Interesting interview with Ed Ward Drummond...certainly not one of the climbing establishment of the time...a hard climbing non northern climber who had done philosophy at Bristol....oh dear that wasn't likely to go down well in the gritstone heartlands...and generally it didn't!

Well he started as he meant to go on. And he did...
The funny thing is that both Two Ton Sardine and Shuffle Crack both wonderfully convey the experience.

Actually we accepted Ed and took him on board, I don't think there was any piss taking or shutting out of him. he was fully accepted into the Peak scene at the time. He climbed with most of us and we were happy to get involved in his projects. Apart from St Johns, I was very involved in his Head project on the Troll Wall which he did eventually complete and also on Horizon the complete girdle of Gogarth. He was not shunned, he was very much a part of the Peak scene.

I think it was his early foray's on grit that didn't go down well with some....accusations of hammering in nuts....chipping holds...but there's no doubt he put up some great routes.

Picture is of Gastro at Pontneddfechan if I'm not mistaken. We had a thing about the aid overhangs , glad we did them before most of them were freed.