In reply to Serpico:
Yellow Serpico
It's never an either or, but there is a bit of duplicity involved in some pro climbers blogs without a doubt. You see it all over the place.
The poo-pooing of grades has been trendy for decades in some quarters. I laugh when I see a top climber saying that grades don't count and aren't important - its sheer bullshit. The media comes in for a bit of a bashing too - that's trendy at the moment!
Of course, its the experience that counts, but that experience is personal - and often brilliantly articulated by some talented climbers who can also write - and hence inspirational. I know I get inspiration and motivation from some accounts without a doubt.
There's no moral high ground. Make a living from climbing and these days views on blogs are very important. In fact many outdoor companies have reduced budget for convential print advertising in favour of online, that includes personal blogs.
It is hard to make it as a professional climber, you have to do the whole spectrum - slide shows, trade shows, photo shoots, having an online store, coaching, gear advice as well as
So - the experience counts, the photos count, the video counts, the challenge counts, the blog counts and the grade is important.
Oh and your figures are wrong as regards sponsorship, especially your top figure.
And yes thanks, this site is doing well, because we deliver - most of the money is re-invested into the site: Nick's work, Jack and my compensation, we have just taken on Kevin - and guess what, the Director actually got paid for the first time this year - let's see when did this website start - try 8 years ago: Alan James has worked his socks off making this site a success.
I'm very proud of what we have achieved, so stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
Cheers,
Mick