UKC

Andy Pollitt follows his interview with Ron Fawcett by reminiscing with another of Britain's top climbers in the 80s and prolific new-router, Gary Gibson.'Some people collect records, some people collect football programmes and some people train spot: I collect new routes.'

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In reply to UKC Articles:

Cheers Andy and Gary,

Really enjoyed the article. Keep up the good work Gary.

Chris

In reply to UKC Articles:

Prognosis and Diagnosis at Pic Tor were a couple of my first extremes back in the day, with Prognosis being my first ever (first of thousands) experience of a 'proper' belay with two bolts and a chain. A notable mention for 'Clarion Call', one of the best routes of its grade in the Peak.

GG thank you so much for all your hard work, it's given a lot of people a lot of good times.
AP was that really an AP interview? Seriously lacking in self-referential stories youth!

In reply to Christheclimber:

Agreed, much better than the previous one of this series.

In reply to UKC Articles:

Eagerly awaiting that biography... reckon that could be the best one yet!

Total legend, a real treasure of the climbing community.

In reply to UKC Articles:

Great interview. Particularly loved the Tarmac story - an inspiration for the rest of us to stand up for ourselves at the crags.

And if Gary is retiring in a few weeks then presumably he'll have lots more time and can really get down to business new-routing.

In reply to UKC Articles:

My favourite Gary story is when he recommended to me and a mate to go to Llanymynech on a dodgy forecast one weekend years ago. 'The main wall will be dry, don't worry' he said.

So off we went in the rain from Manchester wondering if it stayed dry because it was sooo steep or it had a huge roof at the top to keep off the rain.

Neither, as it turned out 2 hours later - it was piss wet through

In reply to stp: > And if Gary is retiring in a few weeks...

I didn't realise that he was a "worker", I'd somehow always assumed that he was a "man of independent means" - probably because of his prolific output and because he self-funded his bolting (although always happy to receive donations).

How did he get that volume of routes fitted in with a job? Gosh

In reply to Michael Hood:

Yeah pretty amazing. Presumably fueled by passion/obsession and undoubtedly a patient and sympathetic partner. I heard one group were wanting to nominate him for OBE for his vast contribution to British climbing.

In reply to stp:

That would be excellent and would sit nicely alongside Andy McNab's CBE for his contribution to literacy.

In reply to Mike Highbury:

Mike, your profile gives the proud claim, 'Disarmingly charming in person...' And I'll take you at your word as one gentleman to another.

But I've got to say you've got a real talent for coming across online as a real arsehole.

Taken overall, Gary's routes must have given more climbers great days out than almost any other UK first ascentionist. To me, that's something of which to be deeply proud.

In a similar manner, Chris Craggs' writing must have given more climbers great days out than any other UK guidebook writer.

In my humble opinion, both are eminently worthy of public honours - in each case, probably an MBE (my bloody efforts) rather than an OBE (other buggers' efforts).

Mick

In reply to Mick Ward:

Hear hear!Easy knocking, much harder doing.Put up or shut up.

In reply to Mick Ward:





Just read the article and browsing the comments (after a day out doing a bunch of GG's routes) , and my name jumped at me off the page.

Thanks for that - made my evening,


Chris

In reply to paul_in_cumbria:




Agree p_in_s, many great climbs by GG.

This time *I* couldn't get a word in edgeways and that's despite the request at the end even!

In reply to AP Melbourne:

Keep up the excellent work.... presumably the esoteric gem in the photograph is Private Targets?

In reply to UKC Articles:

Look out for next big UKC headline...
Gary Gibson doubles the number of routes in Kalymnos...in a fortnight!!

In reply to Offwidth:

I had a wander around that quarry earlier this year after reports of it being quarried away - it hasn't been. But there has been extensive ground work shifting big blocks around, as a result the ground is a bit lower underneath some of the routes (Speak the Truth has a shocking landing now) and the brambles have been obliterated making the approach much easier. The top still looks quite overgrown so probably best to pre-place an abb rope. I think there is a good case for a discrete lower off bolt here but that's another thread Anyway, a good time to get this route done perhaps.

Back to topic, another great interview, thanks

In reply to mark20:

Cheers for the heads up. Its of course part of this exclusive tick list so a few might be interested.

https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=599946&v=1#x7902289

In reply to Offwidth:


I assumed that as well. I did it way back, remember wandering along a flat path through an open wooded quarry to get at it. I went back when working on the previous Eastern Grit, the routes was still there, but at the top of a steep bank and completely surrounded by a huge growth of brambles - I left it out.

Chris

In reply to UKC Articles:

This thread from a while back is a good counterpoint.

https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=173097

Whatever happened to Pat's article? The link doesn't seem to work and it would be good to read it again

In reply to UKC Articles:

What is the climb with the caption "GG discovering the first ascent of an esoteric gem in the Peak almost now lost in time...."
Is it Standing Stones or Tintwistle Knarr. It somehow looks familiar?

In reply to Sean Kelly:

See comments above (if correct) I thought it was private targets too before seeing the comments. If it is.... when I did it it required a lot of (100m?) hacking through brambles to get to the base of the route it. I climbed the route but it was so overgrown with more brambles and mud at the top I couldn't top out. I even took my T-shirt off to try and use it to protect my hands whilst trying to grab the half dead brambles to pull up on without success and it just got tangled. I ended up lowering off lots of gear in crap rock and the T-shirt still stuck in the brambles above back into the brambles below just as it got dark. Next day after work I fought my way through the brambles again to the top of the crag to abseil down to get all the gear out. Fantastic route!

In reply to UKC Articles:

Well i was wrong on that one. It looks a brilliant route but shame about the brambles. Put some cattle in there!

In reply to UKC Articles:
Gary has had his doubters and knockers in the past but he has done a sterling job in putting up over 4,000 trad and sports routes, many of which are of high quality and paying for the bolts and belays out of his own pocket, all for the love of climbing. Can I suggest that people donate to Gary's bolt fund at http://www.sportsclimbs.co.uk so he can continue with the good work in his retirement.

In reply to UKC Articles:
Would the money also be used for Sika to fill in the chipped holds as well.