UKC

With two hard new routes, Pete Oxley says Goodbye to Dorset.

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 UKC News 07 Oct 2005
Climbers in the UK have a lot to thank Pete Oxley for, roughly 800 new routes, the majority established on the southern limestone of Portland and Swanage, including three guidebooks to the South's most popular sport climbing area. Now with a move to New Zealand at Christmas, with his partner Jan Rostron, Pete is leaving his beloved Dorset behind.

More in the news

http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/
 phatlad 07 Oct 2005
In reply to UKC News:

Sad day indeed, the man has carried British boltclipping in the south for many years and will be sorely missed
 Paz 07 Oct 2005
In reply to phatlad:

I'm stunned on both accounts. Is it a roof crack afterall? Best wishes,
 Russell Lovett 07 Oct 2005
In reply to UKC News: i used to climb with pete when he and myself first started climbing ihavent seen him since i moved to newcastle 21 years ago and if he or someone who knows him reads this could they wish him all the best from russell lovett
 Wilbur 07 Oct 2005
Bye Pete - thanks for all your work and the great routes.
virgil 07 Oct 2005
In reply to UKC News:

Is that the hardest route on swanage/portland then?

thanks for putting up some easy stuff too pete!
 Richard Horn 07 Oct 2005
In reply to UKC News:

To Pete us bolt clippers on the south coast owe you a debt of gratitude for all the nice routes. I am sure my climbing partner would agree even though he is 5ft4 and can never reach the clips. Have fun down under

Rich.

PS My current project is Road Rage.
guinea_pig 07 Oct 2005
In reply to UKC News:

Bolt clipping types may have a lot to thank him for. Some of us might feel like he's been a bit vigorous with his Hilti in his time. I quote Nigel Coe posting on here from a thread about Cornish Bolts:

"Half a dozen of my routes have been retroed on Portland, yet I’d definitely not given permission"

His parting might not be viewed with too much sorrow in some quarters...
1
 tobyfk 07 Oct 2005
In reply to guinea_pig:

> His parting might not be viewed with too much sorrow in some quarters...

Judging by the immense popularity of the Portland/ Swanage sport routes, your un-sorrowed should probably best be quantified as sixteen-ths or thirty-two-ths rather than quarters.

Hats off to Pete Oxley and his transformation of the south coast. I predict that one day he'll even be vindicated on his actions at Pembroke when the contrived gear placements on the Big Issue become unusable and the route gets re-retro'd.
In reply to tobyfk:

You would be so delighted if someone bolted up your trad line Toby. I hope you're trolling.
 Enty 07 Oct 2005
In reply to tobyfk:
Cue, this thread degenerating into a bolts argument.
Well done Pete, have a great time down under.

Enty
 nz Cragrat 07 Oct 2005
In reply to tobyfk:

I think his actions will not be unappreciated down under- the more climbs the better.... however I think he will be making more trips to Oz if he wants good rock ...
 tobyfk 08 Oct 2005
In reply to Enty:

> Cue, this thread degenerating into a bolts argument.

Agree to some extent, but someone else raised the topic and, for better or worse, Pete Oxley is usually associated with bolts and bolting - even though he has lots of impressive trad FAs to his credit.
JRobertson 08 Oct 2005
In reply to UKC News:

Huge contribution to British Climbing, without his intiative and energy much of Portland would still be a dour depressing rarely climbed place.

Good luck Pete
FredMead 08 Oct 2005
In reply to JRobertson:
Without Pete Oxleys bolting of the South coast I would be trying to climb the Mendip sport routes of which there are about three of any quality.
Over the last 20 odd years, Pete has opened up a whole new world to climbers and pushed English sport climbing into the 21st century.
Who cares that he has retrobolted a few trad routes. He produced QUALITY sport climbs out of them. Look at Slings Shot... sooo popular.
It is a great shame that he is leaving the scene as there are still some hard hard projects left of the south coast and in Devon. Just look at the projects left on Ferocity wall at Anstey's Cove.
Anyway, We all wish you the very best of luck over there Pete. I wonder if you can make the same impact over there as you have done here ....

Fred
 viking 08 Oct 2005
In reply to UKC News:

I have never met the guy but have done a few of his routes in Portland and wish him the best of luck.

Climbing in Portland has gotten me addicted to the sport (or is it way of life?!). I'm now planning many trips, to many exotic places, trips I would definately not have done if I hadn't have been hooked by the great sports routes in Portland...someone mentioned Slingshot earlier on - a classic route for a punter like me! Portland has made climbing great routes accessible to someone like me who came to the sport late,startd 15 months ago and I'm 31. Since March I've been to Portland 4 or 5 times and had a fantastic time each time.

Nice Work Pete!
 steve taylor 10 Oct 2005
In reply to UKC News:

Congratulations on finally doing Project Lifeforce Pete.

It takes a superhuman amount of dedication to commit to such a big project, dragging yourself down there day in, day out in some pretty atricious conditions and keeping yourself in condition to make it physically possible.

Were it not for your personal efforts in bolting-up and publicising Portland I'd not have got into this sport as much as I have (not so sure Karen is so thankful). I hope New Zealand provides as much untouched quality rock as you've enjoyed in Dorset over the last 20 years.

Keep smoking the Portland Pipe!
Mark Higgs 10 Oct 2005
In reply to UKC News:Ah good way to bow out Pete! thanx for all the days out,that day on Vespasian was somthing to see,climbing makes our lives beter, even if it sometimes takes them.I think I owe my climbing to you.Hope NZ works out, it aint that bad moving away from the UK I can tell you.Keep in touch and say Hi to Jan eh!
From the Kitesurfing King of Belgium (Ha Ha)
 Ben Stokes Global Crag Moderator 12 Oct 2005
In reply to UKC News:

Well done Pete: I knew project Lifeforce would be ticked before the big day! With the length of time the house was on the market I almost thought Dorset wouldn't let you go before you did!

However, you can be assured that this will not be the last time we read F.A. P.Oxley!!!
 Jus 12 Oct 2005
In reply to UKC News:

Thanks for all your hard work Pete.

Hope things go well for you in NZ.
 nealh 12 Oct 2005
In reply to guinea_pig: oh well at least he's saved you from having to come along and de-vegetate them every few years.
 Paz 12 Oct 2005
In reply to FredMead:

LOL!

In reply to tobyfk: That's what I've heard too, I don't think you're the only one who thinks that.

Not entirely irrelevant to Fred's point about the mendips, There is always the question about whether a piece of rock would make a worthwhile trad route or a worthwhile sport route, or if it wouldn't make any sort of worthwhile route at all.
 jtree03 13 Oct 2005
Pete - "We're not worthy!!!!" you've inspired a whole lot of us south-coasters with your tireless efforts on our limestone sea cliffs. Good on yer. Best of luck down under mate. Cheers
 tombeasley 14 Oct 2005
In reply to UKC News: Cheers Pete for all those many routes! I hope that NZ is ready for many more bolted lines!

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