Joe Tasker

Who was Joe Tasker?

Joe Tasker was one of the most talented British climbers during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Born into a traditional Roman Catholic family, he was one of ten children and spent his early childhood in Port Clarence, Middlesbrough then attended Ushaw Seminary, County Durham between the ages of 13 and 20, in training to become a priest. Fascinated by a book recounting harrowing tales of tragic attempts to climb the North Face of the Eiger, he started climbing in a nearby quarry in 1966.

After leaving the seminary he first worked as a dustman before studying sociology at Manchester University. He improved his climbing skills during this time, graduating from rock climbing in Britain to harder routes in the Alps.

His regular climbing partner was Dick Renshaw, whom he had met at university. Together they climbed the North Face of the Eiger in the winter of 1975. This was followed later that year by the first ascent of the South-East ridge of Dunagiri in the Gharwal Himalayas. Running out of food and fuel on the descent, they were lucky to survive, although Dick Renshaw suffered frostbite in his fingers.