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View Article  Je suis un Rock Star…
“Je suis un Rock Star” - so proclaimed Big Ron to an admiring (female) onlooker at the end of a shoot for a climbing filming in the Verdon in the early Eighties – or at least so the story goes!   more »
View Article  Cometh the (limestone) season…
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 »
View Article  Off Piste…
(Sadly, as I now realise...) I came late in life to skiing but to be honest I reckon you can’t have much fun with your clothes on doing anything else! And those that know me, and my dedication to climbing, will recognise the enormity of what I’m saying...   more »
View Article  Pennine Scenics…
In what is reckoned to be the worst (or best depending upon you viewpoint...) winter for thirty years, the opportunities to ‘get out’ on rock have been pretty rare of late. Slowly though, there are signs that winter is coming to an end – even if it is that the snow, when it comes, doesn’t last for long – Scotland excepted that is!   more »
View Article  Out on The Terrace…
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 »
View Article  Wrossie out – KSP in…
In the week that Wrossie (a.k.a. Jonathan Ross) jacks, Keith Sharples Photography hits the beeb (again)...   more »
View Article  Who dares wins (sometimes)…
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 »
View Article  The snow must go on…
We’re only into 2010 by a few days but I’m lovin’ it big time! In superb style, the clock rolled-over into a New Year and a new decade but the same sub-arctic conditions stayed with us and as a photographer I’m glad they did. It’s been time to get out and get snapping - I’ve added nearly 5gig of image files to the network drive already this year...   more »
View Article  Snow business like snow business…
When tales of no snow in some Euro ski resorts are set against the tales of snow across our fair isle, you start to scratch your head a bit. Then along comes a white Xmas, the first for some considerable time, and you really sit up and take note.    more »
View Article  Two in One…
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 »
View Article  It’s a Flatworld after all…
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 »
View Article  KSP hits the beeb…
So did you catch Keith Sharples Photography on BBC1 on Monday? I’m ashamed to say that I didn’t! Not to worry, a few clicks of the mouse and bbciplayer is up and running and wadda you know – KSP is on the telli…   more »
View Article  climbing:2010 now rolling off the press…
Do the years just seem to roll by to you? Yeah, same for me – especially since I’ve been in the calendar business; man they seem to zip bye! Anyway back at the point, I heard today that Climbing:2010, my sixth rock climbing calendar, is now rolling off the printing press at Printworks in Sheffield. Next up is collating, trimming, binding, shrink-wrapping and then... bingo – it’s time to start shipping! ETA is, at the moment, a (known) unknown – but it’s pretty darned soon so watch this space…   more »
View Article  Armageddon – back into blogging…
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 »
View Article  And the winner is…
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 »
View Article  Steve McClure’s summer mission continues with Hubble…
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 »
View Article  Steve Mac heads into the mountains on a mission…
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 »
View Article  Wanted: Climber for calendar shoot…
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 »
View Article  Gaz nails True North…
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 »
View Article  Cliffhanger 2009…
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 »
View Article  Look at the blogs on that…
Blogging is a funny old business and one which, as I’ve said before, I’m only just really getting to grips with. Last month readers out in the blogosphere broke my blog - not once but twice. This was due, in no small way, to readers clicking thru’ from the UK’s favourite climbing website, www.ukclimbing.co.uk ....   more »
View Article  Canadian Rockies – Sport climbing and bouldering with a twist…
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 »
View Article  Trouble with Lichen…
I had an email a couple of weeks or so back from someone in Barcelona. “Where is this going”, I hear you say? Well, it turns out that María José, said person, was searching on “Trouble with Lichen” on Wikipedia and my image from climbing 07, my 2007 climbing calendar, of Sam Whittaker climbing Trouble with Lichen HVS 5b at Bamford popped up in her browser.   more »
View Article  Redpoints, Rainbows and Cries of Freedom…
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 »
View Article  UKC bust my blog…
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 »
View Article  Mecca – A Route in Crisis…
Peak District sport climbing cognoscenti are holding their breath at the moment as Mecca F8b+, one of Raven Tor’s most famous routes, enters its second week on the critical list! Twenty years after Martin Atkinson’s first ascent, the starting block of his test-piece route is in grave danger of falling to bits. Climbers are currently staying off the route whilst the ‘repair committee’ hastily muster their thoughts and resources’!   more »
View Article  When Green turns Blue…
Different photographers have different holly grails but all will include basic elements that are the same; good composition, eye-catching lighting and subject empathy. I like to shoot different subjects away from my staple diet of climbing photography as much as possible hence I make a point of heading into the woods for a short walk with my camera to capture mother nature every once in a while.   more »
View Article  PoTM 2009 Up and running…
I’m pleased to say that a new feature, Photo of The Month, is now up and running on KSP. The PoTM gallery will feature unpublished/new images from my climbing activities, travels and other photographic exploits as well as a mini commentary explaining a little about the subject, how the images was conceived and then captured.   more »
View Article  Geeeeeeeeronimo - KSP Goes Ape
The 2009 edition of Tribe, the Go Ape! in-house magazine, features a 6-page spread of top wads from a variety of adventure sports including an image from my collection of Steve McClure on his Malham mega route, Overshadow.   more »
View Article  KSP in Western Grit…
Rockfax’s latest edition of their award-winning guide, Western Grit, has hit the shelves with a double page spread of Upper Tor Wall (HS) from my Kinder collection used as the opening shot...   more »