UKC

Marc Chrysanthou writes, "Would I have perceived The Hard Years differently if I knew Joe Brown had wild sexual romps with Whillans high on the West Face of the Blaitiere? Would Touching the Void have the same resonance if Simon Yates had cut the rope because Joe Simpson had rejected his amorous advances?

Had he been a climber Walt Whitman might have written of the sensuality of bouldering - "I will go to the crag by the wood and become undisguised and naked, I am mad for it to be in contact with me" – and of the disguised sexual intimacy of a climbing team absorbed in "love-thoughts, love-juice, love-odor, love-yielding, love-climbers, and the climbing sap."

Read the full review of Todhra by Dennis Gray at the review section of UKClimbing.com.

http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=146

In reply to UKC News: On Marc C "...and to climb obscure gritstone boulders at a standard that would be impressive for someone twice his age."

Classic!

In reply to DaveC at Work:
if the hero hates competitions, why is he in competitions - sounds like a plot hole to me.

In reply to Dr.Strangeglove: well, I vaguely remember Johnny Dawes saying he hated competitions but he was going to enter the British championships, hope to win it to show how stupid they are (didn;t qualify for final!)

In reply to Dr.Strangeglove: Speaking of 'plot holes', there are quite a few filled in the book

In reply to Marc C: Interesting that the 'hero' is called John Kirk. Check your Peak history if you don't understand.

In reply to GraemeA at home:

I can't decide whether I want to read this or not. I'm not usually into fiction, but if it has echoes of real characters it might be OK.

In reply to GraemeA at home: John Kirk, the Blue John Cavern miner? Interesting, given some of the subterranean imagery I used - and a rich vein for more erotic imagery!

In reply to Marc C:

Ahem... perhaps Stoney Middleton might be more like it.
(Lavatorial graffiti circa 1978, 'Beware the brothers Grim.')

All best wishes with your research,

Mick

In reply to GraemeA at home:

Woops. He's actually called John Firth.

In reply to Mick Ryan: I apologise for Marc's Freudian slip - somehow he transposed John Firth's name with mine...must have made some unconscious connection between my rock-hard, well-endowed body...his 'friendship' with me,...and the main character in Dennis's book's exploits.

Kirk the Action Man (the world's greatest plastic climber)

In reply to Mick Ryan:

Didn't Dennis turn up in the Todhra Gorge when you were out there in 1990? Know we bumped into him while out there at that time, but not sure if it was at Todhra.

In reply to craig h:

I remember Andy Cave was there too.

In reply to Mick Ryan:

That was it, Luke and Martin as well. Just remeber the meal down the road when they started taking the plates from the wall when we ordered, and a young lad running out the restaurant for drinks and ingredients for the meal.

In reply to craig h:

That's the bunny.

Don't remember no hash cake though.

In reply to Mick Ryan:

Thought they were the after dinner 'mints' from the local hotel. The youngest son at the hotel left a lump on the table after every meal, Luke got him up a route while we were there.