UKC

Chris Hamper writes about his experiences travelling and presenting the film The Parkinson's Project, and how his relationship with climbing continues, alongside his Parkinson's.

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Another enlightening read, Chris. I particularly enjoyed the "Two Brits hugging one another" photo caption!

Great read

Are we getting a cake-baking forum on UKC? Good read.

In the late seventies ('76, '77, '78?)I saw the most impressive whipper of my life. A bunch of hard-looking young men, all in head-to-toe Helly Hansen fibre pile (de rigeur at the time, but very conformist, to my eyes), stood around Wee Doris. One fell from pretty much the last move and came close to decking. I wonder if that was you........

Some great turn of phrase in that article, loved it and all the best to you Chris. Really must give HH a proper go before weakness puts it too far out of reach!

Chris, I don't know if you realise just how good your writing is. It's extremely accessible and does a great job of conveying the issues that you have with Parkinson's, but also that you're not going to let that stop you doing as much as you still can.

Best wishes for continuing to make any further decline as slow as possible. 

Well said. You are right. I’d strongly recommend Chris’s autobiography, I found it absolutely fascinating. The cakes were a revelation though. They inspired me to make an oven-baked quark cake (German cheesecake) today. It turned out much better than the front-levers I was doing while it was in the oven. Chris is a real star. 

Very good piece, that.  Well-written, and with pictures of cake too.

As I have MS, it resonated in a few different ways with me.  I know the one arm normal, one arm made of pipe cleaner feeling especially.  And though I haven't climbed for many years, and didn't give it up willingly, or perhaps when I really should have, the thing about climbing is that it's not about climbing.

It's about you.  And who walks away willingly from that?

T.

 the thing about climbing is that it's not about climbing.

Just to say, that's about the best thing I've read on this website. Thank you. 

If I recall a Chris Hamper quote from long ago then " weak climbers are stronger than strong climbers" and this article for sure demonstrates that in an inspiring and fun way.