Robbins David William

(Bearbeiten)

Biografie:
David William Robbins 1946-1986
Dave succeeded on the first ascent of the Shimshal Weisshorn in North Pakistan, at the end of August last year. After four days of climbing in a bold lightweight style with Chris Clark, Paul Allison, Paul Metcalfe, and John Burslem, they reached the summit of this unclimbed mountain (6400m) by its N face. A great achievement and so much in tune with current trends in Himalayan climbing. Tragically, during the descent, with the view of the glacier and safety in sight, an abseil anchor failed, Dave and also Chris fell about 200m. Dave was killed instantly. Miraculously, Chris survived this fall, although seriously injured.
How can I start to explain how Dave really was? How can I portray his enthusiasm for mountaineering and the experiences, both on and off the routes, that I have shared with Dave over more than 20 years? I first met Dave at Manchester University as an undergraduate contemporary in 1964. In the very active environment of the Manchester University Mountaineering Club, our abilities and also ambitions developed quite rapidly. Although I only climbed with Dave occasionally at that time, David was widely known as a person of amazing wit and talent as a raconteur. Had there been a University Trophy for “Raconteur Personship”, he would have undoubtedly won it by a large margin! It was in the 1970s that my major climbing trips with Dave really started.
Dave's main climbing interests were of a mountaineering nature. It was on snow and ice in Scotland, and particularly in the Alps, that he was really at home. On his first alpine season in 1965, he managed an ascent of the S ridge of the Aiguille Noire de Peuterey, and then rapidly developed into a very competent alpinist. It was in the early 1970s that I started to climb with Dave (and often with John Burslem) on quite a regular basis, in Scotland in winter and particularly in the Alps.
I have shared some of my most memorable climbing experiences with Dave. Bivouacked high on the Lauper Route on the Eiger in 1975 in a most appalling storm, when things really didn't look good, Dave still had a few words that encapsulated the worst outcomes, but also raised the hopes of getting to the top the following day. I am sure that quiet encouragement enabled us to leech strength from that appalling situation and to finish the route. In more favourable conditions, we managed a good number of routes, the first British ascent of the Welzenbach Route on the Zermatt Breithorn and the Cordier Pillar on the W face of the Aiguille des Grands Charmoz, to mention just two. David was a master of the anecdote, and his humour entertained John Burslem and me during five alpine seasons, both on and off the routes. He was an enthusiastic member of the Alpine Climbing Group, and had climbed widely over all the Alps. In Scotland in winter, one of David's favourite areas, he had made ascents of the modern classics, such as Zero Gully, Point-Five Gully and Hadrian's Wall.
Dave's deep love and excitement for climbing were so obvious from a letter I received from him early in 1976. “Do you fancy doing the Route Major on Mont Blanc this winter?” With no winter alpine experience at that time, I could only agree-trusting that Dave's expertise and enthusiasm would see us through; it certainly did. Although weather prevented a serious attempt at the Major, we did two nice routes, the N face of the Tour Ronde and the Gervasutti Couloir on Mont Blanc du Tacul (modest climbs by today's standards, of course), but a good taste of winter alpinism. I feel indebted to Dave's inspiration for that trip; it formed the basis for my more recent climbing around Chamonix in winter.
David's Himalayan climbing track-record was quite impressive. Back in 1969, he was making an attempt on Thui 11 in the Hindu Kush, and then succeeded on the first ascent of Pupherash in Pakistan in 1977. In 1980, I climbed with Dave on Sickle Moon in the Kishtwar in India. He had an intuitive eye for a line on complex snow and ice-faces. Within an hour or so of arriving at Advance Base Camp, Dave had chosen the line to climb. It took the rest of us a day or so to see the strength of that vision. Bad weather prevented us from reaching the summit, but it was a very valuable introduction to Himalayan climbing for me.
David had a varied and successful academic career. From a background of a doctorate in Chemistry, he developed his work to the sociology of science, and from 1977 he was a Lecturer in Sociology at the University College of Aberystwyth. He developed a new circle of climbjng friends around the University Mountaineering Club, of which he was President from 1984-86. It was with the expedition of mainly Aberystwyth friends that Dave met such a tragic death on the Shimshal Weisshorn.
I have lost a very close friend with whom I have shared so many wonderful experiences. We cannot start to understand the grief felt by Suzie Adams with whom David lived. Their house in the hills behind Tal-y-Bont reflected so much of David's deep love for the mountains. We shall miss you.
Alistair Morgan
Quelle: Alpine Journal Volume 92, 1987, Seite 312-314



Geboren am:
1946
Gestorben am:
1986