John Ewbank

When John Ewbank passed away in 2013, Australian climbing lost not only one of its most influential figures but also a voice that had shaped generations. Known for introducing the Ewbank grading system, pioneering hard routes, and stirring debate with his sharp pen and sharper tongue, Ewbank’s impact still ripples through crags across the country.

Now, more than a decade later, a new book brings his words, his ideas, and the memories of those who knew him back into focus. Edited and compiled by Ian Brown, the volume began as Ewbank’s own project—Steep Dreams and Vertical Songs—but has grown into something larger: a mosaic of writing, stories, interviews, and archival finds that together reveal a complex portrait of a climber, musician, writer, and provocateur.

“Before he died, John was planning a collection of his writings called Steep Dreams and Vertical Songs,” explains Brown. “He had everything organised in folders, but he never got the chance to publish it. After his death, his partner Fran asked Bruce Cameron to take it on, but he was tied up distributing his own just-published book. Eventually, I was asked, and it’s been a long road—but we’ve finally brought it to life.”

The book retains Ewbank’s original subtitle, but its main title has been updated to reflect the expanded scope. “Because John’s not here to speak for himself, I felt it needed more context—other perspectives, stories, and historical grounding. It’s become a more complex book than John might have imagined, but I hope also a richer one.”

John Ewbank (leading) and John Davis (on belay) in 1968 on the first ascent of Gorgon (17, M4), Dogface, Blue  Mountains. Gary Steer

Like many climbing titles, the book is being published in a limited edition run. “Print runs are always agonising,” Brown admits. “You don’t want piles of unsold books in the garage, but you also don’t want to underestimate demand. Some older climbers say we’ll need a second print run, but the question is whether younger climbers will care enough. That remains to be seen.”

But even for climbers who never tied in with Ewbank or heard his famously uncompromising views in person, his influence is everywhere. “The grading system we use today is his,” says Brown. Ewbank pushed standards in the late ’60s and ’70s when Australian climbing was shifting from pitons to nuts to modern protection. He was at the centre of all of that.

The book isn’t only about climbing. Ewbank’s other life—as a musician, raconteur, and performer—features prominently. “I hadn’t realised how serious his musical career was,” says Brown. “We found reviews, clippings, even stories of him opening for Bob Dylan. Some say he played better on the night.”

It’s these kinds of discoveries that give the book its depth. Alongside Ewbank’s well-known pieces like Ironmongers of the Dreamtime, readers will find unpublished writings, rare interviews, and reflections from friends, rivals, and climbing partners. Some celebrate him. Others are frank about his difficulties.

“His daughter and partner encouraged us not to sanitise it,” Brown notes. “They said, ‘warts and all.’ John wasn’t perfect. He could be difficult, but he was also brilliant. To pretend otherwise would dehumanise him.”

For climbers who grew up clipping bolts at the gym, Ewbank may be little more than a name attached to the numbers in a guidebook. This book aims to change that.

“I hope younger climbers come away with a sense of where our sport came from,” says Brown. “John was a pivotal figure, not just because of the routes he did or the system he gave us, but because he insisted climbing was about adventure, risk, and imagination. Whether you agree with him or not, he shaped the conversation.”

And what would Ewbank himself think of the finished volume? “His partner believes he’d love it,” Brown says. “For all his confidence, he craved validation. I think he’d be pleased to see his words in print, surrounded by the voices of his peers and the echoes of his time.”

If there’s one section Brown hopes readers will linger on, it’s Ironmongers of the Dreamtime, Ewbank’s lyrical and provocative meditation on climbing, first delivered as a talk in 1993. “It’s his most complete statement on what climbing meant to him,” Brown says. “Adventure, risk, philosophy, the future of the sport—it’s all there.”

The book is not a straightforward biography, but rather a carefully curated anthology that invites readers to form their own understanding. “It’s like a jewel with light shining on it from different directions,” says Brown. “Everyone saw John differently. The book lets you hold those perspectives in your hands.”

For those who know the name, and for those who have never wondered where “Ewbank 17” came from, the release of this book is an invitation: to read, to reflect, and to remember.

Book Details

John Ewbank – The Climbs and Times of a Rock Climbing Legend

Subtitled: Steep Dreams and Vertical Songs

• Hardback, full colour
  
• 297mm x 210mm (portrait format)
  
• 336 pages, printed in Australia
  

An anthology on the life of John Ewbank, Australian rock climbing pioneer and musician, in his own words and from those who knew him.

In the 1960s, Ewbank blazed across Australia’s emerging climbing firmament like a meteor—then he was gone. But his climbs, philosophy, attitude to landscape and writings remain legendary, and influential to this day. He created hundreds of new climbs across the Blue Mountains, Warrumbungles, Tasmania and Victoria, many of which are enduring classics. Later, he became an accomplished performer, songwriter and folk singer in New York, but continued to climb until his death in 2013.

This volume brings together Ewbank’s writings with photographs, songs, interviews and reflections from more than 60 contributors, including:

Bryden Allen, Chris Baxter, Keith Bell, Giles Bradbury, Simon Carter, Greg Child, John Fantini, Lincoln Hall, Dick Smith, Robert Staszewski, John Worrall, and musicians Dean Parker and Rich Romano.

👉 The new John Ewbank book, with the subtitle Steep Dreams and Vertical Songs, is available for preorder in a limited edition print run. ORDER HERE!