UKC

The Bond - Simon McCartneyFri Night Vid

© UKC News

This week's Friday Night Video by Vertebrate Publishing features former British alpinist Simon McCartney talking about his new book 'The Bond,' which has recently been shortlisted for the Boardman Tasker Award (UKC News Report). Simon's biography explores the bond between climbers and recounts epic tales from some of his most notable mountaineering achievements and failures as a self-confessed presumptuous youth.

Simon ultimately went 'cold-turkey' and stopped climbing, but reminiscing about his mountaineering past brought 'The Bond' back into perspective.

‘Man, the only – only – good thing about that climb was that you were tied on to the other end of the rope.’


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26 Aug, 2016
Flipping brilliant that Simon and yor book's better than the one wot I rote. Joking aside, best wishes for the award night, fingers are crossed for you and the team at Vertebrate. BTW, if you Google Vertigo High Access our 'dopes on ropes' draped that skyscraper in a rather large banner for the HK Financial Times ad several years ago. Can I buy a copy of your book please - with a dedication? Oh, and what've you done on grit? Cheeky tw*t aren't I. Hope life's good in Honkers. Cheers, A Loser (and not bitter, honest, I just couldn't beat your cash offer to Streaky ... Ugh). RETRACTED ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Sorry Graham, I know you have ethics ,,,,, and I'm bladdered again. xx
27 Aug, 2016
That's immaculate - OMG - his dad sent him on a "climbing course" with Al Harris. And he's alive and apparently sane. What a fabulous vid.
29 Aug, 2016
It's Andy Pollitt.
29 Aug, 2016
D'oh! Ta Chris but why did you go and spill the beans ,, was lining Simon up something hilarious there ... Cheers though, no harm done ('e'll never of 'erd of me anyway). Lay Ho Simon (ex missus from Macau taught me that). Crikey, I hope that isn't rude!! Well done with the latest technology - took me yonks to learn it too, yr doing just fine. Sure, more than happy to purchase your (HOPEFULLY) award-winning tome The Bond. Shall have my people speak with yours so you can write 'f*ck off you idiot' inside and that dreadful Jon Barton chap at Vertebrate can throw one in with my next container shipment of , ahem, an award-losing diatribe about sex, drugs, fighting, living/existing in two minds ,,, and a bit more sex, fags and alcohol. Oh! I think I may've written about a mountain climb or two too. "Cigarrettes" - the ice climb with Basher still cracks me up. Cheers, hic, Shalll PM you so this rabble can't sticky-beak. Kindest regards, Robert (read the book).
29 Aug, 2016
I can't say I knew him very well - he was a major force in the N. Wales scene in the 70s when I used to climb there - by far the main place I used to climb then. My particular memory is of ending up in Al's place one evening after closing time... strobe lights, good music, good company, somewhat bizarre environment (!). I particular remember a chap sitting next to me putting together a rollie by the light of the strobes and my being amused when it just, literally, vanished. He was quite puzzled by this for a few moments before realized that it must have transmigrated to the floor during a brief lapse in concentration. My other memories of the evening are hazy to say the least. There are quite a few on here who knew him quite well.
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