Dave Armstrong

Biography

Dave Armstrong is a British climber. He was one of the leading climbers active in the Lakeland Fells during the 1970s and 80s, often cited alongside Pete Whillance and Pete Botterill in historical discussions about the Lake District, particularly regarding the Climbing Fell & Rock Climbing Club guidebooks and the development of extreme trad climbing in the area. He is presented as a top-level climber, committed to numerous hard routes in traditional terrain, and has made a significant number of first ascents and repeats on crags such as Borrowdale and Wasdale. In the 1950 Channel 4 series "Lakeland Rock," he is seen climbing the route "Incantations," graded E6 6b, on the Tophet Wall at Wasdale with Pete Whillance, confirming his role in the development of high-level trad climbing in the Lakes during this period. Historical discussions often associate him with the "trio" Armstrong / Whillance / Botterill when discussing the climbers who marked the Lakeland scene in the mid- to late-1970s, suggesting a significant influence on local style and ethos.