John Crabbe Cunningham

John Crabbe Cunningham (1927 – 31 January 1980) was a Scottish climber. Born in Glasgow, he climbed extensively in the Scottish mountains, where he pioneered new techniques of ice climbing.^[1][2]

John Crabbe Cunningham
Born	1927 Scotland
Died	31 January 1980 (aged 52–53) Anglesey, Holyhead, Wales

For several years, he worked for the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) of the British Antarctic Territory (BAT). On 23 November 1964, he became the first to climb Antarctica's Mount Jackson.^[3][4] In 1960–61, he was a member of the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey,^[5] serving as Station Commander at Stonington Island in 1962–63. He was a member of the British Antarctic Survey, and was Station Commander of Adelaide Island in 1964–65. He was also a member of the South Georgia Survey of 1955–56.^[6] He died in 1980.^[7][8]

Professional years

During the 1950s and '60s, Cunningham went to New Zealand, India and Antarctica. He wanted to climb to Mount Everest, and in 1953 he had gone to Nepal via India with Hamish MacInnes, also a Scottish mountaineer, to start his climb. However, Hillary and Tenzing had made it to the top of Mount Everest before he could begin.^[8]

He then started his career with the British Antarctic Survey. He was the base leader at Adelaide Island. In the 1970s, after he returned to Scotland, he became an instructor at the Glenmore Lodge near Aviemore. In this capacity he perfected innovations in techniques for front point cramponing and use of curved pick ice axes on steep sloping ice.^[8] He had used this front point technique while working in Antarctica on icebergs and cliffs with a slope of 70 to 90 degrees.^[1] In 1976 he became an instructor at I M Marsh Campus in Liverpool.^[8] In 1980, he took his students for practical instruction on climbing to the South Stack sea-cliffs on Anglesey. He drowned at South Stack on 31 January 1980, while attempting to rescue a female pupil who fell into the sea while Coasteering. The student survived.^[8]

Honours

Cunningham is the namesake of Mount Cunningham (1,220 metres (4,000 ft)) in the Queen Maud Bay at the southern end of South Georgia.^[6][7][8] His biography, titled Creagh Dhu Climber, the life and times of John Cunningham, was published by Ernest Press.^[9][10]

References

1. Cunningham, John; March, Bill. "New ice climbing techniques and equipment" (PDF). Alpine Journal: 75–79.
2. "Old Climbers & Bold Climbers: A brief history of northern Cairngorm climbing". BBC. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
3. "Mountaineers and Skiers in British Antarctic Territory Place-names" (PDF). Alpine Journal Org. Retrieved 27 December 2012. Of the many young mountaineers that have served at the BAS stations over the years, space allows mention of only two. J. C. Cunningham (1927–80)...on 23 November 1964 he led the first ascent of Mount Jackson, Palmer Land (3180m); the highest peak in the BAT
4. "Exploring the Frozen World" (PDF). Mountain World, Climb Magazine.com. ascent... [of] the highest mountain in the entire Peninsula, Mt Jackson at 3,188 metres (10,459 ft) well to the south in remote Palmer Land, fell to the notorious Scot, John Cunningham, in 1964
5. R K Headland (1989). Chronological List of Antarctic Expeditions and Related Historical Events. [Mit Abb.] (1. Publ.) – Cambridge [usw.]: Cambridge Univ. Press (1989). 730 S. 8°. Cambridge University Press. pp. 395, 413–. ISBN 978-0-521-30903-5. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
6. Trendall, Alec (2011). Putting South Georgia on the Map. Alec Trendall / Quality Press, Perth, Australia. ISBN 978-0-9870614-1-6. Includes several colour photographs of Cunningham during survey expeditions in South Georgia in the 1950s; a photo during one of his 1955 trips showing the later Mount Cunningham (photo 65) named that after his death in 1980; and a biography (p 197). Several other members of the 1950s surveys, mentioned and illustrated in the book, also now have a high peak in South Georgia named after them, e.g. Louis Baume, Tony Bomford, Duncan Carse, Gordon Smillie, Keith Warburton.
7. Hattersley-Smith, G. (1988). "Mountaineers and Skiers in British Antarctic Territory Place-names". The Alpine Journal: 190.
8. "Hard Man of the Hills". The Herald. 11 September 1999. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
9. Connor, John (1999). Creagh Dhu Climber, the life and times of John Cunningham. Ernest Press. ISBN 978-0-948153-54-9.
10. "Mount Cunningham". Mountains mounts. Retrieved 13 September 2011.