Eric Jones (climber)
Encyclopedia
Eric Jones is a Welsh
solo climber, skydiver and BASE jumper
.
He is most well known for the first British solo ascent of the north face of the Eiger
, and for his climbs on the Matterhorn
and South Col on Everest. He has also climbed the Central Pillar of Brouillard on Mt Blanc and Bonatti Pillar on the Dru
.
Raised on a farm near Ruthin
in north Wales, he attended Ysgol Brynhyfryd
and as a boy was interested in parachuting and skydiving, and later wanted to sign up with the Parachute Regiment. However, an earlier injury - a result of a motorbike accident - led to him joining the Military Police.
Jones took up skydiving in 1961 and a year later, at the age of 26, began climbing. He climbed extensively in Snowdonia
and the Lake District, followed by climbs in Italy. He took up solo climbing when his climbing partner became less available, and found that it gave him the freedom to move quicker, though also brought greater risks.
Many of his exploits, such as the Eiger ascent and the Matterhorn ascent, have been filmed by award winning cameraman Leo Dickinson. Jones and Dickinson, with 2 other climbers, made the first complete film of the Eiger climb in 1970, with Jones' first British solo ascent following in 1981, resulting in the acclaimed film "Eiger Solo".
Dickinson (who in 1991 became the first to fly in a balloon over Everest, taking what has been described as "The best picture on Earth", and wrote a book called "Filming the Impossible") also worked with Jones when he filmed "Ice Climbing with Eric Jones in Switzerland".
As a skydiver Jones jumped onto the North Pole
and down the east face of Cerro Torre in Patagonia
. In 1991, as a member of a four man team, he flew two hot air balloons over Mt Everest, an exploit which gained three entries in the Guinness Book of Records. Jones had made an earlier (1978) attempt on Everest as part of a team, but had to turn back because of frostbite.
Having jumped from balloons as a skydiver, Jones started BASE jumping (jumping from a fixed object - natural or man-made) at the age of 50 having met renowned jumper Moe Villetto. Combining jumping with his other interests, his first BASE jump was off the Eiger, the first person to do this. He made a number of spectacular jumps from buildings and bridges in the United States
, but is renowned for his jump off the Angel Falls in Venezuela
, shown in the documentary film "The Man Who Jumped To Earth" (UK, 1998) directed by Steve Robinson. At the age of 61, he is the oldest person to have done this. His jump into the Cave of Swallows
in Mexico
, directed by Llion Iwan, was shown in the documentary "The Man who jumped beneath the Earth" (2003).
He has also done work as a stunt double for Sean Connery
.
His self-proclaimed motto is "Life is adventure or nothing at all".
An unassuming man, he still walks, climbs, skis and jumps, and a recent documentary by S4C
screened in 2007/8 called "Alpau Eric Jones" saw him revisiting the Alps. He also still gives occasional lectures on his experiences, and has in the past co-presented with Dickinson.
He is married to Ann, and has two children. Featured in the Lifestyle section of The Independent
in January 2008, he said :
Today he also owns and runs a small cafe at Tremadog
, near Porthmadog
, which is popular with climbers and bikers alike. Some of his exploits can be seen in photos on the walls.
Jones is regarded by many of his peers as Britain's most successful solo climber.
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
solo climber, skydiver and BASE jumper
BASE jumping
BASE jumping, also sometimes written as B.A.S.E jumping, is an activity that employs an initially packed parachute to jump from fixed objects...
.
He is most well known for the first British solo ascent of the north face of the Eiger
Eiger
The Eiger is a mountain in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland. It is the easternmost peak of a ridge crest that extends across the Mönch to the Jungfrau at 4,158 m...
, and for his climbs on the Matterhorn
Matterhorn
The Matterhorn , Monte Cervino or Mont Cervin , is a mountain in the Pennine Alps on the border between Switzerland and Italy. Its summit is 4,478 metres high, making it one of the highest peaks in the Alps. The four steep faces, rising above the surrounding glaciers, face the four compass points...
and South Col on Everest. He has also climbed the Central Pillar of Brouillard on Mt Blanc and Bonatti Pillar on the Dru
Aiguille du Dru
The Aiguille du Dru is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in the French Alps, lying to the east of the village of Les Praz in the Chamonix valley.The mountain has two summits:...
.
Raised on a farm near Ruthin
Ruthin
Ruthin is a community and the county town of Denbighshire in north Wales. Located around a hill in the southern part of the Vale of Clwyd - the older part of the town, the castle and Saint Peter's Square are located on top of the hill, while many newer parts of the town are on the floodplain of...
in north Wales, he attended Ysgol Brynhyfryd
Ysgol Brynhyfryd
Ysgol Brynhyfryd is a bilingual co-educational comprehensive school in the town of Ruthin in Denbighshire, North Wales. The school serves the community of Ruthin and the many surrounding villages including the rural districts of Corwen, Carrog and Gwyddelwern...
and as a boy was interested in parachuting and skydiving, and later wanted to sign up with the Parachute Regiment. However, an earlier injury - a result of a motorbike accident - led to him joining the Military Police.
Jones took up skydiving in 1961 and a year later, at the age of 26, began climbing. He climbed extensively in Snowdonia
Snowdonia
Snowdonia is a region in north Wales and a national park of in area. It was the first to be designated of the three National Parks in Wales, in 1951.-Name and extent:...
and the Lake District, followed by climbs in Italy. He took up solo climbing when his climbing partner became less available, and found that it gave him the freedom to move quicker, though also brought greater risks.
Many of his exploits, such as the Eiger ascent and the Matterhorn ascent, have been filmed by award winning cameraman Leo Dickinson. Jones and Dickinson, with 2 other climbers, made the first complete film of the Eiger climb in 1970, with Jones' first British solo ascent following in 1981, resulting in the acclaimed film "Eiger Solo".
Dickinson (who in 1991 became the first to fly in a balloon over Everest, taking what has been described as "The best picture on Earth", and wrote a book called "Filming the Impossible") also worked with Jones when he filmed "Ice Climbing with Eric Jones in Switzerland".
As a skydiver Jones jumped onto the North Pole
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
and down the east face of Cerro Torre in Patagonia
Patagonia
Patagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...
. In 1991, as a member of a four man team, he flew two hot air balloons over Mt Everest, an exploit which gained three entries in the Guinness Book of Records. Jones had made an earlier (1978) attempt on Everest as part of a team, but had to turn back because of frostbite.
Having jumped from balloons as a skydiver, Jones started BASE jumping (jumping from a fixed object - natural or man-made) at the age of 50 having met renowned jumper Moe Villetto. Combining jumping with his other interests, his first BASE jump was off the Eiger, the first person to do this. He made a number of spectacular jumps from buildings and bridges in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, but is renowned for his jump off the Angel Falls in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, shown in the documentary film "The Man Who Jumped To Earth" (UK, 1998) directed by Steve Robinson. At the age of 61, he is the oldest person to have done this. His jump into the Cave of Swallows
Cave of Swallows
The Cave of Swallows, also called Cave of the Swallows , is an open air pit cave in the Municipality of Aquismón, San Luis Potosí, Mexico. The elliptical mouth, on a slope of karst, is wide and is undercut around all its perimeter, further widening to a room approximately 995 feet by 440 feet wide...
in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, directed by Llion Iwan, was shown in the documentary "The Man who jumped beneath the Earth" (2003).
He has also done work as a stunt double for Sean Connery
Sean Connery
Sir Thomas Sean Connery , better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globes Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born 25 August 1930), better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy...
.
His self-proclaimed motto is "Life is adventure or nothing at all".
An unassuming man, he still walks, climbs, skis and jumps, and a recent documentary by S4C
S4C
S4C , currently branded as S4/C, is a Welsh television channel broadcast from the capital, Cardiff. The first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking audience, it is the fifth oldest British television channel .The channel - initially broadcast on...
screened in 2007/8 called "Alpau Eric Jones" saw him revisiting the Alps. He also still gives occasional lectures on his experiences, and has in the past co-presented with Dickinson.
He is married to Ann, and has two children. Featured in the Lifestyle section of The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
in January 2008, he said :
- After we had kids, people would ask if I wasn't being irresponsible for doing all these things but my take is that everything in life involves risk and it's about weighing up those risks. When people go into climbing, they can start out with a macho attitude but you learn to be humble and realise you're there on nature's sufferance. You don't conquer a mountain and if you go out there with that attitude, it will bite you back.
Today he also owns and runs a small cafe at Tremadog
Tremadog
Tremadog is a village on the outskirts of Porthmadog, in Gwynedd, north west Wales. It was a planned settlement, founded by William Madocks, who bought the land in 1798...
, near Porthmadog
Porthmadog
Porthmadog , known locally as "Port", and historically rendered into English as Portmadoc, is a small coastal town and community in the Eifionydd area of Gwynedd, in Wales. Prior to the Local Government Act 1972 it was in the administrative county of Caernarfonshire. The town lies east of...
, which is popular with climbers and bikers alike. Some of his exploits can be seen in photos on the walls.
Jones is regarded by many of his peers as Britain's most successful solo climber.