UKC

Just finished re-reading this - re-reading because I wasn't sure about my first impressions when I read it when it first came out.

But they're still the same: what an extraordinarily unpleasant, selfish, curmudgeonly, mean, bitter, vindictive, self pitying and nasty piece of work he was! Absolutely the last person I would ever have wanted to meet on the hills. (No doubt the feeling would have been mutual.)

In reply to Rob Exile Ward:

Funny you should say that! I read it just before Christmas and felt the same, although his dry humour comes across in his writings and I wonder if he was like that when you met him? People with a dry sense of humour are often misunderstood when people fail to see the hidden humour there.

In reply to Rob Exile Ward:

What do you expect, he was a Lancastrian

In reply to Rob Exile Ward:
Apparently he was crap at walking too - couldn't even climb a wall.
The Mark E Smith of the hills. You should never expect your heroes to be nice people.

In reply to bullybones:

His beer's not bad though. Bitter, obviously.

In reply to Rob Exile Ward:
Wainwright or Hunter Davies?

In reply to bullybones:


Excellent !

AWs guides inspired me in my teenage fell-walking, which lead to me taking up climbing, but I do find the cult that's grown up around him a bit odd. Then again, Julia Bradbury as high priestess in white flowing robes has a certain appeal....