He was the first-known English climber to make an ascent of a high mountain in the Alps. In 1787, he made an ascent (the fourth) of Mont Blanc. This mountain was an attraction to his fellow countrymen, such as J. D. Forbes (1809-1868), A. T. Malkin (1803-1888), John Ball (1818-1889) and Sir Alfred Wills (1828-1912). He describes his ascent of Mont Blanc: