[7][8][9] From 1986, Dawes focused on Wales and on a diverse range of rock, from the slab climbing routes in the slate quarries of Llanberis (e.g.

[13][15] In 1993, Dawes was a member of an expedition funded by the Mount Everest Foundation to attempt the first ascent of The Shark's Fin on Meru Peak in Gangotri Himalaya, India; a dropped boot led to a forced descent from 6,000 meters to avoid frostbite.

[17] Dawes had a uniquely dynamic technique, leaping between very small holds, and also for his levels of balance and foot-control that enable him to climb extreme-grade routes without using his hands.

[7][25] His writing has been called "quirky, convoluted, and often obscure",[8] and a tendency to "speak in riddles" earned him the titles of "nutty professor", and of "mad genius" from some commentators.

[7][25] In 2012, The Guardian called Dawes a "defining figure" and wrote that: "His climbs were rated among the very hardest in the world, test pieces of both balance and nerve, some with a reputation for terrible danger".

[7] Dawes was born in 1964 in Birmingham,[29] into a wealthy family, whose parents were part of the 1960s British motor racing scene.