author
W. P. (Walter Parry) Haskett Smith
1859–1946
Best remembered as one of the pioneers of British rock climbing, he also wrote with the eye of a traveler and the enthusiasm of someone who loved wild places. His books helped bring the drama of climbing in the British Isles to a wider audience.
2 Audiobooks
Climbing in The British Isles, Vol. 2 - Wales and Ireland
by W. P. (Walter Parry) Haskett Smith, Henry Chichester Hart
Climbing in The British Isles. Vol. 1 - England
by W. P. (Walter Parry) Haskett Smith
About the author
Walter Parry Haskett Smith (1859–1946) was an English barrister, athlete, traveler, and early rock-climbing pioneer. He is often associated with the beginnings of modern British rock climbing, especially in the Lake District, where his climbs and writing helped shape how later generations understood the sport.
As an author, he is best known for Climbing in the British Isles, a work that blended practical knowledge with a strong sense of landscape and adventure. His writing grew out of firsthand experience, which gives it an energetic, lived-in quality that still appeals to readers interested in mountaineering history.
Although he had a varied life beyond books, his lasting reputation comes from the way he connected exploration, physical skill, and storytelling. For readers of classic outdoor writing, he stands as an important early voice in the literature of climbing.