UKC

So yesterday, 4 of us clambered up to. Napes Needle. My partner Richard Crabtree, was designated the lead and me as second. First view up to shoulder looked difficult for gear placement but plenty of handholds - this was my first climb at this grade. Ric spent a bit of time finding the route but was soon celebrating on the top. He looped the rope under the nose to strap himself to the top for a secure belay. I was nervous here but I grappled up and stood on the top - crucifix style! Amazed myself! Not much room and a bit precarious on the safety, I climbed down on a belay then Ric down climbed keeping the rope around the nose for added protection. We paused on the shoulder shivering and full if elation and adrenalin having achieved this classic climb in our favourite place and then Ric says "know how u say I'm not romantic? Well here we are by England's highest mountain and deepest lake" Then he reaches into his chalk bag, pulls out a box which contained a beautiful solitaire diamond ring and asked me to marry him. Of course I said yes and cried and shook with emotion on windy shoulder of Napes Needle. The most perfect day on earth, the most amazing man on earth and the most beautiful place - with that wonderful mix of danger and nature - I have never been so happy in my life. I wonder, are we the worlds first couple to get engaged on Napes Needle?

In reply to Angie Jones:

Woo hoo! Congratulations, the dude has got class!

In reply to toasted:
Thanks Toasted - he certainly does he picked me after all 💙😊💜

In reply to Angie Jones:

Congratulations! He's obviously a man of class...

I proposed to my other half on the belay of Ledgend in Swanage.
I'd climbed with a pack on under the pretense of alpine training! At the 1st pitch belay I proposed and produced a Haribo ring and a bottle of champagne. I had the proper ring on me too which I revealed after the Haribo version!

In reply to Angie Jones:

Congratulations!! Top marriage proposal. Yup, he's got class in spades...

I guess you're not going to have a Vegas wedding then.

In reply to Angie Jones:

Awesome.

I love how half the description is of the route. Says a lot of good things that does.

In reply to Angie Jones:

Congratulations! A proper memorable occasion!

Mr TC proposed to me on top of one of the summits of Ben Eighe, towards the end of an ironman triathlon event. I thought he was delirious at the time and had to ask three times if he was serious.

In reply to Angie Jones:

Congratulation.................

Respect....................

Thats defo a memory 2 b re-told to ur grandkids....

In reply to Angie Jones:

Oh congratulations!!!

Wonder if you could find a climbing vicar and have the ceremony up there?!!

Incredibly pleased for you both.

In reply to Angie Jones:
Congratulations! Top location.

Summit of wintry Ben Starav in Glen Etive for me and the missus. I managed to get the words out just before she could have a go at me for faffing with my pack again.

In reply to Angie Jones:

Congratulations. Were your other friends in on the secret?

I proposed to Mrs T on the summit of the Aiguille du Moine. She'd hated the climb, (Are we there yet?) so I was grateful to make it memorable!

In reply to Angie Jones:

Ivan Waller famously did a headstand on the summit, Millican Dalton used to guide parties up it and then produce a spirit stove and brew tea on the top and someone once took a violin up to play, but I've never heard of a marriage proposal before.

Congratulations!

In reply to Angie Jones:

Aw that's really lovely

In reply to Angie Jones:

Congratulations

In reply to Stephen Reid - Needlesports:

I actually used the guide on your webpage for a touch of advice before going....so thanks

In reply to Angie Jones:
Congratulations, we were the party of 5 who were just starting to climb Napes ridge at the time your partner proposed.

I have never seen anything of the like and am very impressed with your chaps timing. ( I did wonder whether you would have been left up there if you had said no !!!)

Hope you have a wonderful life together and who knows how he is going to top that for the wedding venue.

Congratulations again.

In reply to Fredt:

one of our friends was who took the pictures for us. his pack was so heavy what with gear, ropes, food and the full blown SLR camera kit !! bought him his tea though...

In reply to Angie Jones:

Congratulation! What a memorable day.

In reply to Angie Jones:

Woohoo! That was so romantic! I'm a stuffy old fart but your description brought a lump to my throat!

Congratulations!!!!!

In reply to jezb1:

Wow! There's some real romantics in the world - not all testosterone and bragging rights - I assume she said yes!?

In reply to tri-nitro-toulumne:
Thanks and no not Vegas - not thought that far ahead yet - to be honest, I'd rather be camping, scruffy and smelly somewhere having an adventure :0)

In reply to Angie Jones:


Thankfully!

In reply to Angie Jones:

Head for Scotland - it's easy to get married up a hill or on a beach or in all sorts of interesting places.

In reply to FreshSlate:

Thanks Wolfo - it was awesome - as are all the responses on here - a community not defined by the size of a salary, car or salary - just climbers and mother nature and human nature - humbled

In reply to Tall Clare:
Wow! Don't think many could manage to even talk during an ironman never mind propose - he must have been thinking about you all the way round!

In reply to mrdigitaljedi:
Love the name Jedi!! Yes utterly amazing and unforgettable - thanks

In reply to Firestarter:
Thanks fire starter - not sure Napes can be licensed - maybe we can save up £1.7 million and buy Blencathra - license it for weddings (not!). It's going to have to be done once a year on our anniversary tho - that'll save us from couch potato-dom

In reply to mountainbagger:
Glen Etive - fab - I love Scotland in winter - making fresh footprints on a snowy ridge amongst some of the oldest mountains in the world ... bet she didn't take her gloves off for long tho - even with a sparkler on her finger!!!

In reply to Fredt:
Thanks Fred. One of our friends was in on the secret - Ric asked him to be the cameraman and also on hand for advice as he'd climbed it before. So you proposed on one of the Aguilles - must have been stunning. I was a bit knackered on the climb up to the base but luckily didn't complain as I was nervous about the climb!

In reply to Angie Jones:

And they say that most marriages end up on the rocks...!

In reply to Stephen Reid - Needlesports:
Well it would be something if we were the first - not sure I could do a headstand in my back garden never mind up there - love the quirkiness of people, the daring, that derring do we don't hear of much anymore because everyone wants to be the same, look the same - brings out the animal in us!! Makes us come alive

In reply to Duncan Bourne:

Thanks Duncan - don't want to let go of all this and replace it with work tomorrow - want to sit looking at the pics and people's responses and feel special just a teeny bit longer

In reply to puppythedog:
Thanks Puppy - still smiling inanely and reeling from it all!

In reply to didntcomelast:
How great to find you on here - and thanks for making it so special and congratulating us despite us being complete strangers - you had a birds eye view from Needle Ridge too! What a perfect day - you all looked like you were enjoying yourselves

In reply to Gordon Stainforth: thanks Gordon - I will NEVER forget it - wast water glinting in the distance, the cheers of total strangers around us - heaven

In reply to Trangia:
Thanks Trangia! You can't be that stuffy - there's definitely a soft centre in there ... I cried my eyes out on the shoulder and then again on the phone to the family - weird how happiness does that!

In reply to jezb1:
Fab!

In reply to Tall Clare:
yes Scotland is utterly beautiful and seems like you can get hitched anywhere - but hoping to get wed in St Olafs, smallest church by the highest mountain by the deepest lake - and all in sight of Napes Needle - just need the vicar to agree

In reply to Angie Jones:

I know what you mean but don't worry 9 years on and we are still "newly weds"

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Ha ha Sean - well we do seem to be doing things in reverse - we've been together 9 years - love on the rocks was a big surprise!!!

In reply to Duncan Bourne:
Ahh - that's brilliant - here's to true love :0)

In reply to Angie Jones:

I also got engaged close to there, but a bit higher up. I took The Current Mrs Bingers up to the Westmorland Cairn due to its magnificent view. Unfortunately on the day in question, you could see jackshit, but the thought was there - in my mind at least.

I thought she wasn't going to make it as when we stood on top of Green Gable and I reassuringly pointed out that it wasn't far to go now, there were plenty of signs of discontent. And no Plan B.

17 years down the line (married for nearly 16) We've not been back, but I would like my ashes scattered from there.

In reply to Angie Jones:

Magic

In reply to Angie Jones:

c'mon - we need to see the pics!!
(congratulations BTW - he's a bit smooth! beats me getting the GF drunk on champers on a bench in Bristol Docks!)

In reply to Angie Jones:

My husband and I were 2/3 of the three ahead of the party of five on Needle Ridge (We only started climbing after we got married, and we're not up to the Needle yet!). We couldn't believe it when we realised what was happening on the Needle - Many congratulations!

In reply to crabtreer:

Be delighted if you could email us a photo of you happy couple and we'll add it to our Napes Needle page and feature you in our next enewsletter?

In reply to Sean Kelly:

Haha yes, enjoy it while its good. The setting for this proposal is sadly of no guarantee for the future.

In reply to Angie Jones:

Wow! mega cool!

In reply to Stephen Reid - Needlesports:

Hi Stephen,

Ive emailed you some pics and more info (info@needlesports.com)

regards

Richard

In reply to Bingers:

Ahh Bingers how lovely and u still talking about it all those years later!!! Love is thriving on them there rocks!

In reply to Removed User:

Thanks biped Still reeling from it all 💙

In reply to Bluebird:

Champers - class! I'm sure even a darkened room would have been good enough for a moment like that - some pics on twitter @burnleyjones if u want a peek

In reply to Lakeslina:

Yes I remember u - thanks for being there with us! Yr probably on our pics somewhere ...

In reply to LeeWood:

After 9 years I think we've had a good trial run Lee

In reply to The Pylon King:

Thanks Pylon King - definitely mega :0)

In reply to Firestarter:

I'd be happy to offer my services!

In reply to Angie Jones:

Congratulations Angie and Ric.

A grand story for you to carry along with you in your life together.

A similar event took place last Saturday for my lady friend and myself. We were determined to get out for a hike, no matter the weather forecast, which was for clouds and showers. So we packed our lunch and rain gear and set off up the Stawamus Chief near Squamish, BC. What my lady friend didn't know was I'd also packed an engagement ring.

We got to the top of third peak where we enjoyed lunch, then after we'd eaten I pulled out the little box and asked her to marry me. She was extremely surprised and happily accepted my proposal.

We got wet, muddy and a little bruised on the slippery, rocky trail back down over the other two peaks, but those things just helped to make it more memorable - she now has the scars to prove it happened, ha!

This shows the big lump of rock on which the little lump of rock was offered.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stawamus_Chief

In reply to loose overhang:

Ahh - sounds very romantic loose - good to hear love on the rocks is going on all around the world :0)

In reply to Angie Jones:

So it is. And the song to accompany it was this, discovered the day before:

youtube.com/watch?v=o-kdz7-zPDA&

In reply to Angie Jones: Congratulations, and best wishes for the future!

To continue the theme, I was scrambling in N.Wales with a couple of friends a few years ago when he proposed to her halfway up Bristly Ridge. Well, what actually happened was that he was leading, took the wrong route which was too hard for his girlfriend, who then became cragfast. I was bringing up the rear so ended up rescuing her, at which point he shouted something across, which I had to relay over to her. He was shouting across his proposal, so they always say that he proposed to me first, and then to her! Once on safe ground he then produced a ring and went down on one knee in the more traditional manner (Turns out he'd planned to do it on top of Tryfan, but it was too busy when we got there)

In reply to Angie Jones:

love it! (all of the above proposals!) Maybe UKC should start organising weddings? Or at least have a "singles" section!

In reply to owlart:

Ha ha - THAT is funny- he must have felt scared/embarrassed to be crag fast then had to use you as a surrogate but still proposed - most people would have given it up as a bad job - must have been true love 💘

In reply to JClimb:

I found 'the one' whilst out doing things I love - now we spend all of our spare time in the outdoors having adventures - so I think a singles climbing club would be a brilliant idea - let's bring people together UKC!!!

In reply to Angie Jones:

This is now featured on Needle sports website thanks to Stephen

http://www.needlesports.com/catalogue/content.aspx?con_id=4658c684-1c2a-40d...

In reply to crabtreer:

I hope you like the cupids!

In reply to Angie Jones:

We went to a wedding of a couple of ukcers, and they got everyone to stand up - about 300 people.

They then asked anyone who had never used the internet to sit down, and a couple of people sat down.

They then asked anyone who had never used ukc to sit down, and a few more sat down

Then anyone who had never kissed anyone off ukc, and about 5 more sat down...

Then anyone who had never had a shag with someone off ukc - about 250 people remained standing (including me!)

Then anyone whose current partner was off ukc...

Then anyone who had got married to someone from ukc...

There were still plenty of people stood up at the end (including me!)

In reply to Angie Jones:

Congrats great stories on here ... Excellent that most of them centre on what you're climbing! Need to find me one of these men haha!

In reply to Angie Jones:


No need!!! As tlm says....UKC itself fills the role well. In the years I've been here, on and off, I've known literally dozens of couples who met through UKC.

In reply to Stephen Reid - Needlesports:

yeah, made us laugh Stephen, thanks again

In reply to Angie Jones:

Mrs Num Num proposed to me while we were sharing a needle. I remember (mistakenly) thinking that she was the most amazing transexual on earth when I whispered a lusty 'yes dear'

In reply to Angie Jones:

Even made itself on the daily mail
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2626046/The-incredible-moment-mou...

In reply to goose299:

Yeah saw that....some cheeky buggers about in the comments, but to be fair we are both a lot thinner and fitter now a days !!!! Pics are from years ago..

In reply to tlm:

There were still plenty of people stood up at the end (including me!)

That's because you have never had anyone even to kiss you. Admit it. You are unkissed.

In reply to tlm:

Ha ha - that is actually quite amazing - 250 people!!! - ukc, you thought you were just about climbing ....

In reply to BAdhoc:

Have you read these posts? UKC is full of romantic, adventurous blokes - come on you men, someone out there is looking for YOU!!

In reply to birdie num num:

words escape me ....

In reply to crabtreer:

Well we will show em when we do Mont Blanc in 12 weeks!