Mo Anthoine
Encyclopedia
Julian Vincent "Mo" Anthoine (1 August 1939 – 12 August 1989) was a British
mountaineer
who climbed extensively in the Himalayas
in the 1970s and 80s.
Born in Kidderminster
, he left King Charles I School
aged sixteen to become a trainee manager in the carpet
industry. It was on an Outward Bound
course as part of his management training that he had his first climbing experience, and soon afterwards he left the carpet industry to take a job at the Ogwen Cottage
Outdoor Pursuits Centre in Snowdonia
. He travelled widely in his early 20s, hitchhiking
across Europe, Asia and Australia from 1961 to 1963, paying his way by working in an asbestos
mine in Australia and smuggling turquoise
into Pakistan. On his return to Britain he had a spell training and working as a teacher
in England, before settling in North Wales
in 1968 and starting a business manufacturing climbing helmets.
Anthoine was a good technical rock climber
and made a number of first ascents in North Wales, the best known of which was The Groove on Llech Ddu, a crag on the north side of Carnedd Dafydd
. However, it was for his mountaineering that he is best remembered. In the Alps
he was involved in a six day struggle through a storm near the summit of Mont Blanc
which killed seven climbers, cajoling others to survive.
In the 1970s and 80s he took part in a number of Himalayan expeditions. In 1976 he made the first ascent of Trango Tower with Joe Brown
. Two years later on an expedition to The Ogre, he and Clive Rowland saved the lives of Doug Scott
(who had broken both legs) and Chris Bonington
(who had broken several ribs) on a gruelling seven day descent from close to the top of the mountain. The incident attracted considerable media attention, but Anthoine, a modest man, was content to remain in the background and take little credit.
Mo Anthoine might have remained a relatively unknown figure outside climbing circles but for his friendship with the writer and occasional climber Al Alvarez
. He probably saved Alvarez's life in the Dolomites
in 1964. Climbing the 600-metre north face of Cima Grande di Lavaredo
, the pair were caught by a snowstorm on the overhanging wall and forced to spend a night on a small ledge with wet clothes in freezing conditions. Alvarez was convinced that they would freeze to death, but Anthoine remained calm and kept the pairs spirits up, pummelling Alvarez all night to keep him awake and keep his circulation
going. In the event, both men survived with mild frostbite
. Alvarez wrote a fictionalised account of the incident for The New Yorker
in 1971, followed by a full length biography of Anthoine in 1988. The book's title, Feeding the Rat, derived from Anthoine's characterisation of his need for adventure as a rat which gnawed away at him.
Anthoine was known as a cautious climber who valued safety, travel and the companionship of friends more than the summit. He was sometimes criticised for over-caution, but simply responded that "no mountain is worth a mate", and in over twenty years of expeditions, no members of his teams were ever killed.
His last expedition was a 1988 attempt on Mount Everest
led by Brummie Stokes, which failed to reach the summit but did establish a new route on the North East Ridge as far as the junction with the North Ridge. He died the following year of a brain tumor
at his home in Nant Peris.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
mountaineer
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
who climbed extensively in the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
in the 1970s and 80s.
Born in Kidderminster
Kidderminster
Kidderminster is a town, in the Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire, England. It is located approximately seventeen miles south-west of Birmingham city centre and approximately fifteen miles north of Worcester city centre. The 2001 census recorded a population of 55,182 in the town...
, he left King Charles I School
King Charles I School
King Charles I School is a voluntary controlled mixed school in the town of Kidderminster, in the Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire, England.-Present Day and OFSTED:...
aged sixteen to become a trainee manager in the carpet
Carpet
A carpet is a textile floor covering consisting of an upper layer of "pile" attached to a backing. The pile is generally either made from wool or a manmade fibre such as polypropylene,nylon or polyester and usually consists of twisted tufts which are often heat-treated to maintain their...
industry. It was on an Outward Bound
Outward Bound
Outward Bound is an international, non-profit, independent, outdoor educationorganization with approximately 40 schools around the world and 200,000 participants per year...
course as part of his management training that he had his first climbing experience, and soon afterwards he left the carpet industry to take a job at the Ogwen Cottage
Ogwen Cottage
Ogwen Cottage Outdoor Pursuits Centre is part of Birmingham City Council's Outdoor Learning Service. It provides outdoor education and has links to the climbing community.-Thomas Telford:...
Outdoor Pursuits Centre 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:...
. He travelled widely in his early 20s, hitchhiking
Hitchhiking
Hitchhiking is a means of transportation that is gained by asking people, usually strangers, for a ride in their automobile or other road vehicle to travel a distance that may either be short or long...
across Europe, Asia and Australia from 1961 to 1963, paying his way by working in an asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
mine in Australia and smuggling turquoise
Turquoise
Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminium, with the chemical formula CuAl648·4. It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gem and ornamental stone for thousands of years owing to its unique hue...
into Pakistan. On his return to Britain he had a spell training and working as a teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
in England, before settling in North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
in 1968 and starting a business manufacturing climbing helmets.
Anthoine was a good technical rock climber
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
and made a number of first ascents in North Wales, the best known of which was The Groove on Llech Ddu, a crag on the north side of Carnedd Dafydd
Carnedd Dafydd
Carnedd Dafydd is a mountain peak in the Carneddau range in Snowdonia, North Wales, and is the third highest peak in Wales, or the fourth if Crib y Ddysgl on the Snowdon ridge is counted. Situated south-west of Carnedd Llewelyn and north of Pen yr Ole Wen, Carnedd Dafydd is on the main ridge of...
. However, it was for his mountaineering that he is best remembered. In the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
he was involved in a six day struggle through a storm near the summit of Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco , meaning "White Mountain", is the highest mountain in the Alps, Western Europe and the European Union. It rises above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence...
which killed seven climbers, cajoling others to survive.
In the 1970s and 80s he took part in a number of Himalayan expeditions. In 1976 he made the first ascent of Trango Tower with Joe Brown
Joe Brown (climber)
Joseph Brown, CBE is an English climber, born the seventh and last child of a family in the Manchester suburb of Ardwick. He became famous for climbing during the 1950s, and was a member of the Valkyrie climbing club and founding member of the Rock and Ice climbing club. An early climbing partner...
. Two years later on an expedition to The Ogre, he and Clive Rowland saved the lives of Doug Scott
Doug Scott
Douglas Keith Scott CBE, known as Doug Scott , is an English mountaineer noted for the first ascent of the south-west face of Mount Everest on 24 September 1975. Scott and Dougal Haston were the first Britons to climb Everest during this expedition...
(who had broken both legs) and Chris Bonington
Chris Bonington
Sir Christian John Storey Bonington, CVO, CBE, DL is a British mountaineer.His career has included nineteen expeditions to the Himalayas, including four to Mount Everest and the first ascent of the south face of Annapurna.-Early life and expeditions:Educated at University College School in...
(who had broken several ribs) on a gruelling seven day descent from close to the top of the mountain. The incident attracted considerable media attention, but Anthoine, a modest man, was content to remain in the background and take little credit.
Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez is an English poet, writer and critic who publishes under the name A. Alvarez and Al Alvarez....
. He probably saved Alvarez's life in the Dolomites
Dolomites
The Dolomites are a mountain range located in north-eastern Italy. It is a part of Southern Limestone Alps and extends from the River Adige in the west to the Piave Valley in the east. The northern and southern borders are defined by the Puster Valley and the Sugana Valley...
in 1964. Climbing the 600-metre north face of Cima Grande di Lavaredo
Tre Cime di Lavaredo
The Tre Cime di Lavaredo are three distinctive battlement-like peaks, in the Sexten Dolomites of northeastern Italy. They are probably one of the best-known mountain groups in the Alps...
, the pair were caught by a snowstorm on the overhanging wall and forced to spend a night on a small ledge with wet clothes in freezing conditions. Alvarez was convinced that they would freeze to death, but Anthoine remained calm and kept the pairs spirits up, pummelling Alvarez all night to keep him awake and keep his circulation
Circulatory system
The circulatory system is an organ system that passes nutrients , gases, hormones, blood cells, etc...
going. In the event, both men survived with mild frostbite
Frostbite
Frostbite is the medical condition where localized damage is caused to skin and other tissues due to extreme cold. Frostbite is most likely to happen in body parts farthest from the heart and those with large exposed areas...
. Alvarez wrote a fictionalised account of the incident for The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
in 1971, followed by a full length biography of Anthoine in 1988. The book's title, Feeding the Rat, derived from Anthoine's characterisation of his need for adventure as a rat which gnawed away at him.
Anthoine was known as a cautious climber who valued safety, travel and the companionship of friends more than the summit. He was sometimes criticised for over-caution, but simply responded that "no mountain is worth a mate", and in over twenty years of expeditions, no members of his teams were ever killed.
His last expedition was a 1988 attempt on Mount Everest
Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
led by Brummie Stokes, which failed to reach the summit but did establish a new route on the North East Ridge as far as the junction with the North Ridge. He died the following year of a brain tumor
Brain tumor
A brain tumor is an intracranial solid neoplasm, a tumor within the brain or the central spinal canal.Brain tumors include all tumors inside the cranium or in the central spinal canal...
at his home in Nant Peris.