Colin Kirkus

Colin Kirkus

Personal information
Nationality	British
Born	18 September 1910
Died	14 September 1942 (aged 31)
Climbing career
Type of climber	Outdoors, post-golden age
Known for	Book: 'Let's Go Climbing'
Named routes	Clogwyn Du'r Arddu, Snowdonia, Wales (Great Slab 1930, Chimney Route 1931)

Colin Fletcher Kirkus (18 September 1910 – 14 September 1942 was a British rock climber. He climbed extensively in Wales and elsewhere, such as the Alps and the Himalaya. He wrote the instruction book Let's Go Climbing! which inspired Joe Brown to take up the sport.

Early life

Kirkus was born in Liverpool, England on 18 September 1910

Climbing

Kirkus made pioneering climbs in Wales and elsewhere and wrote the instruction book Let's Go Climbing!.

Jack Longland described the greatest rock face in Wales, Clogwyn Du'r Arddu, as "Colin’s Cliff".

Kirkus' series of new routes on "Cloggy" was unparalleled until the emergence of Joe Brown, 20 years later.

Kirkus made a pioneering Alpine-style ascent in the Himalaya, in 1933. He climbed Satopant'h while a member of Marco Pallis's expedition; his account of the climb is included in Pallis's book Peaks and Lamas.

Death

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.

His name is listed on the Runnymede Memorial for airmen with no known grave.

Bibliography

• Dean, Steve (September 1993). Hands of a Climber. ISBN 0-948153-21-0.
• Thomson, I.D.S. (1993). The Black Cloud. ISBN 0-948153-20-2.