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This Month
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Saturday, November 20
by
Keith
on Sat 20 Nov 2010 17:58 GMT
At the last minute I turned the car out to the Peak rather than heading inside for a wall session and I’m glad I did. The days that are laden full of expectancy can so often fail to deliver. Conversely, days that are ‘obviously’ going to be rubbish turn out to be totally the opposite. Today was a case in point… more »
Sunday, October 31
by
Keith
on Sun 31 Oct 2010 12:22 GMT
After a twelve month gestation period, Climbing 2011, my rock climbing calendar for 2011 is back from the printers and is now shipping! Initial feedback suggests that others think it’s a cracker too. Positive feedback is a real blast for any producer – so I’m pretty happy at the mo… more »
Saturday, October 30
by
Keith
on Sat 30 Oct 2010 23:59 BST
As leaked in a previous blog entry, the 2011 ‘Be in My Calendar’ Competition winner was Liam Lonsdale from the Lakes. Capitalising on some truly awesome weather on August Bank Holiday Monday – not a day traditionally know for it’s good weather, Liam and myself, ably supported by Phil and Rae respectively, hit the Lake in a two-venue photo shoot... more »
Sunday, September 12
Saturday, September 11
Monday, July 5
by
Keith
on Mon 05 Jul 2010 02:05 BST
Adam Ondra, the Czech climbing machine, has just crushed the opposition in the UK round of the World Cup bouldering to take a very convincing win. Top honour in the ladies competition, which was altogether much closer, went to Belgian Chloe Graftiaux. The Dyno competition went to (past) form with the silverwear being lifted by Skyler Weeks (with a new world record of 2.85m) and Lilly Fitzgibbons… more »
Saturday, July 3
by
Keith
on Sat 03 Jul 2010 16:18 BST
On Saturday 26th June three climbers away on a jolly for the weekend, stood on one of the UK’s most inaccessible summits – The Old Man of Hoy. Most climbers have heard of the Old Man of Hoy but few have done it. Yet any (reasonably competent) climber with few days to spare, as well a bit of grit and a mate or two, can get themselves a top, if not unique, climbing experience – and having been there and done the Old Man last weekend I can tell you it’s well worth the effort... more »
Sunday, June 6
Sunday, May 23
by
Keith
on Sun 23 May 2010 23:45 BST
Sometimes don’t you wonder what mysterious forces shape our lives? In an ironic twist of fate I returned to Chee Dale Cornice for the first time in ages on Saturday, the very day after the infamous Fenchurch East CID gang finally imploded. Perhaps nostalgia, – just like Gene Hunt – will 'live' forever. Mind you, the Quattro is past its best now… more »
Saturday, May 8
by
Keith
on Sat 08 May 2010 22:09 BST
It’s a few days now since Adam Ondra left the country and the dust has finally settled. Not so in the KSP office though where the requests for photographs, reports and comments from around the globe continue to come in to my inbox where there’s a wee backlog building up... more »
Thursday, April 29
by
Keith
on Thu 29 Apr 2010 00:00 BST
The atmosphere on the Malham Catwalk was palpable yesterday – King Wad, a.k.a. Adam Ondra was in town! And man was he pulling down big style. Ondra, one of the best climbers on Planet Rock at the moment, is here for a week and clearly means business. Between tie-ins he was scanning the guidebook and scoping the crag. He looked to me like a big game cat stalking his prey before pouncing and going in for the kill... more »
Sunday, April 25
by
Keith
on Sun 25 Apr 2010 23:30 BST
A now fully dry Malham has been baking recently. Wednesday this last week was a typical day; silly hot until the middle of the afternoon when temps (and chains...) started dropping. The Catwalk was pretty quite but Sheffield-based Rob Napier and Dan Walker were on joint pole position and took full advance of the (by then) great conditions to send Unjustified and The Groove respectively. more »
Tuesday, March 23
Monday, March 22
by
Keith
on Mon 22 Mar 2010 23:04 GMT
Those not glued, either in person or via the nearest flat-screen, to the action from CWIF (Climbing Works International Festival) might well have ventured out onto the limestone crags for some action last weekend. And those that did probably found them in remarkable good condition. Certainly, the quintessential crucibles of Pennine sport climbing, Raven Tor and Malham, are now substantially dry – barring all the usual seepage lines anyways... more »
Tuesday, February 2
by
Keith
on Tue 02 Feb 2010 22:37 GMT
I have to admit to a near-obsession with the Burbage Valley, especially Burbage North. I first pulled onto Burbage North’s ramparts nearly forty years ago as a fresh-faced, snotty youth. I distinctly recall getting mauled on that occasion by Wednesday Climb. Not much has changed really over the intervening years except that there’s a lot more miles on the clock nowadays. I’m still getting mauled – albeit by slightly harder stuff! more »
Saturday, January 9
Friday, January 8
by
Keith
on Fri 08 Jan 2010 22:59 GMT
In what might prove to be one of the few outside climbing opportunities this week Paul and myself headed out to Burbage North on Monday night. We figured it would probably be a dump-ass thing to do but that unless you try you don’t know what might be possible... more »
Sunday, December 20
by
Keith
on Sun 20 Dec 2009 23:23 GMT
Walking through the gate into the Stanage Plantation was a bit like stepping through the wardrobe door and into the magical kingdom of ClimbNarnia. It was still cold but gone, all of a sudden, was the heinous withering wind and boulderers were everywhere. One, slowly but surely, was inching his way up the top arête of Careless Torque. Could this be? more »
Wednesday, December 16
by
Keith
on Wed 16 Dec 2009 00:49 GMT
The irony of the situation didn’t occur to me until this morning. Whilst world leaders cogitate on the ongoing crisis that is global warming we spent a glorious (December) day bouldering in skins and T’s at Baslow last Saturday. So what was our boulder of choice? Yeah, you guessed it – the Alan Williams classic, Flatworld (Font 7c). Talk about ironic! more »
Wednesday, October 28
Saturday, September 12
by
Keith
on Sat 12 Sep 2009 13:07 BST
Now that the 9th day of the 9th month of the 2009 has passed without the merest hint of an apocalyptical horseman and all the doomsayers are having a two-week summer vacation, it’s obviously time to get on with life and back into the business of blogging ... more »
Wednesday, August 12
by
Keith
on Wed 12 Aug 2009 00:33 BST
And the winner, scooping top prize in this year’s ‘Be in my calendar’ competition, is Alastair Smith from Chester. The competition on top UK climbing website, www.ukclimbing.com, was to find a willing victim to feature alongside the good and the great in climbing:10, next year’s climbing calendar. more »
Tuesday, August 11
by
Keith
on Tue 11 Aug 2009 00:30 BST
Steve McClure’s summer mission continues, at a pace, with a rare repeat of Ben Moon’s Raven Tor test-piece, Hubble (F8c+). Steve sent Hubble on one of the hottest days last week when humidity was well high and most people were reduced to thrashing around and complaining about the shocking conditions! more »
Thursday, July 30
by
Keith
on Thu 30 Jul 2009 23:53 BST
Acting on a half-decent forecast, Steve McClure was keen to head into the (Welsh) mountains last Saturday on a mission to boldly go where (few) had been before. But straining under rucksacks bulging with climbing and camera kit we weren’t travelling light nor fast. Chances were that the walk-in would kill us never mind the climbing! more »
Tuesday, July 21
by
Keith
on Tue 21 Jul 2009 23:16 BST
It’s calendar competition time again where YOU get the opportunity to appear in climbing:10, my climbing calendar for next year. UKC, www.ukclimbing.com, are sponsoring a page in climbing:10 and the comp winner will be photographed specially for the occasion. more »
Sunday, July 19
by
Keith
on Sun 19 Jul 2009 22:56 BST
Just days after climbing onto the podium at the British Bouldering Championships at Cliffhanger to claim a very credible third place, Gaz Parry got his harness on and rope out and nailed a rare repeat of the Kilnsey North Buttress classic, True North (F8c). more »
Monday, July 13
by
Keith
on Mon 13 Jul 2009 01:02 BST
Cliffhanger in Sheffield, billed as The UK’s Biggest Outdoor Event for Outdoor People, has once again delivered a great weekend of wall-to-wall climbing action and fun. The two-day event saw a new world record dyno jump from Skyler Weeks and a real cliffhanger of a finish to the British Bouldering Championships which were won by Ned Feehally and Leah Crane. more »
Thursday, June 25
by
Keith
on Thu 25 Jun 2009 23:21 BST
In case you haven't been down to your nearest climbing wall or shop recently, the July edition of Climber has been out for a wee while now sporting a cover image and destination article by yours truly to the Canadian Rockies. As our cousins from across the pond would say, I’m totally stoked with the spread!… more »
Sunday, June 21
by
Keith
on Sun 21 Jun 2009 11:42 BST
On Thursday last, Drew Haigh pulled the crux of Mark Leach’s 1988 Malham test-piece, Cry Freedom (F8b+) to join the handful of climbers who have succeeded were all else have failed to get closure. Drew was understandably chuffed and happily shared his delight with those at the crag. In a quirk of faith, I was at Malham in 1988 when Leach ended his monumental 46 day siege and I recall that his were truly Cries of Freedom! Drew, by comparison, took a mere six redpoints over five days to nail the route. more »
Tuesday, June 16
by
Keith
on Tue 16 Jun 2009 23:42 BST
A week after the UK’s favourite climbing internet site, UKClimbing.com, linked to my blog entry Mecca: A Route in Crisis, the total page pull-downs were so high that it bust my bandwidth allowance and closed my blog down! All I can say is thanks dudes – no really, I’m serious... more »
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