UKC

So, who has been lucky enough to climb with some of the best?

Who is the most amazing climbing you've climbing with/belayed for?

In reply to Cordy: I met Tony Marr at Scugdale..... What a superb climber, moves with that fluidness that only really great climbers climb with, bit of a legend in North Yorkshire.... Also met Alan Hinkes on a different occasion with the Cleveland MC, again at Scugdale.

In reply to DaveWarb: Would have to be the day (and evening) I spent belaying Darren Jackson at Gardom's - few climbers manage to cram a lifetime of climbing into a single 25ft VDiff. Made it look so...well, so ridiculously















hard

In reply to Cordy:

Twid.

In reply to Marc C: More seriously, I did bump into Dave Towse (back in the 80s) at my local stomping ground Pontesford Rocks - he'd cycled from Wales! - and he was scampering solo up and down routes effortlessly and enthusiastically (in lycra of course) - and I was doggedly following behind him, terrified, but thinking 'Hey, this is MY territory, mister!". Only found out afterwards who he was.

In reply to Cordy: i used to live an bournemouth and climb at swanage with pete oxley, he was still at school taking his a levels and had only just started climbing then, but you could tell even then by the way he climbed and his fearless aproach to harder routes that he was going to be good he even shared my tent on a cople of trips to the peak and pembroke nice lad even if his only topic of conversation was climbing.

In reply to Cordy: Never climbed with anyone famous but best climber has to be the whippet as she has so much talent it scares me. People will say I'm biased but I thought this before I knew her.

In reply to Cordy:

Dougie Hall by a longshot. Nice guy, awesome climber and unbelievable enthusiasm.
jk

In reply to Cordy: Tom Proctor - superman. One of the strongest people I have met - I could not move his hand grip (home made). It made following him up steep limestone or thin grit a tenuous business - on the other hand when all else failed he could lift someone bodily. The only benefit I had was that he was the same size as me which meant I could get the beta by watching like a hawk and then sprinting up the pitch.

In reply to Cordy:

That's easy. Graeme Livingston.




A young Guy Robertson, Gabe Regan and Tim Allen deserve mentions too for impressing me beyond the call of duty.

In reply to Marc C:

It is a pity hosey did not do more wide ranging climbs, he would be up with the best I think after watching him on only a couple of things;

http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/profile.php?id=208

In reply to Cordy:

Dave MacLeod was alright at Creation on Friday, I s'pose.....; )

In reply to sarah79:

Ay, so was Neil Gresham before Christmas!

p.s. Sarah, if you there on a Friday afternoon/eve be nice to say hello to you (or the occasional Wed evening)

Derek Hersey did Billy whizz with him at Lawrancefield absolute pleasure to climb with.

Craig Yardley.

In reply to george yardley:
Was that greasy Derek? If so have met him but never climbed with him.

In reply to staceyjg:

You have mail ; )

In reply to Cordy:

Johnny Dawes (well, bouldering), John Syrett, Richard McHardy, David BA Jones, Felicity Butler, my brother.

In reply to Cordy:
Most of the people I have been lucky enough to climb with I would describe as the best.
Depends if you are looking for a good day on the hill or to be dragged up a route harder than you would lead. I'll go for good company every time.

In reply to Cordy:

I was introduced to climbing properly by Chris Plant in the mid to late 90's, and taken to a number of lakeland crags on days out as part of youth holidays by him, he gave a good slide show as well.

Dave Nettle, one of those secret rock superstars. Has loads of ascents in the Bugaboo's. One of the (few?) parties to haul his ass up the contraversial compressor route on cerro torre (sp?). What made the pleasure was he was the most down to earth guy to chill with, whole crew of us ate dinner in his camper van at araps for weeks

In reply to Cordy:

Dawes, Redhead, Libby Peter (on course at PyB) Smiler Cuthbertson, John Yates, Willie Todd, Phil Davidson, Big Ewan, Pete Chadwick, Porky and Mick Ward - all inspirational and an education.

In reply to Cordy: Sorle haywood (bouldering)

In reply to Cordy: Having read a lot of the replies to this thread, i have to wonder if many of you have misteken the meaning of 'climb with' for that of 'climb near'? Not directed at all of you by any means, just some...

In reply to Cordy:

The nice little blonde lass at the Uni Climbing Club fresher's wall session was obviously not a complete beginner ..

"We've got a trip to Wales next weekend" I said, "Fancy that?"

"Maybe" she said.

"Have you climbed in Wales, at all?" I asked.

"Just once."

"Oh yeah, whereabouts?"

"That crag with Cenotaph Corner on it .. "

"The Cromlech, great, what did you do on there?

"Um .. can't remember the name .. "

"Spiral Stairs?"

"No, that wasn't it .. "

"Flying Buttress?"

"No ... Ah, I remember ... Resurrection, that was it .. "

It was Karin Magog.


Cosmic John.

In reply to Cordy: Ian Loombe. Random alpine partner and seems to know everyone in the "Sheff" scene.

Great guy, good company and made me think of climbing things I wouldn't have contemplated otherwise.

Also had a wealth of experience which taught a young wannabe alpinist an effing sheet load.

In reply to billy.grant:

Swiss Eric Talmadge who has put up an unrepeated 9a, HB of Australian fame, Chris Plant

In reply to Cordy:

Big Ron showed me how to do some boulder problems at stanage once - but he ate some of the flapjacks my mother made so in an alternative universe he is posting on a thread on ukbaking.com about the best biscuit he ever had.

In reply to Cordy:

The late Jules Cartwright and Andy Nisbet. For clarity, I'm using 'climbed with' in the 'belayed for and was then dragged up a crag by' sense.

In reply to Mooncat: Yes the very same greasy Derek.

In reply to Cordy: There are just too many to mention or single out.

In reply to Al Evans: I guess most of us who've been climbing for more than say 10 or 20 years have climbed, or known, some of the 'greats'. There's quite a few I know I've been to the crag with but can't remember if we ever shared a rope (eg trips to Northumberland) but of 'names' I've definitely climbed with I guess it would be Cubby (summer) & Andy Nisbet (winter) not that I did many routes with either.

And I've seen Al Evans but he was behind a camera

In reply to Cordy:

Ah ... brushes with fame ... I was once doing up my shoelace at Burbage when Jerry Moffat sat down a boulder next to me .... a very young Chris Sharma and Tommy Caldwell were messing around throwing stones at each other where I was belaying at Rifle ... Stefan Glowacz was soloing the route next to me when I took a 30' fall off the crux of Auto da Fe at Arapiles (the bastard laughed at my scream) ... Dave Graham's mate warmed up on my rope on the route I'd just done at Suirana ... I once played on a toprope on Adam Smith Invisible Hand at Millstone with John Arran and Fliss Butler ... watched a Wim Wenders film with Craig Smith in London ... etc etc

In terms of people I have done a meaningful amount of climbing with it would be a toss-up between Crispin Waddy and Andy Donson. Probably Andy has the edge there.

In reply to Cordy: Andy Pollitt was always great to climb with, mostly because he was a good chap, but also he was quite handy on the rock.
The old days of wagging off work mid week and heading down to Stoney where the 'Sheffield Dole Team' were bouldering, Moon et al.
Best one of the lot is still big Ron. Trying to follow across pockets on Rhinestor with Ron saying 'swing across on your middle finger if you dare', or gritstone 'slabs' with Ron being kind enough to suggest that maybe my boots 'weren't stiff enough'.

In reply to Dan-gerMouse:

Isn't the compressor route the standard way up Cerro Torre?

In reply to Cordy:

Rich Mayfield of Orange house fame, just briefly a few years back.

In reply to Cordy:

Used to climb with JD in the mid 1990's. Learned a lot from him - by watching his seemingly effortless climbing and also having a go on some of the harder routes at Loup Scar and such. Nice bloke, only time I saw him frightened was in the back of my my mate Mike's AMG Merc, which was being thrown around the Dales as if driven by the Kurgan.

In reply to Cordy: Never shared a rope with him but Tommy Smith (Bob's brother) was very encouraging when I first joined the NMC as was John Earl. Pete Kirton (has his picture in the Langdale guide) used to challenge us to impossible boulder problems at the wall and at the bowderstone.

In reply to Cordy: Rachel, obviously for the company, and the sheer amurturish of the way we learned, and the laughs and the fun in the good ole mournes, it would have to be....























You! Miss switzer!x

In reply to Cordy:

Mick Fowler held my rope at Harrisons and then I held his-about 1974 probably so before he was famous although he was obviously rather good.

In reply to Cordy:

Brendan Murphy, for his understated talent and tenacity for actually getting up almost anything. Outrageously modest, totally nails and as nice a guy as you would ever have met.

In reply to Cordy:

I don't know about amazing/best & all that, but years ago I used to climb regularly with Jon Tinker, Kev Howett & once or twice Steve Bell.

In reply to Cordy:

Pete Whillance -- there were only the two of us at Armathwaite one day, so he led me up a fine crop of HVS and E1 routes. He was having an easy day!

Ray McHaffie -- my first ever visit to Shepherds -- I just turned up and hoped to find someone to climb with. Ray was out for a wander (and doing a bit of soloing). He asked me if I had a rope (100 ft of no 3 hawser laid nylon) and a few slings and a couple of nuts. Ray just tied on directly, and promptly led me up Adam and Eve, barely bothering with runners. On the top pitch of Adam he'd run out of rope could not reach the top of the crag so asked me to take the belay off and start climbing so he could top out and reach the belay. There were 2 runners on the pitch! He knew he wasn't going to fall off, but he certainly didn't know whether I would.

In reply to sutty:

Why the bloody hell does hoseyb not have The Black Cleft on his list of favourite climbs? I am wounded.

Might have something to do with almost fainting from exhaustion during the walk in, I suppose....

I was once rescued by Johnny Dawes. Does that count?

jcm

I used to wear a Whillans harness, does that count?

In reply to Al Evans:

>There are just too many to mention or single out.

Ditto, and some people on this thread have reminded me of others I had forgotten about.

In reply to Norrie Muir:

No, But it probably explains the high pitched voice and pained facial expression.

In reply to Al Evans: Al Evans !

In reply to Cordy: So, who has been lucky enough to climb with some of the best?

Its natural to be a bit starstruck unless you regularly climb and socialise with well known climbers. They are just people like anyone else with diffrent characters who either happen to be talented/good or not. I wouldnt count myself less lucky to climb with an HVS climber as opposed to an E9 climber - in fact anyone able to put up with me who is a reliable belayer is a bonus.

In reply to DaveWarb: Yup, Tony Marr. fluid and precise movements, after watching him do the solo i was trying I did it frst go afterwards

In reply to Cordy:

If we are going on grades alone then, though I didn't do any actual climbing WITH her I was at least nominally on the same day out (and stripped her gear on my abseil!) - Emma Twyford.

In terms of "on the other end of my rope" - no "celebs" and no E5+ climbers, but plenty of very good climbers

In reply to Cordy:

In terms of actually roped up and climbing with (as opposed to being coached by), it'll be Geraldine Taylor, in her 50s and still improving it would appear.

I reckon I might be able to onsight E5 by the time I reach 50... <rolls eyes>

PP.

PS. There's a couple of regular posters on here that I reckon will go far, so in future, I may be counting them instead!

In reply to Cordy: The best mountaineer I have climbed with is Christian Trommsdorf. Who? I hear you cry! Nominated for the Piolet d'Or and has summited everest solo without Oxygen. But apart from all that he is just a really top bloke too.

Other very notable climbers are Mal Duff - legendary hard man of the hills but not the best sense of direction always. Mark Miller - taught me how to ice climb and was just amazing to watch. Adrian Moore - I learnt so much climbing with him that has helped ever since.

In reply to Cordy: Climbed with Manfred Stuffer a couple of times - Who? He was the 10th man in the world and first italian to climb 9a and bugger me up the batty is he strong... I have video of him cruising an 8a+ and making it look like VDiff

In reply to mike kann:

Whatever floats your boat

In reply to Cordy: Pete Boardman around '79/'80. He was between trips and climbing with some very old friends of his at Earl Sterndale. As the routes he lead got harder, they looked for someone young enough and stupid enough to follow him. And I fitted the bill. He was quiet, super calm and very pleasant & encouraging to someone as young as me. He was climbing in shorts when the rest of us were feeling the cold of a Spring evening, and was wearing the tattiest, most hole filled pair of EB's I've ever seen. And I think Willans had given him one of his prototype harnesses. But it didn't matter because you KNEW he wasn't going to fall. I didn't have more than two runners per route to remove either. But then again, he only had about four to choose from...

Mark.

In reply to Cordy:

My mates.

In reply to Cordy:

The nice bloke who helped me work a boulder problem at font a couple of years ago turned out to be Malcolm Smith...very nice bloke! I've also been subject to Jacky Godoffe yelling bouldering instructions at me in french while I was floundering on some font 6a!

There used to be a fair few personalities at the Bristol climbing wall...none of them were regular partners but there would be chat going on at the bouldering wall. Dave Pickford, Stuart Littlefair, Chris Savage and Adam Mulholland are the names that jump to mind but there were others around.

I've also met Chris Sharma completely outside of the context of climbing and didn't have a clue who he was until afterwards.

In reply to graeme jackson: Indeed. If imagining me getting buggered up the batty by a strong man floats yours then please... carry on...

In reply to Cordy: It's a bit of a toss up..

Sir Chris Bonington - Inspirational. If I can still cruise up solid Lakes E1s when I'm in my 70s then I'll be a happy man.

James Pearson - He kindly put the draws-in for me on my first 7b red-point in the Costa Blanca several years ago and I belayed him on his frist attempt on Trauma (as seen on film on Committed) last year. Good doesn't even come close.

Gaz Parry - He climbed Dream of White Horses with Rich and I this summer in the midst of a Force 7 gale. The pitch he lead was possibly the best demonstration I've ever seen of 'textbook perfect' ropework and gear placements. A thoroughly sound bloke.

On top of that there are loads of f8+/E5+ standard climbers and inspirational mountaineers I have climbed with, many of whom have already been mentioned.

M

In reply to sutty:

Me too!

In reply to Cordy:

Easy: Dom Orsler

In reply to Cordy:

Don Morrison
Bob Dearman
Jim Reading

..of those, Jim Reading was the best climber, Don Morrison the most patient and interested/ing, and Bob Dearman was mad as a fish, but the master at aiding.

In reply to Fredt:

When we met Bob a couple of years ago he said I was the mad one, I thought Barry Webb and Jack Street were the mad ones. Graham West was another mad sod as well.

In reply to Cordy:
My mate Dave

In reply to Cordy: I climbed with, climbingpixie of the board during the summer, she was pretty amazing, climbed the main wall in awesome walls twice on the bounce. It was more than she glided up rather than climbed though.

In reply to Cordy: Climbed a couple of routes on Stanage with Jerry Moffatt one snow covered winters day when he was young and brash - just after he'd done the second "ascent" of Strawberries. I led one route and he led the other. He also fell off when trying to solo something and managed to tumble down between loads of boulders without hitting anything - a foot to the side and climbng history might have been different.

In reply to Cordy:

I've been lucky enough to at one time or another have climbed with the majority of the top yorkshire climbers. In fact if they climbed a either malham or kilnsey odds are that i've done a route or two with them.

Including UKC's very own Mr Ryan.

the most influential climbers for me though were John Dunne, Mark Radtke, Ian Cooksey, Jerry Peel, Mick Johnstone and Si Panton

In reply to Cordy: Chris Plant at kendal

In reply to Cordy:

yuji hiyrayama belayed me once.

In reply to Cordy:
Neil Carson. Very good friends with him at Uni, and for a number of years after. Sadly lost touch with him after his move to France.

In reply to Looneybin:


Ahh, my favourite UKC stalker - spiffing!

In reply to Cordy: Who is the most amazing climbing you've climbing with/belayed for?
Ado Liddell

In reply to Cordy:

My grandad was lucky enough to share a rope with Dougal Haston on a couple of occasions.

GM

In reply to Cordy: Luke hunt- the crazy. at the age of 15. A truely gifted climber.

In reply to D.Musgrave:

Ado, another minor genius on rock at times. Never really climbed with him but smooooth on the rock when I saw him.

In reply to Cordy:

I went soloing once......

In reply to Cordy:

"Twid" Turner for me.

In reply to Martin Rogers:

Same here. If you want to see some of the best just head there in season.

Andy F

In reply to Cordy: It was February 1969 - I booked on to a Hamish MacInnes snow and ice course. Was told that we wouldn't meet the great man as he was never there. And so it proved. For the first two days we were dragged up various things by Ian Clough and Jim McArtney and not a sign of him. On the evening of the second day this tall weather beaten man appears with a 'presence'. Apparently he did this. He got the others to suss out the better climbers and collared them for the third day. We were leading HVS at the time, which was a respectable grade in those days. Pointing to me and two of my mates he said: "You, you and you come with me tomorrow" and then he disappeared.

The next day I am panting up behind him striding ahead up The Lost Valley in an open necked shirt and a sports jacket (at between minus 5 and 10). I utter: "What are we doing today Hamish". Och I fancy yon wee gully up there" he uttered. I replied: What grade is it Hamish?". "Och how the hell should I know laddie - it's never been done before!" he retorted. End of conversation. For the next three days we were dragged up a series of desperate new routes by Hamish. I have never forgotten that and it remains one of the outstanding experiences of my climbing career.

In reply to Cordy:

I did Striding Edge with Peter Habeler and Steve Venables. Does that count?

The funniest bit was when some people coming the other way said: "watch this bit, it's just like the Hillary Step." They had no idea who they were talking to. Oh how we laughed.

In reply to johncoxmysteriously:


Probably. I was once driven to the Hallamshire hospital by his brother ...

In reply to jkarran:


He'd certainly be a contender. We did Pilier des Fourmis at Buoux with Dave Hinton and him as a big jolly party one New Year's Day, and even then he took doing the top bit free seriously.

In reply to Cordy: I took Alex McIntyre up Cemetery Gates when he was still at school. He was cr*p! I spent the summer of 1979 climbing with Jonny Woodward - he was a world apart. I can still remember him drifting up the wall on the last pitch of Vector without bothering to touch the layback crack, (I've been there since and stoo can't see how he did it); or him not putting any pro at all in Right Unconquerable because Pete Boardman had turned up at the bottom and was watching him.

In reply to Cordy: me and my mates were about to try brad pit when rich simpson and ben moon turned up, we ended up spotting for each other. have climbed with dave thomas on north devon coast, he is fearless. best climber i've ever climbed with is simon young

In reply to Cordy:

Mick Fowler - amazing climber

In reply to Cordy: hmmm.. stalker, i resent that! How is your wall?x

In reply to Cordy:


He's probably too modest to admit it, but Joe Brown once climbed with me in the Langdale Valley....

Class

In reply to andy farnell:
The glamour of the Catwalk...

In reply to Cordy: Bob Culp, an old school Colorado climber.

In reply to Cordy:
Tony Willmott, effortless and stylish

In reply to Cordy:
Dave Greenald from Chester 1977 -2004
John Kirk from Sheffield 1980 -2002
Jerry Moffat 1982 -83
Alan Rouse 1974
Rab Carrington 1974
Johhny Dawes 1985
Mark Leech 2003
Ben Moon 1983/84
Ghris Gore 1981 -83
Kim Carrigan 1983
Dave Thomas 1986
John Allen 2002
Paul Mitchell 1980 -2004
Zippy 1984
Craig Smith 1986
Bob Horan 1989
Mike Law (Aus.) 1983
Phil Burke 1983
Paul Craven 1983

Is that enough name dropping?

In reply to The Purple Pimpernel:

forgot to mention
Doug Scott 1975
Stevie Haston 1982
Ron 1984?
Paul Williams 1983

In reply to The Purple Pimpernel:


Evidently not

In reply to The Purple Pimpernel:

How can you remeber this?

In reply to Pete:
Hamish did the same with me a year later!

In reply to Cordy:

Nick Bullock, Phil and Alan George, and Jon Spencer.