UKC

It is truly a special feeling to be in the middle of a steep and exposed pitch, fearful of a huge fall if a marginal piece were to fail, but also able to hang for hours and admire the view whilst you wait for the fear to abate. To experience all that alone makes it completely unforgettable. I recently spent two months in Yosemite Valley chasing that feeling.

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Hi Oliver,

I've been thoroughly enjoying your videos on YouTube over the last couple of weeks - inspirational.  I've done the Lost Arrow Spire tip myself in 2001 and always thought about going back with my buddy from then.  Hopefully, it will happen over the next few years.

Thank you

Great effort, some really significant ascents. 

Great write up of great routes well done. 

Impressive stuff.

Fab article. Awesome videos

Amazing photos, writing, rock architecture. Thanks

I thoroughly enjoyed reading that article, thoughtfully written in a way I think we can all relate to. My mind sweats a bit thinking of sustained A4, with an increasing sense of concern mounting slowly as each wobbly piece is added to the entire creakily risky system. Thanks for bringing that to life for me in a way that made it seem as if I just need more familiarity, as if I could somehow train to cope with the tension. As if…. 

Oliver, Thank you for sharing your videos and article.  Amazing to see your skills and confidence in the aid climbs. Hook and Crook was a nail-biter. Great to see you respect the people that went before you. Hence I had hoped to see a comment on Andy Kirkpatrick. I immensely enjoyed his books Psychovertical and Cold Wars and it's nice to be able to see the pitches he so well described you took the time and effort to shoot and share with us. Whilst I'm a modest sport climber and microlight pilot there is no need to remind you there are no old bold pilots .. know when to stop and weigh the reasons you take these risks. 

Great effort! Oliver, you should get into winter climbing (if you haven’t already)! Going the other way, from climbing a lot of mixed to more recently doing some aid on the el cap trade routes, I felt like teetering around on hooks and sketchy gear was very familiar, just the same feeling as gritting your teeth and committing to a terrible axe placement. If you swap suffering in the heat to suffering in the cold, there’s even more in common.

Cheers all! I’ve done a bit of easy winter stuff but struggle to get mega psyched by it. I’d personally much rather be too warm on my ledge in Yosemite with a beer than too cold benighted on the Ben, though the whiskey and haggis keeps me coming back.