The Indian Face by Johnny Dawes, the story of Britain's first E9

The trad climb that more than any other has come to represent utmost technical difficulties combined with extreme danger is The Indian Face, the huge slab on Clogwyn Du'r Arddu in Wales first ascended in 1986 by Johnny Dawes. At the time it was considered the most audacious lead ever achieved on British rock and consequently it became Britain’s first E9.

Although nowadays there are trad climbs that are technically harder, the moves up there are so tenuous, on holds so poor with absolutely minimal, runout protection, that in over three decades it has been repeated only 7 times.

This short film retraces the history of this true milestone of British trad climbing and features Joe Brown, Nick Dixon and John Redhead as well as the absolute genius who climbed it first: Johnny Dawes.



Indian Face
1. Johnny Dawes 04 October 1986
2. Nick Dixon 1994
4. Neil Gresham 1994
4. Dave MacLeod 2010
5. James McHaffie 2013
6. Calum Muskett 2013
7. George Ullrich 2013
8. Angus Kille 2018