Edwin Drummond

Edwin Drummond is a visionary climber and poet, creator of some of the most famous routes in the British Isles. Born in Wolverhampton in 1945, the eldest son of a builder, Drummond was educated at Bangor and Bristol universities before becoming an English teacher in Sheffield. Trying his hand at various other trades he eventually became a full-time climber, writer and activist. He put up new climbing routes in the UK and on the Troll Wall, won awards for his poetry (two Keats prizes and a...See more

Edwin Drummond is a visionary climber and poet, creator of some of the most famous routes in the British Isles. Born in Wolverhampton in 1945, the eldest son of a builder, Drummond was educated at Bangor and Bristol universities before becoming an English teacher in Sheffield. Trying his hand at various other trades he eventually became a full-time climber, writer and activist. He put up new climbing routes in the UK and on the Troll Wall, won awards for his poetry (two Keats prizes and a National Poetry prize) and used his climbing skills to raise awareness of progressive human rights campaigns, such as the anti-apartheid movement. Other than his literary output, Drummond's lasting legacy is his physical poetry - the challenging and classic climbing routes he established across the UK and in the United States. In 2011 he appeared in the award-winning feature film The Long Hope, a documentary following elite climber Dave MacLeod's attempt to climb Drummond's route on St John's head on the Island of Hoy. See less