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Simple question (hopefully).
Who is your 'favourite' climber and why?
I'm hoping to expand my horizons on my climbing knowledge - no pressure.
Who is your 'favourite' climber and why?
I'm hoping to expand my horizons on my climbing knowledge - no pressure.
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My wife.
Of all the people I know who climb, she is my favourite. It's why I married her.
Of all the people I know who climb, she is my favourite. It's why I married her.
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In reply to yh001:
My mate Andy because he looks just like Triple H. He's also on the front of the true grit guide so possibly the most famous one I know as well.
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/press.php?id=7992
Edit: that might actually be Triple H?!
My mate Andy because he looks just like Triple H. He's also on the front of the true grit guide so possibly the most famous one I know as well.
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/press.php?id=7992
Edit: that might actually be Triple H?!
Post edited at 14:31
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In reply to yh001:
The one who holds my leader fall without any injuries to either of us.
Sorry if you wanted serious replies. ;O)
The one who holds my leader fall without any injuries to either of us.
Sorry if you wanted serious replies. ;O)
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In reply to yh001:
My favourite is the one that takes care of the rope when I'm on a hard bit.
However, if you're looking to expand your horizons there's a lot of good sources. Try Joe Tasker's Savage Arena, or The Bond by Simon McCartney and see how you get on - and there are lots of threads about good books here, so a search may pull up lots of good stuff.
T.
My favourite is the one that takes care of the rope when I'm on a hard bit.
However, if you're looking to expand your horizons there's a lot of good sources. Try Joe Tasker's Savage Arena, or The Bond by Simon McCartney and see how you get on - and there are lots of threads about good books here, so a search may pull up lots of good stuff.
T.
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In reply to yh001:
I was at Almscliff when someone was having a birthday and they went round handing out slices of birthday cake to everyone nearby.
Whoever you were you mysterious hero, you're my favourite.
I was at Almscliff when someone was having a birthday and they went round handing out slices of birthday cake to everyone nearby.
Whoever you were you mysterious hero, you're my favourite.
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In reply to yh001:
The one who gives me a tight rope, when I look up pleadingly, without me having to broadcast my ineptness to all the crag
The one who gives me a tight rope, when I look up pleadingly, without me having to broadcast my ineptness to all the crag
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In reply to yh001:
My old pal Liam who is sadly no longer with us. He climbed effortlessly and had little fear and gave everyone around him confidence. He didn't climb anywhere near as often as the rest of our group yet still spanked us all when he did turn up.
Dave Mac if you want a well know climber. For being a WAD at pretty much every form of climbing.
Big fan of Nalle Hukkataival as well for making us all look weak.
Ben
My old pal Liam who is sadly no longer with us. He climbed effortlessly and had little fear and gave everyone around him confidence. He didn't climb anywhere near as often as the rest of our group yet still spanked us all when he did turn up.
Dave Mac if you want a well know climber. For being a WAD at pretty much every form of climbing.
Big fan of Nalle Hukkataival as well for making us all look weak.
Ben
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In reply to yh001:
So many replies and so few answers
My favourite climbers are my Dad, and my partners that I regularly climb and train with. But I doubt that will expand horizons or climbing knowledge as per the OP
My favourite 'famous' climber is probably Nico Favresse.
Followed in no particular order by Dave McLeod, Sean Villaneuva O'Driscoll, Stanley Leary, Tommy Coldwell, Paul Pritchard, Stephanie Bodet, Nina Caprez.
So many replies and so few answers
My favourite climbers are my Dad, and my partners that I regularly climb and train with. But I doubt that will expand horizons or climbing knowledge as per the OP
My favourite 'famous' climber is probably Nico Favresse.
Followed in no particular order by Dave McLeod, Sean Villaneuva O'Driscoll, Stanley Leary, Tommy Coldwell, Paul Pritchard, Stephanie Bodet, Nina Caprez.
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In reply to yh001:
One favourite to rule them all? impossible.... contenders would include:
Brown
Fawcett
Boardman & Tasker
All of those fearsomely hard Polish wads from the 70s
Dawes
Emma Twyford
Catherine Destivelle
Caldwell
Dave Mac
Steve Mc
Wideboyz
and my stepdad's brother, Brian Ripley, who was great and would have been greater if he hadn't lost his life so early, in an accident in the Karakoram
those are just the ones that spring immediately to mind
One favourite to rule them all? impossible.... contenders would include:
Brown
Fawcett
Boardman & Tasker
All of those fearsomely hard Polish wads from the 70s
Dawes
Emma Twyford
Catherine Destivelle
Caldwell
Dave Mac
Steve Mc
Wideboyz
and my stepdad's brother, Brian Ripley, who was great and would have been greater if he hadn't lost his life so early, in an accident in the Karakoram
those are just the ones that spring immediately to mind
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In reply to yh001:
So many and most of them not famous!
The old fellas in my club who rock up for the work meets in their eighties, who work, eat and then drink whisky until they fall asleep in front of the burner. The NLMC dinosaurs.
The lads who run the bar in Chulilla for partying hard and climbing hard when it matters.
All the climbers who put up new routes, bolted or trad, and those who contribute in their own way.
If you want inspiring, then Klaas Willems - such an understated guy who mentioned in passing one day, that city life was bad for him. http://www.borealoutdoor.com/community/detail/2017/03/07/klaas-willems-stor...
So many and most of them not famous!
The old fellas in my club who rock up for the work meets in their eighties, who work, eat and then drink whisky until they fall asleep in front of the burner. The NLMC dinosaurs.
The lads who run the bar in Chulilla for partying hard and climbing hard when it matters.
All the climbers who put up new routes, bolted or trad, and those who contribute in their own way.
If you want inspiring, then Klaas Willems - such an understated guy who mentioned in passing one day, that city life was bad for him. http://www.borealoutdoor.com/community/detail/2017/03/07/klaas-willems-stor...
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In reply to yh001:
My Favourite climber would have to be Barry forearms Harper. He continuously crushers even when puntering about.
Anyone who is lucky enough to climb with the beast will know.
My Favourite climber would have to be Barry forearms Harper. He continuously crushers even when puntering about.
Anyone who is lucky enough to climb with the beast will know.
Post edited at 19:10
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In reply to snoop6060:
All my climbing partners that have helped me get better over the past 10 years, Far to many to name but your all hopefully no who you are.
You aswell Simon for taking the piss at every available opertunity and rapping at me when I was on Growl tigers last stand
All my climbing partners that have helped me get better over the past 10 years, Far to many to name but your all hopefully no who you are.
You aswell Simon for taking the piss at every available opertunity and rapping at me when I was on Growl tigers last stand
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In reply to yh001:
Hazel Findlay because shes bold and cute in an awesome little sister way.
Geezers- all of Nico Faverasse’s crew
Hazel Findlay because shes bold and cute in an awesome little sister way.
Geezers- all of Nico Faverasse’s crew
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In reply to yh001:
Jain Kim
She's so precise and smooth, even when she's got the power turned way up and near her limit.
Jain Kim
She's so precise and smooth, even when she's got the power turned way up and near her limit.
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In reply to yh001:
My mate Dave, because even though I might say 'watch me here, Dave', I know he already is anyway.
My mate Dave, because even though I might say 'watch me here, Dave', I know he already is anyway.
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In reply to Removed UserStuart en Écosse:
Keep him.
"... But Gaul admitted that he took drugs in larger amounts than the others and the results showed in his racing. The hyperthermia that amphetamine use can induce gave Gaul the ability to race in cold and wet conditions but caused him to suffer unbearably on hot days, sometimes even forcing him to jump into city fountains in the middle of a race. There are pictures of Gaul (and a lot of other riders of his era) glassy-eyed with flecks of dried foam around his lips, sad testimony that Gaul did what he believed he had to do in order to be who he had to be. I am sure a lot of his erratic behavior is explainable by his heavy drug use.
An example of Gaul’s willingness to lose time: Going into the Giro d’Italia’s legendary stage twenty, Gaul was sixteen minutes behind race leader Pasquale Fornara. Yet, wearing a short-sleeve jersey, Gaul climbed Monte Bondone through snow and ice while more than 60 riders abandoned. He emerged at the top of the mountain the GC leader and went on to be the final victor of the 1956 Giro d’Italia.”
http://www.bikeraceinfo.com/riderhistories/climbers/greatest-climbers-5-1.h...
> I'll raise you Alberto Contador.
Keep him.
"... But Gaul admitted that he took drugs in larger amounts than the others and the results showed in his racing. The hyperthermia that amphetamine use can induce gave Gaul the ability to race in cold and wet conditions but caused him to suffer unbearably on hot days, sometimes even forcing him to jump into city fountains in the middle of a race. There are pictures of Gaul (and a lot of other riders of his era) glassy-eyed with flecks of dried foam around his lips, sad testimony that Gaul did what he believed he had to do in order to be who he had to be. I am sure a lot of his erratic behavior is explainable by his heavy drug use.
An example of Gaul’s willingness to lose time: Going into the Giro d’Italia’s legendary stage twenty, Gaul was sixteen minutes behind race leader Pasquale Fornara. Yet, wearing a short-sleeve jersey, Gaul climbed Monte Bondone through snow and ice while more than 60 riders abandoned. He emerged at the top of the mountain the GC leader and went on to be the final victor of the 1956 Giro d’Italia.”
http://www.bikeraceinfo.com/riderhistories/climbers/greatest-climbers-5-1.h...
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In reply to JRJG:
Same here. Oh, you mean Don Whillans, l thought you meant Dom Whillans, the cheerful chubby lad who posts on here.
> Don Whillans For being a general bad ass.
Same here. Oh, you mean Don Whillans, l thought you meant Dom Whillans, the cheerful chubby lad who posts on here.
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In reply to yh001:
I think Ondra is pretty amazing not simply for being the best. Firstly it's quite unusual to be in a league of one's own in climbing. There are usually others that are operating at or near the same standard. In the 80s and 90s there was Ben, Jerry, Wolfgang, the Le Menestrels who were all pushing the limits of the day together. But it seems like no one else is close to Ondra at present. He also seems a really nice, genuine and humble guy. And I think he's brought something different, something new to modern climbing. He's not the best simply by being stronger than everyone else. He seems to have developed technique, tactics and the mental game to new levels. In other words I think a large part of his success is down to his intelligence and creativity as a climber rather than merely greater fitness/strength. For me that makes him really interesting.
Other climbers I like are Janja Garnbret just for being amazing and taking women's climbing to new heights. Tomoa Narasaki is amazing to watch, he climbs like an ape, a very modern and unique dynamic style. I remember Alex Megos saying Tomoa flashed problems on Alex's board that he couldn't even do. He also comes across as humble and even shy. Chris Sharma is great for his chilled out approach and wonderfully sane attitude to climbing.
I think Ondra is pretty amazing not simply for being the best. Firstly it's quite unusual to be in a league of one's own in climbing. There are usually others that are operating at or near the same standard. In the 80s and 90s there was Ben, Jerry, Wolfgang, the Le Menestrels who were all pushing the limits of the day together. But it seems like no one else is close to Ondra at present. He also seems a really nice, genuine and humble guy. And I think he's brought something different, something new to modern climbing. He's not the best simply by being stronger than everyone else. He seems to have developed technique, tactics and the mental game to new levels. In other words I think a large part of his success is down to his intelligence and creativity as a climber rather than merely greater fitness/strength. For me that makes him really interesting.
Other climbers I like are Janja Garnbret just for being amazing and taking women's climbing to new heights. Tomoa Narasaki is amazing to watch, he climbs like an ape, a very modern and unique dynamic style. I remember Alex Megos saying Tomoa flashed problems on Alex's board that he couldn't even do. He also comes across as humble and even shy. Chris Sharma is great for his chilled out approach and wonderfully sane attitude to climbing.
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In reply to yh001:
Johnny Dawes for being a technically brilliant visionary and a bit mad.
Ueli Steck for being (having been, sadly) the Swiss Machine and a nice guy.
Johnny Dawes for being a technically brilliant visionary and a bit mad.
Ueli Steck for being (having been, sadly) the Swiss Machine and a nice guy.
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In reply to olddirtydoggy:
Garry Latter, for putting G.L.O.P. in his guidebook (apparently short for "Garry Latter Overgrading Poof")
Also Dougal Haston for general badassery
Garry Latter, for putting G.L.O.P. in his guidebook (apparently short for "Garry Latter Overgrading Poof")
Also Dougal Haston for general badassery
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In reply to yh001:
Johnny Dawes - I really like how he is all about body position and thinking through the sequence of moves. It's not about strength, like so many other famous climbers.
I got to climb with him (bouldering indoors) a couple of times when I was starting out. This was maybe 8 years ago and I didn't know who he was. He was really helpful and you could tell he just loved climbing. Some of the stuff he taught me has been incredibly useful. When I get stuck on a problem, I think - how would Johnny climb this?
I also really like Ron Fawcett. A really friendly bloke who really loves climbing. Plus, wherever I go bouldering, there are so many climbs named after him. And because Careless Torque!
Finally - it's great to see Shauna kick ass and get mainstream coverage doing so.
Johnny Dawes - I really like how he is all about body position and thinking through the sequence of moves. It's not about strength, like so many other famous climbers.
I got to climb with him (bouldering indoors) a couple of times when I was starting out. This was maybe 8 years ago and I didn't know who he was. He was really helpful and you could tell he just loved climbing. Some of the stuff he taught me has been incredibly useful. When I get stuck on a problem, I think - how would Johnny climb this?
I also really like Ron Fawcett. A really friendly bloke who really loves climbing. Plus, wherever I go bouldering, there are so many climbs named after him. And because Careless Torque!
Finally - it's great to see Shauna kick ass and get mainstream coverage doing so.
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In reply to yh001:
Johnny Dawes. Initially he captured my attention with his Stone Monkey video and E9 6c, then his book. His style is superb and he talks about climbing like no other. He's also very humble and always replies when I comment on his facebook posts.
Don Whillans. Apart from being a trad monster, he seemed like a really funny guy. His comments on his "Last Climb" video had me in stitches.
Don aarrives on his motorbike. Joe Brown: "Is that helmet to protect your head or keep your fag?"
As Don arrives at the P2 belay on Cemtary Gates - "Is this a no-smoking stance?"
Johnny Dawes. Initially he captured my attention with his Stone Monkey video and E9 6c, then his book. His style is superb and he talks about climbing like no other. He's also very humble and always replies when I comment on his facebook posts.
Don Whillans. Apart from being a trad monster, he seemed like a really funny guy. His comments on his "Last Climb" video had me in stitches.
Don aarrives on his motorbike. Joe Brown: "Is that helmet to protect your head or keep your fag?"
As Don arrives at the P2 belay on Cemtary Gates - "Is this a no-smoking stance?"
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In reply to yh001:
Emilio Comici. Never heard of him until i started climbing in the Dolomites many years ago. Really blew me away what he was doing with the little gear they had back then.
Emilio Comici. Never heard of him until i started climbing in the Dolomites many years ago. Really blew me away what he was doing with the little gear they had back then.
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In reply to radddogg:
Have you read Jim Perrin's The Villain? Don had a serious dark side, ranging from never paying for his ale to sexual rapacity towards wives and daughters that verged on Harvey Weinstein territory.
> Don Whillans. Apart from being a trad monster, he seemed like a really funny guy. His comments on his "Last Climb" video had me in stitches.
Have you read Jim Perrin's The Villain? Don had a serious dark side, ranging from never paying for his ale to sexual rapacity towards wives and daughters that verged on Harvey Weinstein territory.
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In reply to bouldery bits:
I like to think that the solitary 'like' my post has received is from Jerry himself.
I hope he's on here somewhere....
> Jerry.
I like to think that the solitary 'like' my post has received is from Jerry himself.
I hope he's on here somewhere....
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In reply to yh001:
Phew-
Dave Macleod (multi disciplines!)
Niall McNair (looks pretty in action, and super bendy)
Everyone in "Fools With Tools" (right place right time)
Johnny Dawes (the Robyn Hitchcock of climbing!)
Hazel Findlay - super role model, bold bold trad climber, and SURELY best candidate fot next chief Scout?
And finally, the three guys who gambled all and started Alien Rock all those years back.
Phew-
Dave Macleod (multi disciplines!)
Niall McNair (looks pretty in action, and super bendy)
Everyone in "Fools With Tools" (right place right time)
Johnny Dawes (the Robyn Hitchcock of climbing!)
Hazel Findlay - super role model, bold bold trad climber, and SURELY best candidate fot next chief Scout?
And finally, the three guys who gambled all and started Alien Rock all those years back.
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In reply to Pekkie:
I love the line the preface, where Perrin describes going to see Joe Brown to tell him he's writing The Villain, about Don. Brown considers this for a minute, then (IIRC): "you do realise," he says, "that he was an absolute bastard...?"
> Have you read Jim Perrin's The Villain? Don had a serious dark side, ranging from never paying for his ale to sexual rapacity towards wives and daughters that verged on Harvey Weinstein territory.
I love the line the preface, where Perrin describes going to see Joe Brown to tell him he's writing The Villain, about Don. Brown considers this for a minute, then (IIRC): "you do realise," he says, "that he was an absolute bastard...?"
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In reply to radddogg:
Cameraman to Don on the Annapurna expedition (footage can be seen on YouTube); "The days leading up to the summit you were literally living on porridge were you?"
"Well I had two days on cigars and snowwater"
Awesome
JRJG
Cameraman to Don on the Annapurna expedition (footage can be seen on YouTube); "The days leading up to the summit you were literally living on porridge were you?"
"Well I had two days on cigars and snowwater"
Awesome
JRJG
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In reply to yh001:
Difficult, but I'm going to say Clematis vitalba
Difficult, but I'm going to say Clematis vitalba
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In reply to spartacus:
It's nice but I prefer parthenocissus quinquefolia.
> Difficult, but I'm going to say Clematis vitalba
It's nice but I prefer parthenocissus quinquefolia.
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In reply to ripper:
And for the reasons stated above I would have to nominate Brown over Whillans for the 'my favourite climber' award.
And for the reasons stated above I would have to nominate Brown over Whillans for the 'my favourite climber' award.
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In reply to yh001:
O. G. Jones for climbing iced gullies in socks; the Abraham brothers for following him up there with a camera and tripod; Fred Botterill for raising his hat like a gentleman to a lady in the valley, as he balanced his way up the FA of his eponymous slab. H.M. Kelly and Emily Kelly for being the first British modernist climbers. Menlove for being the last Romantic climber. Birkett, Peascod, Brown, Whillans and their generation for transforming climbing into a working-class pursuit. Gwen Moffatt for being the first female guide and a badass to boot. Tom Patey for his humour. Andy Cave for getting from the bowels of the earth to the top of Annapurna. Countless others, no doubt, who I'm yet to learn about.
Kirkus for his sandbagging? ;p
O. G. Jones for climbing iced gullies in socks; the Abraham brothers for following him up there with a camera and tripod; Fred Botterill for raising his hat like a gentleman to a lady in the valley, as he balanced his way up the FA of his eponymous slab. H.M. Kelly and Emily Kelly for being the first British modernist climbers. Menlove for being the last Romantic climber. Birkett, Peascod, Brown, Whillans and their generation for transforming climbing into a working-class pursuit. Gwen Moffatt for being the first female guide and a badass to boot. Tom Patey for his humour. Andy Cave for getting from the bowels of the earth to the top of Annapurna. Countless others, no doubt, who I'm yet to learn about.
Kirkus for his sandbagging? ;p
Post edited at 17:12
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In reply to yh001:
I watch a lot of S4C climbing stuff, a favourite of which for me is Eric; Rheinhold's got a lot of respect for him too.
I watch a lot of S4C climbing stuff, a favourite of which for me is Eric; Rheinhold's got a lot of respect for him too.
In reply to yh001:
My actual favourite climber is Dave Birkett, technically very skilled but ballsy and gives it ago as well. However he is more than that, he is a climbers climber, he will chat with you about the VS you shat yourself on, and get it. I can imagine Dave walking and scrambling when he is 80 and enjoying the outdoors and the scenery.
My actual favourite climber is Dave Birkett, technically very skilled but ballsy and gives it ago as well. However he is more than that, he is a climbers climber, he will chat with you about the VS you shat yourself on, and get it. I can imagine Dave walking and scrambling when he is 80 and enjoying the outdoors and the scenery.
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In reply to yh001:
Arthur Birtwhistle.
Diagonal on the Mot, pair of undersized Woolworths plimsolls, hemp rope........
And he also gave us Pulpit Ridge.
Arthur Birtwhistle.
Diagonal on the Mot, pair of undersized Woolworths plimsolls, hemp rope........
And he also gave us Pulpit Ridge.
Post edited at 01:32
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In reply to yh001:
Always liked Stevie Haston, mainly for his eff u attitude.
Andy Kirkpatrick - down to earth, funny as f**k and really good guy.
Tim Emmett - cos our paths have crossed in some random and weird ways
Always liked Stevie Haston, mainly for his eff u attitude.
Andy Kirkpatrick - down to earth, funny as f**k and really good guy.
Tim Emmett - cos our paths have crossed in some random and weird ways
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In reply to Pekkie:
This is one of the key challenges with a question like the OP's. Don had a dark side, but he also had a biography which focussed on it, where other names put forwards on here have not (yet, perhaps) endured that event. So, perhaps Don is at a disadvantage?
So this begs the question; does your favourite climber have to be a nice person, given that you might not know the answer to that question?
> Have you read Jim Perrin's The Villain? Don had a serious dark side, ranging from never paying for his ale to sexual rapacity towards wives and daughters that verged on Harvey Weinstein territory.
This is one of the key challenges with a question like the OP's. Don had a dark side, but he also had a biography which focussed on it, where other names put forwards on here have not (yet, perhaps) endured that event. So, perhaps Don is at a disadvantage?
So this begs the question; does your favourite climber have to be a nice person, given that you might not know the answer to that question?
Post edited at 04:16
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In reply to Removed User
Good post. 'Favourite' doesn't necessarily mean 'nicest' - Big Ron would win that one - but having struggled on Don's routes with the benefit of modern gear and laughed at his dry asides I would definitely call him 'impressive'.
> So this begs the question; does your favourite climber have to be a nice person, given that you might not know the answer to that question?
Good post. 'Favourite' doesn't necessarily mean 'nicest' - Big Ron would win that one - but having struggled on Don's routes with the benefit of modern gear and laughed at his dry asides I would definitely call him 'impressive'.
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In reply to yh001:
So many shoulders to stand on (in the most literal sense).
Herman Buhl and Walter Bonetti for being way way ahead of the game.
Colin Kirkus for his wonderful routes and descriptions (hint.. "Use combined tactics to surmount the crux")
Menlove Edwards
Eric jones really nice guy and bril unassuming climber
Arthur dolphin
My mate alun (now dead) who after a 100' lead on desperate holds with no place for runners I found sitting on a ledge of ivy with no obvious way to get to him and no anchor, with a cheery "lean over mate there's a bril hold you can't see", I duly leant over and fell 10' down to his 'ledge'. With a big grin and laugh he stated "that's how I got here, now f*ck off and lead the rest".
There were many climbers climbing as hard, and harder, than brown and Willans but they captured the imagination of the skint and what youcould achieve with determination .
So many shoulders to stand on (in the most literal sense).
Herman Buhl and Walter Bonetti for being way way ahead of the game.
Colin Kirkus for his wonderful routes and descriptions (hint.. "Use combined tactics to surmount the crux")
Menlove Edwards
Eric jones really nice guy and bril unassuming climber
Arthur dolphin
My mate alun (now dead) who after a 100' lead on desperate holds with no place for runners I found sitting on a ledge of ivy with no obvious way to get to him and no anchor, with a cheery "lean over mate there's a bril hold you can't see", I duly leant over and fell 10' down to his 'ledge'. With a big grin and laugh he stated "that's how I got here, now f*ck off and lead the rest".
There were many climbers climbing as hard, and harder, than brown and Willans but they captured the imagination of the skint and what youcould achieve with determination .
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In reply to yh001:
If it's who has made the biggest "I'm not worthy" impression on me then that's easy.
Andy Parkin
Honourable mentions have to go to Rene Desmaison, Fred Beckey, Yvon Chouinard, Stevie Haston and, if I may a little parochial, Cubby.
If it's who has made the biggest "I'm not worthy" impression on me then that's easy.
Andy Parkin
Honourable mentions have to go to Rene Desmaison, Fred Beckey, Yvon Chouinard, Stevie Haston and, if I may a little parochial, Cubby.
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In reply to yh001:
Jain Kim for being the most technically proficient, efficient and graceful climber I've ever seen.
Nalle, as someone said above, for making us look pathetically weak. Applies to Narasaki, Megos, Coxsey and Garnbret etc also.
Ondra for being the Ondrawad.
Megos and Narasaki again for being able to drop your jaw, by doing what for them is playtime.
All the Moon's, Moffat's and grit wads who put up so many amazing lines.
My number one is Dave Macleod. Comprehensively, he is the climbing blueprint.
Jain Kim for being the most technically proficient, efficient and graceful climber I've ever seen.
Nalle, as someone said above, for making us look pathetically weak. Applies to Narasaki, Megos, Coxsey and Garnbret etc also.
Ondra for being the Ondrawad.
Megos and Narasaki again for being able to drop your jaw, by doing what for them is playtime.
All the Moon's, Moffat's and grit wads who put up so many amazing lines.
My number one is Dave Macleod. Comprehensively, he is the climbing blueprint.
Post edited at 16:31
In reply to J1234:
Mine too. The spirit of UK trad embodied.
youtube.com/watch?v=jNrdI1nUPmM&
> My actual favourite climber is Dave Birkett
Mine too. The spirit of UK trad embodied.
youtube.com/watch?v=jNrdI1nUPmM&
Post edited at 15:24
In reply to radddogg:
I was thinking particularly of: Direct Route (VS 5b) - a VS... with a 5b grade now rightly attached to the last pitch.
Not done Kirkus's Climb Direct - I take it you had a good time! ;p
I was thinking particularly of: Direct Route (VS 5b) - a VS... with a 5b grade now rightly attached to the last pitch.
Not done Kirkus's Climb Direct - I take it you had a good time! ;p
In reply to ripper:
On FB Perrin has said that the book version was Bowdlerised (a bit) from "absolute cnut"
> I love the line the preface, where Perrin describes going to see Joe Brown to tell him he's writing The Villain, about Don. Brown considers this for a minute, then (IIRC): "you do realise," he says, "that he was an absolute bastard...?"
On FB Perrin has said that the book version was Bowdlerised (a bit) from "absolute cnut"
1
In reply to yh001:
For me, the two JDs were my favourite climbers. The Dawes because what he did just looked impossible and entirely inspirational and Dunne for the routes he was putting up in his pomp whilst flying the flag for the larger guys and appearing to be outside and sticking two fingers up at the (Sheffield) establishment.
I always found the hero worship of the 'hard men', like of Whillans and Dougal Haston pretty strange. They never sounded like people I'd particularly want to meet or socialise with.
For me, the two JDs were my favourite climbers. The Dawes because what he did just looked impossible and entirely inspirational and Dunne for the routes he was putting up in his pomp whilst flying the flag for the larger guys and appearing to be outside and sticking two fingers up at the (Sheffield) establishment.
I always found the hero worship of the 'hard men', like of Whillans and Dougal Haston pretty strange. They never sounded like people I'd particularly want to meet or socialise with.
1
In reply to Removed UserStuart en Écosse:
A very special person indeed.
Mick
> If it's who has made the biggest "I'm not worthy" impression on me then that's easy.
> Andy Parkin
A very special person indeed.
Mick
In reply to Andy Hardy:
You are right - he tells the full tale towards the end of this interview but it is all worth watching whether you are a fan of JP or not. There is a lovely twist in the tale by the way.
You are right - he tells the full tale towards the end of this interview but it is all worth watching whether you are a fan of JP or not. There is a lovely twist in the tale by the way.
Post edited at 21:20
In reply to keith-ratcliffe:
Oh dear! this is the interview I meant to link to:
youtube.com/watch?v=s2yStnLKDJY&
Oh dear! this is the interview I meant to link to:
youtube.com/watch?v=s2yStnLKDJY&
2
In reply to keith-ratcliffe:
Excellent. A well-spent 30 minutes of work-deflection on a Friday afternoon! Thanks.
Excellent. A well-spent 30 minutes of work-deflection on a Friday afternoon! Thanks.
In reply to Greenbanks:
For me both Jim Perrin & Don Whillans are examples of complex characters who have a lot of things to commend them and a few aspects that are difficult to deal with.
I think JP is one of my favourite Mountain Writers - I also like his Guardian Country Diaries but I am aware of his flaws. Equally Don was a great climber & greater mountaineer but certainly not perfect.
I am happy to hear about their issues but can accept and indeed put them aside in order to appreciate their greatness. However I know others would not be able to do so which I think is their loss.
For me both Jim Perrin & Don Whillans are examples of complex characters who have a lot of things to commend them and a few aspects that are difficult to deal with.
I think JP is one of my favourite Mountain Writers - I also like his Guardian Country Diaries but I am aware of his flaws. Equally Don was a great climber & greater mountaineer but certainly not perfect.
I am happy to hear about their issues but can accept and indeed put them aside in order to appreciate their greatness. However I know others would not be able to do so which I think is their loss.
In reply to keith-ratcliffe:
Totally agree. Menlove is one climbing book in my collection that I have re-read several times - and will go back to it again. I didn't buy in to the negative critiques of Villain either. Perrin is in the top bracket of mountain writers, and deserves that accolade.
Totally agree. Menlove is one climbing book in my collection that I have re-read several times - and will go back to it again. I didn't buy in to the negative critiques of Villain either. Perrin is in the top bracket of mountain writers, and deserves that accolade.
1
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