Andy Pollitt

Robert Andrew Pollitt was a British rock climber who was one of the most prominent traditional climbers and sport climbers of the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 1992, after having successfully repeated Punks in the Gym in Australia, the world's first-ever 8b+ (5.14a) graded sport climbing routes, he quit climbing and permanently emigrated to Australia. In 2016, Pollitt published an autobiography, titled Punk in the Gym. He died from a cerebral aneurysm on 13 November 2019.

Early life

Andy Pollitt was born in Prestatyn, North Wales, on 26 October 1963. == Climbing career ==

Climbing career

In the mid-1980s, Pollitt rose to prominence in Britain as a leading traditional climber, completing over 350 climbs, with important first ascents such as The Hollow Man (E8 6b, 1986), and ''Knockin' on Heaven's Door (E9 6c, 1988). working on the sport climbing route, Punks in the Gym'', the first-ever graded route, which had been freed by Wolfgang Gullich in 1985. On 5 May 1992, Pollitt eventually succeeded and immediately decided to retire from climbing, ==Legacy==

Legacy

Pollitt was renowned for the boldness of his routes and also for his distinctive fashion; he wore his hair long and sported bright, tight lycra, and often climbed bare-chested, giving him a "rockstar" status in climbing. Pollitt was part of the mid-1980s wave of semi-professional rock climbers in Britain that followed on from Ron Fawcett – an idol of Pollitt's – who led the transition from traditional climbing to sport climbing in Britain and abroad; others included Jerry Moffatt, and Ben Moon. == Personal life ==

Personal life

In 1993, Pollitt permanently moved to Australia where he worked as a successful and prominent rope access technician in Melbourne. In the book, Pollitt revealed that he suffered from bipolar disorder, and also talked about his long-standing addiction to alcohol; something which had held him back throughout his climbing career. In November 2019, Pollitt suffered a cerebral aneurysm in a bar in Melbourne and never regained consciousness; he died on 13 November 2019. ==Bibliography==

Filmography

• Documentary on 1980s British sport climbing: ==Notable ascents==

Notable ascents

• 1984: Skinhead Moonstomp (E6 6b), Gogarth North Stack. First free ascent. One of the classics of Welsh climbing, and Pollitt's favourite FFA. • 1988: ''Knockin' on Heaven's Door'' (E9 6c), Curbar Edge. First free ascent and the first-ever E9 on gritstone; considered "a last great problem". • 1988: ''Thormen's Moth'' (8a), Thor's Cave, Peak District. First free ascent of an aid climbing roof route; Pollitt considered it one of his best lines. • 1992 (5 May): Punks in the Gym (8b+), Mount Arapiles. Sixth ascent of the world's first-ever ; Pollitt retired from climbing that day. ==See also==

Source: Wikipedia ↗

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