat from the Eiger North Face on several occasions because of bad weather or rockfall.

Don Whillans had few climbing accidents, although there were several near misses, such as when a fixed rope on the Central Torres del Paine snapped and he managed to put his weight on the holds with split-second timing before retying the rope.

Don Whillans was well regarded for his capacity to deliver a cracking one-liner off the cuff.

Don Whillans participated in the 1971 International Expedition and 1972 European Everest Expedition, each attempting to climb Mount Everest's southwest face.

Don Whillans liked to emphasise his working class credentials, and on lecture tours, enjoyed telling the story of being stormbound in a tent high in the Himalayas with Dougal Haston who had finished reading The Lord of the Rings and passed him the book.

Don Whillans designed mountaineering equipment, including the "Whillans Harness", once described as designed to safely transport beer-guts to great height, and the "Whillans-box" expedition tent.