PontiusPirate
Originally from t'other side of Pennines, so the gritstone edges of the Peak have been part of my life since I was wee: shame I took up climbing on them so late...Location
Bradford-ish
Best Climbing Experience
My first trip to Gogarth in 2003 - now a total convert to the 'bigger stages'; big routes committed and cut off from the 'normal world'... so in 2011 I seem to have accidentally become an alpinist too!
Favourite Climbing-Related Discussion Topic
I (used to) post very rarely, I usually use UKC as a source of climbing information: access, best practise and the like.
However, now I know so many of the people on here 'in real life', it pays to keep up with the gossip!
Recent Postings
- No posts in last 30 days
Personal Webpage
http://www.flickr.com/photos/drupka
Interests Outside Climbing
My friends (people that is).
Mountains, space and scenery in general; big walks and runs and scrambles in particular.
Photography: in general, though my abstract stuff appears to garner higher praise than anything more 'conventional'.
Biking (of the pedal variety), mainly off-road.
I learnt to ski over a decade ago and now I'm trying to get good enough to survive ski-touring and maybe a spot of ski-mountaineering too.
Recently, I have become rather heavily involved with both the BMC Yorkshire Area and the YMC Grit guide production for my sins - I suppose it's what happens if you stay in one area for too long...
About My Photography
I've been taking pictures on all manner of cameras since my teenage years - usually landscapes - with some degree of success.
The instant feedback of digital has allowed me to refine my technical ability and now I'm equipped with a reasonable DSLR I'm looking to 'do something a bit different' with my climbing shots that only this kit will allow. No idea if I'll be successful, but it's worth trying I think! :-)
Photo Gallery
The Night Shift
© PontiusPirate
Solitary Spectator
© PontiusPirate
Grab The Slab
© PontiusPirate
"Don't Stop Now!" Dave Turnbull reaches the final crux on London Wall
© PontiusPirate
Yr Wyddfa from Plas Y Brenin
© PontiusPirate
Hard Times Ahead
© PontiusPirate
Alpine Dreamtime
(Weissmeis from the Nadelhorn Ascent)
© PontiusPirate
Not being sacrificed...
© PontiusPirate
Chosen as the Featured Gallery on 14-Dec-09.
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Click to list photo comments written by me. (230 comments)
I've voted for 1,462 photos, average vote 3.4.
(8% superb - 40% good - 36% average - 12% poor - 1% rubbish)
Anything Else We Should Know
Yes, I am almost always injured.
No, its not sunburn.
(Those that know me will understand!).
Now know I can't live anywhere without rocks and hills for any significant length of time.
Have recently decided that this winter climbing lark might not be all bad after all... I blame all the years ski-ing...