At the end of the 1970s to the early 1980s, Fawcett was widely considered the best and most notable rock climber in Britain.
[1][4][5] Fawcett is considered as a legend of British rock climbing,[6][7][8] and a prolific developer of challenging new routes that attracted international recognition.
[9][10] By the start of the 1980s, Fawcett was considered the most famous rock climber in Britain, with a reputation for high levels of fitness and mental fortitude.
[9] Fawcett's dominance waned during the mid-1980s, as emerging British climbers such as Jerry Moffatt and Ben Moon began to push technical levels not just in British climbing, but in international sport climbing.
[13][14] In 1986, Fawcett free soloed over 100 extreme gritstone routes in a day (graded E1 and above, with half above E2 5c, and 4 at E5 6b) in the Peak District.