In cities and in poor weather, the characters ordinarily found on the hills are funnelled into indoor climbing gyms. Here are some of those characters to help you make sense of the interesting social structure of indoor climbing … The Unwanted-Beta Sprayer “Mate, if you hold that undercling like you’re trying to coax a … More 10 Types Of Indoor Climber
“Going once, going twice … Sold, for fifty pounds!” “Shit.” I collected the medley of rust with two wheels that called itself a bike and thought, “What the hell have I just bought?” Auctions suck you in. One minute you have all your faculties and no intention of spending more than £20 on something you … More What The Hell Have I Just Bought?
“And you’re happy with that?” asked the walker, looking sceptically at my anchor – an ice axe buried in snow. “I was until you said that,” I thought, too tired to speak having hacked a hole in névé with the consistency of set concrete, as I now tentatively shouted “Safe!” down to my second, Nick. … More Leading the Way
I recently joined a Facebook group dedicated to the conditions in the UK’s mountains. This is a uniquely British concept; we like to talk about the weather, but this is talking about the weather with added fervour. The changeable conditions that are part and parcel of our little island make such pages ideal for anyone … More Weather Window Panic – A Good Conditions Smash and Grab
With the notable exception of the Isle of Man, no man is an island. All of my mountain experiences have been shared with a ragtag clan of like-minded individuals who I believe deserve a mention. The Motivator If it had not been for Matt, I would not be here today and instead be smashed to … More My Mountain Family
The lengthy gritstone escarpment of Derbyshire’s Stanage Edge has a special place in British climbing’s past and present. So revered as the hallowed rock of traditional climbing (i.e. no drilled bolts) that when a climber posted an April Fools’ prank picture of a bolt on the grit he received death threats from the climbing community. … More Great Nights in the Hills – Part 2, Stanage Edge
After becoming airborne on a multi-pitch ice route earlier this year, it was time to return to outdoor leading with a trip to Stanage Edge for a spot of single pitch trad (rock climbing placing your own protection in natural cracks). By comparison this was more like getting back on a Shetland pony than a … More Climbing Back on the Horse – Reflection on Falling, Fear and Re-finding Climbing
Native English speakers such as myself are notoriously bad when it comes to speaking other languages. I met a Dutch woman once who told me that she could only learn three other languages at school because she was dyslexic. To think I was proud of myself when I could read 50% of the ingredients on … More The Lingua Climber
It doesn’t take much mental effort to recall that sensation of falling through mid-air, accelerating and waiting for something, anything, to arrest my seemingly unending downward progress. The leader doesn’t fall is ice climbing’s number one rule, a rule I rather spectacularly broke. I still get that lurch in my stomach from thinking of that … More The Leader Doesn’t (Usually) Fall
London Outdoorsman 