An anthology on the life of John Ewbank, Australian rock climbing pioneer and musician, in his own words and from those who knew him. In the 1960s Ewbank blazed across Australia’s emerging rock climbing firmament like a meteor – then he was gone. But his climbs, his philosophy, his attitude to landscape and his writings are legendary, and influential to this day. Ewbank created hundreds of new climbs, in the Blue Mountains, Warrumbungles, Tasmania and Victoria, many of which are much-loved classics. He went on to become an accomplished performer, musician, songwriter and folk singer based in New York, but continued to climb. Ewbank died tragically in 2013.
This book brings together Ewbank’s own writings with photographs, songs, interviews and reflections from many other climbers and musos, many never before published, evoking an historic era, ranging across NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, Western Australia, UK and USA, and casting light on the many facets of a complex and intriguing personality.
More than 60 contributors include prominent climbers Bryden Allen, Chris Baxter, Keith Bell, Giles Bradbury, Simon Carter, Greg Child, John Davis, Chris Dewhirst, John Fantini, Dennis Gray, Lincoln Hall, Peter Jackson, Keith Lockwood, John Moore, Dick Smith, Robert Staszewski and John Worrall, and musicians Dean Parker and Rich Romano. As a significant slice of Australian climbing history, this book will appeal to all climbers and outdoor enthusiasts.
Who was JOHN EWBANK?
John Ewbank (1948-2013) emerged from a tough childhood in Yorkshire to become the pre-eminent Australian rock climber of his generation, pioneering hundreds of new climbs before he was 23, in the 1960s into the 70s. Many of his climbs are enduring classics, including The Totem Pole, Icarus and Chimes of Freedom in Tasmania, The Crucifixion in the Warrumbungles and Hercules on Perpendicular Rock. In the Blue Mountains he established every climb on the crumbling Dogface including Gigantor and Colossus, as well as numerous free climbs such as Flake Crack and The Janicepts, Australia’s hardest climb for some years.
On a trip back home to the United Kingdom, the teenage Ewbank repeated many of the hardest climbs there, and hence in the world at that time. He created a radical but simple new system for rating the difficulty of climbs which has been adopted in Australia, New Zealand and Africa, pushed Australian climbing standards higher, was a passionate advocate for ‘clean’ (non-destructive) climbing and manufactured some of the first ‘crackers’, started the first NSW climbing magazine (Thrutch) and wrote extensively on climbing practices and ethics.
As a youthful iconoclast, Ewbank challenged accepted views and annoyed some people. As a thinker and writer he inspired and influenced generations of climbers. Ewbank’s later writing was more circumspect and diverse, sometimes eccentric, taking in reflection, stories, poetry, fiction and plays. His work was published in magazines such as Mountain, Ascent and On the Edge. His pieces include the classic essay ‘Ironmongers of the Dreamtime’ (centrepiece of this book), ‘Lady Nicotine and The Captain’s Nose’ and ‘A love letter from New York’.
When Ewbank left Australia for life as a New York folk musician and performer, he continued to climb and wrote fine songs including ‘Rally round the flag’, ‘Another man’s Juliet’ and ‘Every angel up in heaven’ (for daughter Jane) and released four albums of his music. On frequent trips back to Australia he toured widely to considerable acclaim, and settled a few old scores on the cliffs. He was reportedly friends with Leonard Cohen and was the support act for one of Bob Dylan’s Australian tours. During his life Ewbank struggled against addictions, but had overcome them when, haunted by the death of friends and beset by health problems, and two days after recording his last song ‘Saved’, John took his own life in 2013.
