UKC

Hullo,

Can anyone think of anyone famous / infamous that has chosen to give up climbing?

A strange question I know, but I'm interested to know of any personalities that may have called it quits and what their reasons may have been.

Cheers,

Fritz

In reply to JiNTANGL:

Pete Crew??

In reply to JiNTANGL:

John Gaskins (back at it now I believe) - someone far more knowledgeable than me should know the details.
Andy Pollitt ? - did he quit or just move?

In reply to PTatts:

Andy F.

In reply to JiNTANGL: Livesey.
b

In reply to PTatts:


He went to Australia - and, I heard, gave up after a long (but successful) seige of 'Punks in the Gym' - then (I think) the hardest route there.

Nice guy.

Mick

In reply to JiNTANGL:

Didier Berthod?

In reply to JiNTANGL:

Ben Moon and Jerry Moffat?

In reply to JiNTANGL: Stuart Cameron - there is an article on planetfear.com about him

In reply to JiNTANGL:

Didn't Rich Simpson announce his retirement a couple of years ago?
<lights blue touchpaper and stands back>

In reply to JiNTANGL:

The most famous of them all. Walter Bonatti.

In reply to clochette:

With an extremely impressive last route...

Mick

In reply to bentley's biceps: This is about famous retirements, not short lived retirements...

Andy F

In reply to andy farnell:

You are a legend in your own street, Andy.

In reply to JiNTANGL:

mark twight. actually refers to it as retiring as well. like most things has plenty to say about it.

by all accounts has not been idle.

In reply to JiNTANGL: Didn't Ron stop climbing for quite some time to concentrate on paragliding

In reply to JiNTANGL: John Streetly has to be mentioned, although I don't think he really "chose" to give up climbing;
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituaries-john-streetly-11...

In reply to JiNTANGL: Tom Proctor. I think he moved in to caving after injuring himself trying Menopause at stoney.

In reply to JiNTANGL:

Ron Moseley, too many other good climbers and he wanted to be in the top group at the time, though getting married does for a lot of good men.

In reply to remus:

Tom, sadly, died of cancer a few years ago, he didn´t really give up.
Of the Stoney elite who has given up is Jack Street now a bird watcher of some reknown, and Geoff Birtles who doesn't even want to write about climbing anymore

In reply to JiNTANGL:

Gaz Healey and his brother oh and Phil Davidson have all retired I think. Great climbers from Pex.

In reply to Al Evans:

Hi Al, Did not know that Tom had died.

In reply to gritstoneclimber: Tom got a nice obit in the Independent
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/tom-proctor-729423.html

In reply to Al Evans: My mistake, it was my hazy recollection of this obituary that made me think he gave up: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/tom-proctor-729423.html

A true legend.

In reply to bentley's biceps:

I'm not even a legend in my own house

Andy F

In reply to andy farnell:

>I'm not even a legend in my own house

Nobody is to their family.

Leg end, or bell end possibly.

I remember you saying you were giving up and getting rid of your gear and saying to you that you should keep your gear as it was probably a phase everyone goes through when they are not getting what they want out of it.

You will probably give up again as soon as a thaw occurs and everything is seeping and nasty, then the sun comes out and it is PLAYTIME.

In reply to Mick Ward:

I met some ex-pats from Sheffield while at Arapiles a few years back. One of them kind of knew Andy Pollitt and said he'd quit climbing but was working in industrial rope access in Melbourne. A quick google brought up this:

http://www.vertigo.net.au/project-staff/

I always thought Andy Pollitt looked like a bit of a rock star. Could've been the 6th member of Pink Floyd. Seems from his shot on the Vertigo web page that he would still fit that roll.

Happy holidays everyone.

Cheers, Karl