Brian Pinder Kellett

Brian Pinder Kellett (15 May 1914 – September 1944) was a British rock climber.

The memorial to British rock climber Brian Pinder Kellett (1914–1944) and his parents, in Glen Nevis (Highland Scotland). Over the last two years of his life Kellett pioneered many new routes on Ben Nevis.

Life Brian Kellett was born in 1914 in Weymouth, Dorset in South-West England. He was the son of Lt. Richard Pinder Kellett, whom he never knew; Kellett senior was killed commanding HMS Flirt in the battle of Dover (1916). The younger Kellett died with Nancy Forsyth in Castle Corrie on Ben Nevis during the first weekend in September 1944; the exact date is not known. He is buried in Glen Nevis.

Education and career Kellett was educated at public schools in south-west England where he gained a reputation as a "perfect all-round sportsman", playing on the cricket and rugby teams and also representing them at boxing (oddly, given his subsequent pacifism ) and G. Graham Macphee, editor of the 1936 climber's guide. Kellett led the first ascent on 30 August with J. A. Dunster, who at one point was forced to shelter off-rope from screes loosed by Kellett above him; (its grade is VS). Nevertheless, Kellett's achievement in 1942 was soon to be surpassed by his relentless attention to the face over the following two years.

First ascents Kellett left an "unprecedented" of new routes and variations on Ben Nevis in the summers of 1943 and 1944 (page references are to the SMC's 2002 Climbers' Guide, edited by Simon Richardson): The north wall of Carn Dearg (Ben Nevis): this part of the mountain held a fatal fascination for Kellett.

Accidents Kellett suffered 3 significant falls before his fatal accident with Nancy Forsyth. Perhaps most remarkably in January 1943 he survived falling the length of Glover's Chimney from Tower Gap, a fall of about 300m, losing his ice axe but suffering no serious injury. After one of these falls J.H.B. Bell, a leading climber of his day, became concerned about Kellett's safety as a climber and voiced these concerns to Nancy Forsyth.

Commemoration His sister Lorna commissioned a memorial to Kellett and his father in Glen Nevis.