A tribute to John Cleare

Ever supportive of Press projects since we began working together on The Fox of Glencoe, and having contributed wonderful images to some of our other publications, we finally got to meet John Cleare at the Fort William Mountain Festival in 2023 at a launch event for One Man’s Legacy. He arrived, along with his daughter, Jos, as one of the kindest, encouraging and most generous gentleman we’ve had the pleasure to meet. A wonderful storyteller, he had the audience captivated with stories of adventure (and misadventure) in the company of Tom Patey and other legendary figures from the so-called Golden Age of mountaineering, his pictures bringing light to the stories as he spoke.

While other climbers rightly receive recognition for tackling unclimbed test-pieces of the day, John was right there in the thick of the action – all while carrying heavy, cumbersome equipment. His coverage of significant events and expeditions on some of the world’s highest peaks produced some of our most iconic mountain images, paving the way for a new era of adventure photography and filmmaking.

We shared much, one of which being the production values we each held dear when presenting narratives and illustration. And so began our work with him on his autobiography. Over time, our collaboration with him developed into friendships, and Rob Lovell had the privilege of sharing a few days with John at his home in April to pore over photos and stories; he was always interested in what we’d been up to – a rare breed, particularly given the magnitude of his life’s achievements.

We will sorely miss John, his friendly emails and generosity. We’re honoured that he chose to work with us, and we’re committed to producing a fitting tribute to him. His upcoming book, Cleare Perspectives, will at once be a thing of beauty, an insight into the history of photography and mountaineering and the story of a life lived to the very fullest.

Lead image

John Cleare with Tom Patey. © John Cleare collection