UKC

A year ago, we posted an article 'Shaking Out: Climbing with Parkinson's' by Chris Hamper. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease after a long career of enthusiastic climbing and training. As a follow-up to his first story, Chris has sent in a piece about a recent sport climbing trip...

I'm going to cut a long story short and add another story to make it long again. I didn't manage the 8a I challenged myself to do post Parkinson's diagnosis.

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In reply to UKC Articles:
Absolutely brilliant Chris, so honest and touching about your Parkinson's and yet amusing at the same time. A great article, ever thought about writing a book? Keep well.

Chris

In reply to UKC Articles:

Absorbing, insightful, motivating. Thank you for writing the article.
Chris (another!)

In reply to UKC Articles:

Brilliant. You sounded like you were having such a good time I was almost envious ... !

In reply to UKC Articles:

Wonderful article. Legends all.

Mick

In reply to UKC Articles:


Indeed, something to bear in mind. Great article, Chris!

In reply to UKC Articles:

One of the best pieces i have read on UKC. Never stop the banter guys, you all had a part creating my dreams.

In reply to UKC Articles:

Great article. I look forward to reading about the font trip!

In reply to Christheclimber:

Thanks for that, an excellent, amusing and yet sobering read - sounds like a great trip.
Don't go to Font in February - it will probably be crap. Try Kálymnos in March Quiet, green and most routes have fixed karabiners at the top!

Chris

In reply to UKC Articles:

One of the best thing that comes out of climbing is the relationship you have and keep no matter how long apart.
Great read and a great crake and many more to come from you.
Thanks.
keith s

In reply to Chris Craggs:




Hi Chris,
Think you meant to post this to Chris H. Too many Chris's I think!
Chris L

In reply to Christheclimber:




Indeed - well spotted


Chris C

In reply to UKC Articles:

This is brilliant, thanks for taking the time to write it all down and share it with us. I'll second the motion that you should consider writing a book.

Also......can't get near Hampers Hang. Keep thinking I'm going to knacker myself on that gritstone trough which is spotting me through the slopers. That said, I've never tried it in mushing pants.

More please.

In reply to Chris Craggs:
Hope you are enjoying Kalymnos (just saw your name on latest ascents list here on UKC) Rain, hail and snow here today. Am I jealous? Yes I am............

In reply to UKC Articles:

Great article. Loved the photo at the end...at least you still have some hair! It's true that friends made through climbing last a lifetime, even if we don't meet up for years.

In reply to UKC Articles:

Hi Chris,

Great article!

Good to hear you're still keen and getting things done!

While climbing in Stoney (electric) quarry earlier this year I had a bit of a flashback to a Saturday in the late seventies or possibly early eighties, but would like your confirmation that this actually happened (as opposed to me just imagining it... I do that sometimes).

At that time the spiked metal fence around the substation had yet to be built and some local climbers (me, Mark Stokes, Richard Carey and others) used to 'builder' on the micro-edges of the station walls. If I'm not mistaken, one Saturday you came down from Leeds along with Al Manson and (possibly) Steve Webster, and for some reason, possibly dodgy weather, instead of climbing routes we all ended up buildering on the substation.

I don't remember too much about the buildering but I do remember that after everybody shredded their finger tips the session degenerated into a Sheffield versus Leeds stonefight, where each team strove to hold the 'high ground' (the roof of the substation). Ammunition was in plentiful supply, thanks to the electricity company's installation of a hardcore of limestone chips, but I don't think any of us sustained injuries (probably crap shots)?

Any memories of that day, and if so, do you think keen young climbers still indulge in this kind of thing?

Best Regards,

Pete.

In reply to Pete O'Donovan:

Hooligans.

In reply to Pete O'Donovan:

I wasn't there that day, Pete, but I definitely bouldered on that building in the early 80s.

Does anyone (Quentin?) remember the 'problem' which involved clasping the padlock on the substation door with both hands, building your feet up the door, then double dyno'ing out backwards to (hopefully) catch the lip of the projecting concrete lintel?

A classic of its genre, I tell you...

Neil

ps. It was a great article Chris. It (along with Basher's rendition last weekend) made me quite envious of your trip.

pps. Do you remember who it was that encouraged you onto the dancefloor to dance with Hilary, that night in Barry Noble's Roxy....

In reply to UKC Articles:

Yes, It really did happen we didn't climb a single route just bouldered on the substation wall, not very difficult if I remember correctly
As for the double dyno from the padlock, Neil that was definitely after my time, we're talking old school not old skool.
Here is another old memory. The first time I met John Allen he didn't climb a single route but spent the day trying to pull holds off the boulders at the bottom of Gardoms, said it was good training. Never caught on. John also repeated a strange mantra "Hubris was a very good climber" probably got that wrong but Steve Bancroft can illuminate.
Yes Neil you were very persuasive, I think you had inside information.

In reply to UKC Articles:

I didn't read Neil's post properly, the dyno off the padlock wasn't a double so sounds likely. Actually wrote about the day in my diary.
1977 Glandular fever
Stoney substation wall
Sand bagged Gabriel on their wall (comment added later "Well, so I didn't"). Alan did 2 new (?) problems I did one. Two remained unrepeated by the opposition.
Some other highlights from the diary
"did a good bridge on rubberneck"
"Had to be rescued off elastic arm after getting my knee stuck"
"Ate a whole 40p Bakewell tart"

In reply to chrishamper:

1977 eh? That's even longer ago than I'd thought.

I'm not surprised to hear that you and Al Manson burnt us off, what with the sort of training you were doing on Leeds Wall at the time.

I'd like to say that we locals won the stonefight, but in reality I think we just called a truce before somebody lost an eye...

In reply to Neil Foster:

Hi Neil,

I never did the dyno but spent lots of time doing pull-ups and hangs on the lintel. It had (presumably still has) a perfectly pump-inducing rounded edge.

Incidentally, on two different occasions in the quarry this summer I met two different electricity company employees, while they were working on the substation. They both claimed to have "witnessed a climber falling the full height of the quarry and ending up impaled on the railings". Urban myth or canteen gossip, surely..?

In reply to Gaz Parry Climbing:

Totally agree Gaz and doesn't Chris have a fantastic way with words. Sadly I couldn't join the lads ... Boo Hoo.
Am gob-smacked that somebody gave your post a dislike!
Watched your vid on The Spider in Chee Dale, nice one.

Edit to add:
Hi Pete, Neil, Chris. 'The Good Old Days' huh! PMs to follow.

In reply to UKC Articles:

Fantastic! Legends all 4 of you!

Chris, drop me a line if you are in Bergen, I need partners!!