UKC

Deep water soloing pioneer Dave Pickford explores his attraction to this climbing discipline that brings him closest to the edge, in the liminal space between land and sea.

Climbing is much more than just a sport. It's a kind of ritual, a spirit-quest, a journey into the heart of your life. It could even be an art form. Deep water soloing is a style of climbing that comes closest to all these things. Like an astronaut experiencing weightlessness for the first time, with the gift of water beneath their feet the soloist enters a new realm in which the conventional laws of physics no longer apply.

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Lovely article.

Might it be worth removing the completely surplus " free"  from " free soloing" before it goes into the book?

I really enjoyed this. its fully ignited an interest in DWS and really brought the whole experience to life. Ive only done a little bit, and I love the sea. Maybe this year we'll make an effort to hunt some routes out. Thanks

"In 2017, I found a small zawn whilst paddling on the Pembrokeshire coast, close to Raming Hole, that had no recorded routes at all. <snip> The lefthand one was particularly good, but I didn't record any of them; I felt they were somehow more special left that way."

Hmmmm, so if you couldn't be bothered to record your routes, what's to say that someone else hadn't before you either? 🤔

Nothing, I imagine. I think that's Dave's point.

Editor: Dead Choughed rather than Dead Coughed, I think, unless the latter is some route I don't know named in punny homage?

jcm

Excellent read more routes are now on the bucket list and thank you.

I agree, that's exactly Dave's point. He didn't say "no routes", he said "no recorded routes".

Lovely essay, BTW.