UKC

In his recently released book - A' Chreag Dhearg (Scottish Mountaineering Press) - Grant Farquhar compiles stories from a range of voices in Scotland's close-knit climbing community, tracing the rich climbing history of the Angus Glens. In The Pale Rider, Grant traces his own roots back to his very first unforgettable encounters.

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Enjoyed reading that, thanks. Going to buy this book. I thought Crazy Sorrow was brilliantly written. 

The article is far more about risk, and being stupid when you are young, than it is about climbing in the Angus Glens! Not that there is anything wrong with the Angus Glens at all, but this was far more interesting a read than I thought it was going to be!

I got my copy through the other day and have really enjoyed what I've read so far. There's an interesting blend of historical, mixed in with personal experience. As such, you get a good impression of both the people and the place, and how the two have interacted. 

I don't think this was necessarily what I was expecting, but I'm not sure exactly what I'd expected. Neither is it a coffee table book, nor a journal. There's elements of social history, blended in with what feels a little like a love letter from the climbing community, singing a song to an unsung gem of Scottish rock climbing.

Also, as a quick confessional: despite a great many Scottish friends (most notably Martin and John McKenna) saying I need to go to Glen Clova, I've never been. Not sure if this year is 'the year' as I suspect family will take priority, but reading this has undoubtedly inspired me. When I eventually do go I've no doubt that reading this will help to enrich that experience even more.