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Once demobbed Joe resumed his attack on standards in the Peak District with a vengeance, over the next 12 months establishing Elder Crack (E2, 5b) and Right Eliminate (E3, 5c) on Curbar, and, in contrast to the crack climbs which had become his hallmark, Great Slab (E3,5b) on Frogatt. On Birchens Edge he climbed Orpheus Wall (E1, 5c); while at the Roaches he put up The Mincer (HVS, 5b), Dorothy’s Dilemma (HVS 5a) and Matinee (HVS, 5a,5b). At Stanage, Tower Crack (HVS 5a) and Namenlos (E1,5a) both date from this period. More routes followed at Stanage the following year - The Unprintable (E1, 5b), Terraza Crack (HVS 5b) and Baw’s Crawl (HVS 5a). Although he and his companions also returned to Cloggy (Clogwyn D’ur Arddu) many times in 1951-2, but it was in the Llanberis Pass that Joe established the first of his many new Welsh routes, Hangover (E1 5a,5b) in May 1951.
In April 1951 Don Whillans first entered the scene. Joe and his friends were climbing at the Roaches in Staffordshire and Joe had just established a direct start (HVS, 5a) to Valkyrie, a 1946 Peter Harding VS of some reputation. Slim Sorrell was unable to follow. Don said he would give it a try, was tied on and within a few minutes had joined Joe at the top. Within a few months the one of the most influential climbing partnership in history had been formed.
In June 1951 Joe returned to Cloggy, this time with Whillans to establish Diglyph (HVS, 4a,5b,4c), in October they were back again, this time adding Vember (E1, 5a,5b,4b) the scene of a previous failure. Finally, Joe led The Boulder (E1, 4c,5a,5a). The upper pitches of this were done as a single run-out of 270 feet (80m.) on two ropes knotted together, after Ron Moseley (who was climbing well having made the first unaided ascent of Kaisergebirge Wall the previous weekend) and his companion declined to follow - doubtless a wise decision in view of the absence of protection on the difficult traverse, and the uninviting pendulum that awaited the unwary. When almost at the top Joe caught his anorak hood during a difficult sequence of moves and almost took what would have been a very spectacular and serious flyer, but with a last great struggle he freed himself to complete the route in a state of total exhaustion.
Climbing was not restricted to Cloggy, Joe and Don also made the first ascent of Cemetery Gates (E1 5b,4c) on Dinas Cromlech in the Llanberis Pass - the name spotted on the destination board of a bus in Chester as they returned home which fitted well with the tone of the adjacent routes Cenotaph Corner and Ivy Sepulchre.
1951 saw the disbandment of the Valkyrie Club as its members moved away. Meanwhile, Joe and a small group of elite climbers had started meeting at the Y.M.C.A. in Manchester on Wednesday nights and from this sprang the ‘Rock and Ice’, which was officially founded on 26th September 1951. This was a club never that owned a hut, nor had much in the way of a constitution or rules, but was nevertheless became one of the most influential clubs in the history of British climbing. Indeed, in no other club before or since has there been such a mixture of drive and talent, so that it stood head and shoulders above everything else – its members regarded with awe wherever they went. Although much has sometimes been made of rivalries within the club these were generally in the form of competition between its members keen to get one up on their companions, and were not as bitter as has been portrayed. This club too eventually died, primarily because it no longer served its original function. It was resurrected as the Rock and Ice Climbing Club some years later but by that time the burning energy had gone, and most of its members operated independently.
1952 saw Joe establish a further six routes on Cloggy, including Pinnacle Flake (E1, 5b,4c), the Black Cleft (E2, -,5c,5c, 5a,-) Llithrig (HVS, 4a,5a,4c,4c), Octo (HVS 4b,5b) and the Corner (HVS, 4a, 5a); but his greatest prize of the year was the first ascent of Cenotaph Corner (E1, 5c). This immaculate route, probably the best known climb in Wales, follows a vertical 120ft. (35m) corner between two wide perpendicular walls. The line was obvious, and had already been named by Menlove Edwards. After news of his attempt at the end of 1947 circulated a number of other leading climbers had tried their luck but none were able to pass the first difficult section at 20 feet. When Joe returned in August 1952 he knew that he had previously placed more pegs than were necessary and this time completed the route with the use of only two - indeed, thereafter he adopted the rule of limiting himself to no more than two pegs on a pitch. It is interesting to note that even on this obviously difficult route Joe did not wait for ideal conditions, climbing it in socks because of the dampness. This was typical of his group who would never let poor weather interfere with their plans.
The following year there were another five new routes on Cloggy - including the fine Girdle of the East Buttress (HVS, 4a,5a,4c,4c,4b,5a,4b,5a). On Cyrn Las he made the first ascent of The Grooves (E1, 5b,5b,5b), a fine natural line detined to become a classic route on the crag. In the Lakes with Whillans in the lead they put up Dovedale Groove (E1,5b) and Triermain Eliminate (E1,5b), while Joe led Moseley and Tom Waghorn up Laugh Not (HVS, 5b) on White Ghyll.
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