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The Power Of Climbing (Read 32570 times)

r-man

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The Power Of Climbing
February 18, 2005, 12:45:12 am
Got The Power of Climbing for Christmas. Despite the frequent typos the photography is great and the interviews give a fascinating insight to an era. Anyway, I was wondering where they all are now and what they've achieved in the last decade since the book was published. Here's the list, the top climbers of the time, arranged by the book's own chapter headings:

(I've missed out the first two chapters as they were mostly coming to the end of their time at the cutting edge)

The Graduates
John Welford
Claudia Dunn
Jasper Sharpe
John Hart
Nick Dixon

The Addicts
Joe Healey
Gary Gibson
Nick Harms
Dave Turner
Andy Goring
Quentin Fisher
Paul Pritchard

The Hustlers
Chris Plant
Ben Masterson
Dougie Hall
Mick Loatt
Tony Ryan
Ian Vincent
Pete Gomersall
Mark Pretty
Andy Pollitt
Chris Gore
Dave Pegg
Malc Taylor

The Elite
John Dunne
Martin Atkinson
Ed Morgan
Tony Mitchell
Jason Myers
Sean Myles
Mark Leach

The Masters
Johnny Dawes
Simon Nadin
Ben Moon

So how many of these guys are still climbing hard today? And what were the biggest things they achieved in the 90s?

SA Chris

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#1 The Power Of Climbing
February 18, 2005, 08:29:05 am
Did you get a copy of "Doing The Time Warp" too? or a "Back to the Future" box set?

I remember reading this book cover to cover when I got it back in 1994 when I got it. A lot of those listed in the last two castegories are very much at large.

fatboySlimfast

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#2 The Power Of Climbing
February 18, 2005, 08:55:38 am
Ok ill start us off from what i know
The Graduates
Welford-bumbling round somewhere
C.Dunne-never really climbed that hard anyway, still married to squark(which IS an achievemnt!!)
J Sharpe-gave up to be an accountant....I think
John Hart-still climbing hardish sport routes
Nick Dixon-still climbing well
The Addicts
Healey-still round sheffield, was brilliant trad climber in his day till took 50ft+ fall off zero in Ogwen and really fucked himself up
Gibson-still chipping trad and  rubbish sports routes in crap quarries.
Harms-last i heard gave up to live and work in London, famously had to work Axle attack(7a+) for a day after doing some hoorific 8a+ on slate
Dave Turner-fucked fingers made him give up back in early 90's, last I heard of him.
Goring-aka tattoo man or marine boy,ex army and dedicated to training. saw hm once run off into bushes suffering from gastro interitis and come out grinning cos he had lost more weight and was really skinny. Gave up to pour his training obsession into triathlons.(tarnge cos he climbed hard for the day, round 8a+ but never really made his mark)
Quentin-the mad amphetamine proffesor, anarchist turned property baron.(Second ascent of the Thing when it was still hard) Had cragx dialled, seen occasionally out on limestone.
Pritchard-lives in tasmania, recently went climbing again(remarkeable considering thay thought hed never walk again!)
Bored now, might do some more later

cofe

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#3 Re: The Power Of Climbing
February 18, 2005, 09:16:20 am
Quote from: "r-man"
Despite the frequent typos


you actually read it? a book?

Bubba

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#4 The Power Of Climbing
February 18, 2005, 09:17:26 am
Jasper Sharpe - thought he'd given it all up to become a smack-head myself - was often seen caned in the Broadie and went out with that insane Ruth lass who we used to know.

Claudia Dunn - all I remember is she had fucking strong fingers.

John Hart - I'm fairly convinced I saw him on an Alpine website not so long ago - he was guiding or something similar.

Nick Dixon - amazing he's still alive with that driving.

Andy Goring (TM) - yeah, went off to be super fit in a different sport (got some good pics of him on Caviar somewhere)

Quentin - I last saw the crazy one in Thailand, red-faced and sweating on some evil concoction of drugs. He was still as funny as ever and climbing pretty well.

Chris Plant - still see him at the crag now and again.

Ben Masterton - see him now and again - living in Sheff with his missus Shirley and 2 nippers - recently been doing some climbing again.

Ian Vincent - turned into a techno-raver and we did lots of clubbing together. Last I heard he was big into mountain biking and still living near Bradford but not heard from him for ages - if you read this Ian, get in touch....

Mark Pretty - still cranking.

Andy Pollitt - went to Oz, don't think he really climbs much now though somebody met him at Arapiles recently-ish.

Chris Gore - isn't he some big-wig with one of the outdoor companies? Saw him a few months back in Sheff but didn't twig who it was.

Dave Pegg - living in Colorado - editor (?) of one of the big US climbing mags.

Martin "Basher" Atkinson - another outdoor company big-wig (Wild Country?)

Jason Myers - last saw him at Burbage North - he still boulders, but "not seriously" - well into his surfing.

Sean Myles - still see him 'round Sheff now and again. Last time I spoke to him he'd given up climbing but not sure if that's still the case.

Fiend

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#5 The Power Of Climbing
February 18, 2005, 09:54:49 am
Good topic. Ridiculous book. "Insight into an era" indeed.

tommytwotone

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#6 The Power Of Climbing
February 18, 2005, 09:59:56 am
don't know if this is relevant (having got into climbing after the book came out), but no Jerry in that book - question?

David S

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#7 The Power Of Climbing
February 18, 2005, 10:14:50 am
and no Big Ron!

cofe

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#8 The Power Of Climbing
February 18, 2005, 10:17:44 am
Jerry is in. Ron isn't. neither is scouse.

fatboySlimfast

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#9 The Power Of Climbing
February 18, 2005, 10:49:27 am
heres a good one Malc taylor
went for a job interview in Cheltnham to do with 'Language translation' early 90's......got the job and was never seen again.The word on the scene at the time was that it was GCHQ(which is in cheltnham cos ive worked on it!) and that he essentially became a spy....laughable but he did dissapear at the time
Ed Morgans still around, i saw him in sheff recently, dont think he climbs much though.
Tony Mitchell gave up cos of injury and has been competition mtb for a while although heard a whisper he was climbing again

Now one i dont know Pete Gomersall......fuk me the worlds most boring couple, him and Bonny masson(didnt he go out with dalvinda for a while?)

Scouse D

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#10 The Power Of Climbing
February 18, 2005, 11:46:54 am
Quote from: "cofe"
Jerry is in. Ron isn't. neither is scouse.


That's right cofe. My book is called "the power of power"

cofe

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#11 The Power Of Climbing
February 18, 2005, 11:49:25 am
is it published by the same people who did your autobiography "my middle finger looks like a dick"?

Scouse D

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#12 The Power Of Climbing
February 18, 2005, 11:53:02 am
No. That was "my dick looks like a middle stump"... easy mistake to make.

squeek

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#13 The Power Of Climbing
February 18, 2005, 12:07:36 pm
Quote
Tony Mitchell gave up cos of injury and has been competition mtb for a while although heard a whisper he was climbing again


He's climbing again, I saw him at Hugencroft and he's posted a few comments on yg.com.

saltbeef

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#14 The Power Of Climbing
February 18, 2005, 01:23:55 pm
jon hart was in situ on mecca last summer, believe he's retired, force it!
andy politt, well met him in 2000 at the troopers arms easter shin dig in the grampians, he was still  tres petit but had a fearsome beer gut, and was surgically attached to a VB (urgh.) and some "ageing bombshell" who offered herself to myself and matt for a price!!!
scary!!!

saltbeef

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#15 The Power Of Climbing
February 18, 2005, 01:24:38 pm
saw ed morgan in the woody about a month ago

saltbeef

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#16 The Power Of Climbing
February 18, 2005, 01:27:58 pm
joe healey lives over the road from dirty hatter, and i think spends the large proportion of his waking hours alternating between broomhill tav and "the place".
saw jason myres climbing at caley in the summer last year, think hes more psyched by surfing nowadays...

Bonjoy

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#17 The Power Of Climbing
February 18, 2005, 01:35:35 pm
Mark Leach works part time as a lawyer and part time doing rope access rail inspection for the company I work for, doesn't climb much, was spotted failling to get up Sardines last year.

 Andy Pollit runs a successful rope access company in Melbourne and has a reputation as a bit of an alky, doesn't climb any more.

Bonjoy

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#18 The Power Of Climbing
February 18, 2005, 01:40:20 pm
Simon Nadin, recently quit rope access management to try and earn a living dry stone walling. Still gets out on the rock now and then, although presently laid up with a busted ankle.

webbo

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#19 The Power Of Climbing
February 18, 2005, 03:00:06 pm
dougie hall gave because ot elbow tenndinitis and took up wind surfing.

Fingers of a Martyr

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#20 The Power Of Climbing
February 18, 2005, 09:49:26 pm
It's rather sad i think. To see how people's lives turn out. 10 years ago i bet all these people were young, optimistic 'climbing/living for the moment'. Ah well, stuff changes i guess, life changes.

fatboySlimfast

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#21 The Power Of Climbing
February 19, 2005, 09:31:55 am
rather short sighted view of how important climbing is i think FOAM, at the time they prob would of agreed but your perspective changes and the time and effort you put into climbing gets less. theres no way i would go back to living in a shit filled cave with no money, no transport,not eating properly, no women etc etc. But at the time it felt right

Fingers of a Martyr

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#22 The Power Of Climbing
February 19, 2005, 06:11:40 pm
Quote from: "fatboySlimfast"
rather short sighted view of how important climbing is i think FOAM, at the time they prob would of agreed but your perspective changes and the time and effort you put into climbing gets less. theres no way i would go back to living in a shit filled cave with no money, no transport,not eating properly, no women etc etc. But at the time it felt right


Yeah thats i meant. I wasn't having a go and I didn't mean that they've done anything bad. I didn't mean sad like crap or bad i meant it in sad as sort of like how life forces us to change, give up dreams etc

I didn't mean 'they're a bunch of sad bastards' for not climbing all the time, lol.

Cause the same thing's sort of happened to me over the past few months, climbing just isn't a big priority like it used to (no matter how much i would like it to be) and it's sad but that's life i guess. :(

SA Chris

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#23 The Power Of Climbing
February 21, 2005, 08:59:12 am
FOAM, do you remember a few months ago how we were saying if you train too much and dont get out and climb anything you can easily burn out?

Hmmmm?

Falling Down

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#24 The Power Of Climbing
February 21, 2005, 11:00:29 am
Adding to Fatboy and Blubba's news..

Dave 'Peggo' Pegg was back in the UK recently with a distinct lack of facial blemishes, a straighter nose and nice teeth having taken advantage of the old 'nip 'n tuck'.  He also has a really strong US accent nowadays...

 

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