UKC

Earlier this month Chris Rowlands, Simon Marsh and the staff of DMM whittled down the 121 My First Outdoor Lead essays to their ten favourites.

DMM are now pleased to annouce the winners.

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/

In reply to Mick Ryan - Editor - UKC:

And, there is one more My First Outdoor Lead essay, Paisley Pattern Pyjama Trousers by DMM's Chris Rowlands. You can read it here: http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=802

In reply to Mick Ryan - Editor - UKC:

Excellent choices. Nicola's was definitely my favourite to win. Well done to her. Overall this competition was an inspired idea, and the entries got better and better all the way through.

NWClimber needs a special prize for the most 'off the wall' and funniest read.

In reply to full stottie:


I reckon so too.

In reply to Mick Ryan - Editor - UKC:

I was wondering if I had missed the announcement of the winner!

Congratulations to Nicola, and the other winners.

In reply to Mick Ryan - Editor - UKC: Congrats all. The competition was a great idea, I've enjoyed reading the various entries.

In reply to Mick Ryan - Editor - UKC:

Hi Mick,

Any ideas when they will be sending the Spot prizes, if at all?

In reply to peas65:

Read the article, it says after the Llanberis film festival.

In reply to Mick Ryan - Editor - UKC:

Congratulations to the winners, all well deserved and three great reads.

I'd also like to congratulate everyone else, (including me), who took the time to write something and then had the courage to post it on here for all to see. It was the number and quality of all the entries that made the competition so successful.

Perhaps this could be an annual event with a different theme every year?

Excellent stuff.

Just like to voice my thanks to everyone, DMM and UKC who organised this comp. Must have been a long old job wading through all the articles and even harder to pick out even ten, let allone one. I enjoyed writing my own article and even more, reading all the others, a worthy winner!

Thanks Guys.

Edd

In reply to Edd_Harris:

Just talked to Nicola on the phone and she is over the moon and shocked, said she wasn't worthy, in a state of shock and very excited.

She's on holiday at the moment and isn't online.

She can make it to Llanberis Mountain Film Festival and over that weekend she gets to pick up her rack from the DMM palace of glittering climbing delights.

We will be reading out a selection of the essays at LMFF as well.

Mick

In reply to Mick Ryan - Editor - UKC: Congratulations to Nicola, and to everyone else who entered, I really enjoyed reading all the articles. Maybe one day I'll be in a position to write about my first lead too!

So, what's the next compo then Mick?

In reply to Mick Ryan - Editor - UKC: Congrats to the winners. I'm not in the slightest bit jealous (grumble, grumble).

Well done all for your efforts and those that organised it.

Someone suggested a yearly thing - cool!!!

I'm definitely going to win the Rockfax My First Outdoor Top Rope at Stanage Competition.

In reply to Mick Ryan - Editor - UKC:

I posted this when the Top Ten were announced, so I apologise if you've read it before. Ignore the last bit, that's just a bit of fun.

“Are you logged on to Rocktalk?”
“Mmmm.”
“It's bloody fantastic!”
“Rocktalk?”
“Yes, but in particular that bloody DMM essay competition. I’ve read every one and enjoyed them all. The ten finalists are bloody fantastic; bloody fantastic! It was really good of DMM to sponsor it and for UKClimbing to host it – it’s given a lot of people a lot of pleasure.”
“Who do you think will win it?”
“Not a clue, the field’s so strong; but Nicola’s is a personal favourite: fabulous writing.”
“And some of them posted some lovely comments about your entry, Memories Are Made Of This, didn’t they?”
“Yes, they did. I got a real buzz when they took the trouble to respond. There’s some really nice people out there.”
“So, are you glad you entered, after all?”
“Very much so. It’s been viewed over 2300 times and of those only one thousand will have been me. And nobody slagged it off. Yeah, I am glad I entered.”
“Did you come in here just to tell me that?”
“Yes. No. No... Now, why did I come in here..?









“… aaahh, now I remember!









… I still think it was bloody ageist!”





:¬ )

In reply to Mick Ryan - Editor - UKC:


Mick was right - I am in a bit of a state of shock. Can't quite believe I've won this thing. Got the news in a layby on a rather bleak winter's day in deepest, darkest Caldbeck.

Have just nipped into an internet caff to respond to the announcement. There were some fantastic essays and I'm totally bloody amazed given the calibre of the entries that i'm the jammy mare that gets to take away the shiny stuff.

Thanks DMM ( Chris and Simon) for such an amazing prize. I guess this goes out to all the numpty climbers out there like me: the happy triers. Stick at it - it pays off in the end :- )

keep climbing ( and writing )

cheers, nicola