- Siegfried Herford
Siegfried Herford (1891 – 1916) was a British climber who was active in the years immediately prior to World War I. He and
John Laycock andStanley Jeffcoat initiated what is referred to as "gritstone climbing" in England,bouldering on large blocks at the base of the cliffs, and roping up to climb the edges and faces above.As a child he may have been
autistic , subject to long periods of silence punctuated by violent outbursts of physical energy – behavior coupled with a natural proclivity to mathematical thought. Siegfried enrolled at theUniversity of Manchester in 1909, in the School of Engineering, and dabbled at rock climbing for a year or so. By 1911 he had invented the "girdle traverse", practicing atCastle Naze before applying his concept to the face ofScafell . Although Herford spent considerable time on the crags, the quality of his academic work was superior, and he was at the top of his class in mathematics and physics when he graduated in 1912. He then received a postgraduate scholarship which allowed him to doaeronautical research at theRoyal Aircraft Factory at Farnborough.In the spring of 1914, Herford, with three companions, climbed the
Central Buttress of Scafell , negotiating the crux – the infamous "Flake Pitch" – after reconnoitering the difficulties from above, as well as below. (Herford was an advocate of downclimbing, and wrote an article – "The Doctrine of Descent" – published in the 1913Fell & Rock Climbing Club Journal). Although some "combined tactics" were employed, the climb was a substantial benchmark in British rock climbing, coming in at perhaps 5.9. With the War in full swing, and having failed to obtain a commission due to his Teutonic heritage, Herford enlisted as a private in theRoyal Fusiliers , and was killed by agrenade blast January 28, 1916.References
* cite book
last = Treacher
first = Keith
title = Siegfried Herford: An Edwardian Rock-Climber
publisher = The Ernest Press
year = 2000
isbn = 0-948153-52-0
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