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Andy Pollitt passes the microphone to another 80s legend: John Redhead.
'A cunning, mischievous Rasputin-esque chap – or the misunderstood 'image-maker who climbs' as he once referred to himself? I'd say both quite frankly but let's not be overly judgemental, well not just yet eh?'
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In reply to UKC Articles:
"the game rules changed as Indian Face geared up with all the trappings of a promotional product…up for sale with tactics of a commercial sport. No blame"
No blame? Plenty of sour grapes though. A pity, because it demeans an otherwise intriguing interview
"the game rules changed as Indian Face geared up with all the trappings of a promotional product…up for sale with tactics of a commercial sport. No blame"
No blame? Plenty of sour grapes though. A pity, because it demeans an otherwise intriguing interview
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In reply to Andy Hardy:
I'm not seeing that text in the interview. Has it been edited?
That said JR's thoughts on Indian Face are pretty well known. Suspect he wouldn't give a toss.
Definitely one of the most intriguing climbing characters. Great interview AP.
> "the game rules changed as Indian Face geared up with all the trappings of a promotional product…up for sale with tactics of a commercial sport. No blame"
> No blame? Plenty of sour grapes though. A pity, because it demeans an otherwise intriguing interview
I'm not seeing that text in the interview. Has it been edited?
That said JR's thoughts on Indian Face are pretty well known. Suspect he wouldn't give a toss.
Definitely one of the most intriguing climbing characters. Great interview AP.
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In reply to UKC Articles:
Great interview!
Almost certainly the case. There's 'brave' and there's 'something else...'
Seems as though he went far, far into the dark world of the 'something else...'
I guess we were all just so relieved that he survived.
Mick
Great interview!
> Personally, I consider his attempts as the most 'out there' ever and doubt they'll ever be matched.
Almost certainly the case. There's 'brave' and there's 'something else...'
Seems as though he went far, far into the dark world of the 'something else...'
I guess we were all just so relieved that he survived.
Mick
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In reply to Stuart (aka brt):
It's still on mine, in the response to the bit about the "tormented ejaculation"
It's still on mine, in the response to the bit about the "tormented ejaculation"
In reply to Andy Hardy:
I see it now (on my PC). First reading was on a small mobile screen.
JR is to my mind, from reading his stuff and listening to the interviews and recordings, too contrary to even try to decipher what he actually means. Unless it's all a bluff? Who knows...
There (probably) were not many doing what he did and in the style he attempted it. It's likely that if he'd headpointed Indian Face he'd have got it. Wasn't his bag though and fair play to him.
The 'scene' nowadays definitely doesn't seem to have that edge that was the 80's. It's not better or worse.
I see it now (on my PC). First reading was on a small mobile screen.
JR is to my mind, from reading his stuff and listening to the interviews and recordings, too contrary to even try to decipher what he actually means. Unless it's all a bluff? Who knows...
There (probably) were not many doing what he did and in the style he attempted it. It's likely that if he'd headpointed Indian Face he'd have got it. Wasn't his bag though and fair play to him.
The 'scene' nowadays definitely doesn't seem to have that edge that was the 80's. It's not better or worse.
Post edited at 10:44
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In reply to UKC Articles:
Where did all the characters go..........
This is everything i love about trad climbing.
Where did all the characters go..........
This is everything i love about trad climbing.
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In reply to UKC Articles:
Good interview. What I'm getting is that guys like Redhead and Dawes were so visionary, their spiritual comprehension so beyond that of a normal person that we need to consider them Gods. I wish they could phrase some of their realisations in a way that was more accessible to the plebs though.
Good interview. What I'm getting is that guys like Redhead and Dawes were so visionary, their spiritual comprehension so beyond that of a normal person that we need to consider them Gods. I wish they could phrase some of their realisations in a way that was more accessible to the plebs though.
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In reply to UKC Articles:
AP for KMF18
AP for KMF18
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In reply to UKC Articles:
You are good at this interview lark Andy P and JR is, well....JR; well odd.
You are good at this interview lark Andy P and JR is, well....JR; well odd.
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In reply to UKC Articles:
Didn't understand a word of JR.
2 possibilities - either I'm really dim or JR was talking some pretentious nonsense in order to sound all spiritual and counter culture and that.
Still, I remain a devoted AP fan.
Didn't understand a word of JR.
2 possibilities - either I'm really dim or JR was talking some pretentious nonsense in order to sound all spiritual and counter culture and that.
Still, I remain a devoted AP fan.
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In reply to UKC Articles:
Being a young full of my self climber in august 1989 I left my Mittel Europa bohemian paradise solo hitchhiking first time to Britain to taste trad in North Wales. First of all I was stunned by shiny lavish juicy greenery, had never seen like before , watered by a mild rain as I approached Snowdonia. I ended up in Llanberis dirtbagging in a former stone warehouse of the slate workers.
I had a usual problem of mine to find a partner to climb with.
Never mind I climbed just few minor routes there in Vivian Q. and Rainbow S. areas and around with whomever I have forgotten. I remember specifically to climb the Comes the Dervish E3 5c which I lead OS enduring no whatsoever problem / my that time back home lime sport runout top ceiling was 8/8+ UIAA /, thought it was pretty easy in respect to its fame.
To vivid my story - by my stay I met
- a sport climber from Hungary attempting I keep in mind an 8a+ on the left side wall from the famed Comes the Dervish I joined him too but no one with cigar
- a british young lad in a wheelchair his both legs under knees whitethickplastered, wheeled by his friends through the tunnel gate to under the Comes the Dervish - his story was, as I remember, that he fell off an overhanging wall and hit full force an underlying sloping slab with both his feet, crushlevering his bones into bits with a prospect to may never stand up.
What a sad lesson - The trad best before the crash.
But then I met them both J. R. an J.D.
First I met the Redhead stepping out of his car with one of his best climbing partner, heading to scale the slate.
I do not rember how I met the Dawes. In a time after I was invited to a party to Anne s house on the Llanberis first street up the hillside in fields her windows aiming to Cloggy.
Doves was present and Rdheady possibly as well, partying and chatting. At one moment a John, guess which of two, showed me a photobook ?North Wales climbing, browsed to a page portraying a shot from above of J. ReadyHeady groundupping what became after the Indian Face. He pointed to me to the white spots well above the long reaches o J.R. and asked me a question: " Do you find usually magnesium traces on a blank wall ahead of a FA OS attempt?"
I still cannot resolve the "Mysteries puzzle" for myself, I hope They have done by now.
The John later on in my stay claimed to me that the other John designed one of his route on the Rainbow slab in such a way that the "Though the small the Very Great" found himself standing on a tiny narrow edge waywayway over the ground with the next to no protection bellow his legs and with his "clipped arms" could not reach the salvation bolt - this one being rap drilled by the RedHairy on purpose matching his ApeIndex driven by his in-satin-ity.
The John the rally driver gave me also a ride in his small car, driving fast and sharp on the curving Snowdonian single lane country roads bumper to bumper with the vanguard car, his head close to the windscreen holding the steering wheel his elbows shooting sharply right and left side, chatting with big smile and happy laugh.
The Indian Face? - I solo walked under the Cloggy on my promenade to the Snowdon summit.
With the Hairy One and his climbing partner I went later on together with Ann to climb to Gogarth, my first and only time I ever climbed over the sea. I can not inform you on the secret what the One of Two Johns climbed on that day - Ring the Bells and I may recollect.
But for sure I led the Dream of white horses - lengthy chossy spiral rope drag, lovely lovely mesmerized memory.
I met other imposing figures whose names I cannot figure out, I remember one a very good friend of Dawes living in his isolated house high over Llanberis on the side of the Slate Quarries, possibly N.D. or C.W.
The whole above stated though not a fairy tale might be not cent pr cent correct being spoken from a holey memory not taken from from a diary.
I returned safely home, never returned to North Wales, though I visited Britain one more time in 1991 exploring Stanage and Sheffield area.
Now my lime sport ceiling is back 8-/8 UIAA o low tide. Thinking to revisit my distant memories in North Wales once again - Anyone around to partner with me?
My conclusion
J.R. and J.D.
Bright -ish
Two Gods in Odds
Being a young full of my self climber in august 1989 I left my Mittel Europa bohemian paradise solo hitchhiking first time to Britain to taste trad in North Wales. First of all I was stunned by shiny lavish juicy greenery, had never seen like before , watered by a mild rain as I approached Snowdonia. I ended up in Llanberis dirtbagging in a former stone warehouse of the slate workers.
I had a usual problem of mine to find a partner to climb with.
Never mind I climbed just few minor routes there in Vivian Q. and Rainbow S. areas and around with whomever I have forgotten. I remember specifically to climb the Comes the Dervish E3 5c which I lead OS enduring no whatsoever problem / my that time back home lime sport runout top ceiling was 8/8+ UIAA /, thought it was pretty easy in respect to its fame.
To vivid my story - by my stay I met
- a sport climber from Hungary attempting I keep in mind an 8a+ on the left side wall from the famed Comes the Dervish I joined him too but no one with cigar
- a british young lad in a wheelchair his both legs under knees whitethickplastered, wheeled by his friends through the tunnel gate to under the Comes the Dervish - his story was, as I remember, that he fell off an overhanging wall and hit full force an underlying sloping slab with both his feet, crushlevering his bones into bits with a prospect to may never stand up.
What a sad lesson - The trad best before the crash.
But then I met them both J. R. an J.D.
First I met the Redhead stepping out of his car with one of his best climbing partner, heading to scale the slate.
I do not rember how I met the Dawes. In a time after I was invited to a party to Anne s house on the Llanberis first street up the hillside in fields her windows aiming to Cloggy.
Doves was present and Rdheady possibly as well, partying and chatting. At one moment a John, guess which of two, showed me a photobook ?North Wales climbing, browsed to a page portraying a shot from above of J. ReadyHeady groundupping what became after the Indian Face. He pointed to me to the white spots well above the long reaches o J.R. and asked me a question: " Do you find usually magnesium traces on a blank wall ahead of a FA OS attempt?"
I still cannot resolve the "Mysteries puzzle" for myself, I hope They have done by now.
The John later on in my stay claimed to me that the other John designed one of his route on the Rainbow slab in such a way that the "Though the small the Very Great" found himself standing on a tiny narrow edge waywayway over the ground with the next to no protection bellow his legs and with his "clipped arms" could not reach the salvation bolt - this one being rap drilled by the RedHairy on purpose matching his ApeIndex driven by his in-satin-ity.
The John the rally driver gave me also a ride in his small car, driving fast and sharp on the curving Snowdonian single lane country roads bumper to bumper with the vanguard car, his head close to the windscreen holding the steering wheel his elbows shooting sharply right and left side, chatting with big smile and happy laugh.
The Indian Face? - I solo walked under the Cloggy on my promenade to the Snowdon summit.
With the Hairy One and his climbing partner I went later on together with Ann to climb to Gogarth, my first and only time I ever climbed over the sea. I can not inform you on the secret what the One of Two Johns climbed on that day - Ring the Bells and I may recollect.
But for sure I led the Dream of white horses - lengthy chossy spiral rope drag, lovely lovely mesmerized memory.
I met other imposing figures whose names I cannot figure out, I remember one a very good friend of Dawes living in his isolated house high over Llanberis on the side of the Slate Quarries, possibly N.D. or C.W.
The whole above stated though not a fairy tale might be not cent pr cent correct being spoken from a holey memory not taken from from a diary.
I returned safely home, never returned to North Wales, though I visited Britain one more time in 1991 exploring Stanage and Sheffield area.
Now my lime sport ceiling is back 8-/8 UIAA o low tide. Thinking to revisit my distant memories in North Wales once again - Anyone around to partner with me?
My conclusion
J.R. and J.D.
Bright -ish
Two Gods in Odds
Post edited at 20:51
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In reply to lezec:
I don't know who you are, but that was great. Please write more. What happened in your Stanage and Sheffield area adventures?
I don't know who you are, but that was great. Please write more. What happened in your Stanage and Sheffield area adventures?
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In reply to scot1:
You do them no favours with misperceptions like that. It takes away from what they did achieve to endow them with some infallibility. They're frailer than you think, but more committed.
You do them no favours with misperceptions like that. It takes away from what they did achieve to endow them with some infallibility. They're frailer than you think, but more committed.
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In reply to UKC Articles:
That JR has such a beautiful command of language and such a bridge to the dark side.
AP, same for you, that was a really good article, nice writing youth
That JR has such a beautiful command of language and such a bridge to the dark side.
AP, same for you, that was a really good article, nice writing youth
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In reply to Rob Parsons:
something short on the subject in: https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=622965
look for lezec,
/ A person I was looking for in my other older message is more likely like Simon Jones then J.S. /
something short on the subject in: https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=622965
look for lezec,
/ A person I was looking for in my other older message is more likely like Simon Jones then J.S. /
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In reply to UKC Articles:
In the hierarchy between gods and worms, I am much closer to JR's "eager punters" of the "frighteningly dead and depressed world" than to JR himself. That said, we lowly creatures have rich inner lives too, despite being unable to express them with such eloquence. Seen from the outside, we just wriggle and giggle and squirm.
In the hierarchy between gods and worms, I am much closer to JR's "eager punters" of the "frighteningly dead and depressed world" than to JR himself. That said, we lowly creatures have rich inner lives too, despite being unable to express them with such eloquence. Seen from the outside, we just wriggle and giggle and squirm.
Post edited at 09:59
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In reply to UKC Articles:
Hi Andy
Thanks for that; I enjoyed it very much!
I had left Wales before the peak of the Slate Boom but visited a couple of times and got dragged up some of the slate horrors by John. The picture in the article of "Raped by Affection" is one of my favourites of John - no visible holds and no gear! but it isn't Raped. It's on the slab to the left of the Dervish (you can see the slate museum below) - maybe "For Whom the Bell Tolls"?
Strange how many of us emigrated.
Best wishes
Chris
Hi Andy
Thanks for that; I enjoyed it very much!
I had left Wales before the peak of the Slate Boom but visited a couple of times and got dragged up some of the slate horrors by John. The picture in the article of "Raped by Affection" is one of my favourites of John - no visible holds and no gear! but it isn't Raped. It's on the slab to the left of the Dervish (you can see the slate museum below) - maybe "For Whom the Bell Tolls"?
Strange how many of us emigrated.
Best wishes
Chris
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In reply to Chris Shorter:
Is there a picture of raped? I feel like I've seen one and it's the best picture ever. Would love a high res version of either that (if it exists) or this. Who's photo is it?
Is there a picture of raped? I feel like I've seen one and it's the best picture ever. Would love a high res version of either that (if it exists) or this. Who's photo is it?
In reply to Chris Shorter and Franco Cookson:
According to "...and one for the crow", which I would consider fairly definitive, it's Menstrual Gossip (E6 6b). It joins For Whom The Bell Tolls. Raped by Affection has a similar, but clearly different, photo.
According to "...and one for the crow", which I would consider fairly definitive, it's Menstrual Gossip (E6 6b). It joins For Whom The Bell Tolls. Raped by Affection has a similar, but clearly different, photo.
Post edited at 10:44
In reply to Franco Cookson:
The cover of Welsh Rock. A classic JR photo: is he hamming it up or not???
> Is there a picture of raped? I feel like I've seen one and it's the best picture ever.
The cover of Welsh Rock. A classic JR photo: is he hamming it up or not???
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In reply to Franco Cookson:
Hi Franco
I see that prints of the Menstrual Gossip, Raped by Affection and others are available on John's website:
http://www.johnredhead.org/John_Redhead/photos.html
.......for £100 each.
Best wishes to you all up in Sandstone Land!
Chris
Hi Franco
I see that prints of the Menstrual Gossip, Raped by Affection and others are available on John's website:
http://www.johnredhead.org/John_Redhead/photos.html
.......for £100 each.
Best wishes to you all up in Sandstone Land!
Chris
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In reply to UKC Articles:
I believe that John lives in the Tech valley of the Pyrenees Orientales but does anyone know if he has a studio where his paintings are displayed.
I believe that John lives in the Tech valley of the Pyrenees Orientales but does anyone know if he has a studio where his paintings are displayed.
In reply to Chris Shorter:
Yes, agree, it isn't Raped, it's J's line next to The Dervish. I know it is coz I did the 2nd ascent which was scary/thrilling-as coz - as you say - there were no holds and no gear!
Great times eh old bean?
Best,
And.
> Hi Andy
> Thanks for that; I enjoyed it very much!
> I had left Wales before the peak of the Slate Boom but visited a couple of times and got dragged up some of the slate horrors by John. The picture in the article of "Raped by Affection" is one of my favorites of John - no visible holds and no gear! but it isn't Raped. It's on the slab to the left of the Dervish (you can see the slate museum below) - maybe "For Whom the Bell Tolls"?
> Strange how many of us emigrated.
> Best wishes
> Chris
Hey Chris, G'day mate, lovely to hear from you [shall PM you shortly].Yes, agree, it isn't Raped, it's J's line next to The Dervish. I know it is coz I did the 2nd ascent which was scary/thrilling-as coz - as you say - there were no holds and no gear!
Great times eh old bean?
Best,
And.
In reply to UKC Articles:
Lovely interview AP & JR.
For the uninitiated, JR interviews are a lot like trad climbing; progress is occasionally hard fought, you have to look for the line of least resistance, it can be 'run out', but the journey is worth it.
Lovely interview AP & JR.
For the uninitiated, JR interviews are a lot like trad climbing; progress is occasionally hard fought, you have to look for the line of least resistance, it can be 'run out', but the journey is worth it.
Post edited at 10:46
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In reply to Removed UserMike Rhodes:
Jim Perrin lives down that way too.
Perhaps they take tea together and discuss the weather.
Jim Perrin lives down that way too.
Perhaps they take tea together and discuss the weather.
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In reply to Chris Shorter:
Was willing to pay a bit over the odds, but £100?! Might have to wait a bit.
Was willing to pay a bit over the odds, but £100?! Might have to wait a bit.
In reply to Franco Cookson:
That photo is in And One For The Crow... which is well worth getting hold of
That photo is in And One For The Crow... which is well worth getting hold of
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