[grimer]

Just posted about some old Andy Pollitt article in High years ago about his climbing in the Peak, North Wales and Yorkshire from about 1987. I found it incredibly inspiring. Just wondering what other peoples' favourites were from the glory days of mags?

[slackline]

Can't think of any off the top of my head (I only started climbing 10 years ago, so nothing I will have read since then is likely to classify as a classic anyway), but Andy Popp and others have posted a few articles in this thread that I've enjoyed reading.

[nik at work]

Kidnapping Jerry and the one where two people got shrunk and did a big wall ascent of Regent Street? at Millstone.

Can't remember who wrote them though

[TobyD]

I always loved Paul Pritchard's pieces in OTE, the slateheads etc one, which is in Deep Play is the one that most sticks out i think. Especially a line in it about crunching over broken glass in his all stars the morning after a party.
Also some Stanage through the grades thing, again, can't remember who was responsible for that? 

[Somebody's Fool]

Lats, Babes and Bouldering by Jimbo Kimber's got to be up there, but that's most definitely nu-skool.

If this is Grimer fishing for compliments, then I'll bite as well, and say I thoroughly enjoyed the one where he takes a beginner up Debauchery in the rain.

[nik at work]

Vicarious Pleasures if I remember correctly.

[grimer]

Ah no, while thank you thank you thank you, I was thinking about old school to me when i wrote that. I was thinking of the time when one consumes mags, which for me was about 1986 to 1990, formative years. But I suppose that time moves on..

But glad you enjoyed them 

[GraemeA]

The Art of the States article that Jerry mentioned in his lecture was a classic, read that a number of times when I was a sprog.

And the 'Je suis un rock star' in one of the very early issues of High. Some mention of Big Ron sniffing around topless sunbathers sticks in my head for some reason.

[stom]

Not a magazine article as such, but i was having a clearout the other week and came across a few old copies of The Thing.  They once again provided quite a bit of amusement!

[Falling Down]

I can't remember who wrote it (Ray Kay?) but New Moon about adventure climbing on the Lleyn was one of the best articles OTE ever published. "The tottering convex slopes of the orange frown like a skinheads brow over cilan where herring shoals rise at the full moon" or words to that effect opened the article and it took of from there.. fantastic evocative stuff.

[Pantontino]

Chris Gore article about the Bowderstone, Jerry and Pete Kirton in about 1984. This was way ahead of its time. Radical steep rock, first generation Boreal Fires, tiny shorts and bags of attitude. Debunked the whole romantic myth about 'running it out on the headwall', which in reality often meant no more than a ten foot plop onto a train stopping runner, whereas every time a boulderer fell off they hit the ground, and in pre-pad days that hurt (still does if you're a creaky old fucker like me).

Actually, I haven't read it in ages, so it is probably quite tame, but at the time it had a huge impact on me.

[Oli]

Lats, Babes and Bouldering by Jimbo Kimber's got to be up there, but that's most definitely nu-skool.

Is there a copy of this on t'internet? I'm sure I remember someone saying they were going to post it a while ago, but couldn't find anything.

[chillax]

That article in OTE that reported the first ascents of Agincourt and Maginot Line. Many moons before my time, but that picture of him on Agincourt never fails to inspire. Anyone know where one could acquire a copy in poster size?

And that article Grimer wrote about hitching around Europe. Not sure why, but that one's very memorable.

[Drew]

I loved the one with the pictures of Seb vacuuming the holds on Meshuga (?)

I'm sure there were two amusing pics in that article, but I can't remember what t'other one was.

[Johnny Brown]

New Moon about adventure climbing on the Lleyn was one of the best articles OTE ever published.

Agreed. In OTE's slate issue Martin Crook's article was similarly brilliant.

[Zods Beard]

The only article I can remember from the early 90's was the issue of High when the Moff crushed Dominator. The cover picture? of Jerry crushing it in purple leggins still gets me psyched to this day


.

Kidnapping Jerry and the one where two people got shrunk and did a big wall ascent of Regent Street? at Millstone.

Can't remember who wrote them though

I remember the shrunken people one!

[lagerstarfish]

 
My favourite bit of Grimer's writing was the thing he wrote about his parents finding his pr0n collection and the consequent "punishment". This should be republished on 'tinterweb (I have lost my copy).

[SA Chris]

That article in OTE that reported the first ascents of Agincourt and Maginot Line. Many moons before my time, but that picture of him on Agincourt never fails to inspire. Anyone know where one could acquire a copy in poster size?

The famous "when 6c isn't hard any more, and 6b is approaching a rest" (is that right?) And the double page spead pic of him hanging from two fingertips and a mono. Totally inspiring. I remember in the heady days of my first ever forays into climing believing I could take on the world, reading about Hubble and Liquid Amber and deciding I would do Liquid Amber first, as Jerry was taller so it would probably be suited to me.

[grimer]

There was a great Paul Pritchard article about Red Walls with some beautiful pictures by Richie Brooks. One of PP hanging off a spike, wearing a baggy acrylic jumper, stripey leggings, looking totally at home. It looked really cold and wintery and real. Amazing.

[dobbin]

I remember the picture! PP has his arms crossed and looks casual, the caption is something like Paul pritchard putting his trust in a sling or something. I got clammy paws just looking at the picture.

Always loved grimers writing mesen, particularly the stoney woodshed Ben and Jerry one. Brilliant and very cheeky. Could have been a page from my mid 90s diary.

Does anyone know of the Tronc Feullieu article that is (I think) in games climbers play? thats awesome climbing writing. I contemplated doing a parody - Scott Feulieeu but I dont think I have the talent to do it justice.

[slackline]

If anyone has copies of these great articles would you be able to scan them and stick linked images in the Crags Classics thread for all to enjoy (providing you don't mind breaching the odd copyright law  )

[Jaspersharpe]

I remember that PP pic, class.

Think the most inspiring thing I read as a kid was the article in High about the history of Great Wall on Cloggy. Not sure who wrote it (possibly Perrin, not that I was ever a massive fan of his writing) but the inspiring thing was that it was all building up to the fact that there was this ultimate route of total commitment and difficulty that had so far repulsed everyone. The line about how one day someone will climb it with Redhead's quote ringing in his mind "It'll go but there's nothing, it's death". And the totally amazing part of it being that they had to add on a bit at the end because Johnny had climbed the fucking thing. I was 11 or 12 and I read it about 20 times. I remember even reading it to my Grandma who didn't know a thing about climbing.

[andyh]

There was an old Grimer article in an OTE summer supplement about a hotshot climber called Miles Goldie. It was ace - any chance of getting it scanned in here?

I lent it to a non-climber to read to stop them being so maudlin and never got it back.

[Johnny Brown]

Does anyone know of the Tronc Feullieu article that is (I think) in games climbers play? thats awesome climbing writing.

Yeah, brilliant. A big influence...

I contemplated doing a parody - Scott Feulieeu

 

[Bonjoy]

Anyone else remember a pull-out supplement that one of the mags did, full of a bunch of obscure and/or risque fiction submissions considered too 'out there' to put in the main mag? One article particularly sticks in my mind (might even have been written by Mark Hundleby) about someone going round chipping classic grit routes by night, so a bunch of Sheffield climbers set a trap and catch him in the act and then smashed his fingers to pulp with a hammer!

[grimer]

Yes I remember Mark's article. And the brilliant thing about it was that they had caught the right person. Thought that was very good.

And I loved the great wall one too Jasper. i think it was an unedited version of what appeared in Extreme Rock, much shorter in there.

And speaking of Extreme Rock, was an Andy Pollitt (again) article about Tremadoc. When i was writing the Jerry chapter in Revelations, I used that as inspiration to try to capture the innocence and enthusiasm of the time.

[SA Chris]

Anyone else remember a pull-out supplement that one of the mags did, full of a bunch of obscure and/or risque fiction submissions considered too 'out there' to put in the main mag? One article particularly sticks in my mind (might even have been written by Mark Hundleby) about someone going round chipping classic grit routes by night, so a bunch of Sheffield climbers set a trap and catch him in the act and then smashed his fingers to pulp with a hammer!

I remeber that too, as well as one about someo guy kidmnapping a girl and forcing her to go to every climbing wall in the country with him. Some great artwork / drawings in them too back in the day.

[duncan]

And speaking of Extreme Rock, was an Andy Pollitt (again) article about Tremadoc. When i was writing the Jerry chapter in Revelations, I used that as inspiration to try to capture the innocence and enthusiasm of the time.

As someone who was an innocent enthusiast at the time and place, I'd say you captured it wonderfully.

CLIMBERS BARN, TREMADOC.  2AM.

Darkness.  10-12 climbers in sleeping bags just visible.  Scattered clothing, rucksacs, ropes, straw.   

Occasional GRUNTS, FARTS and SNORING NOISES.


ANDY POLLIT
(Loud whisper)
Jerry!  Jerry!

JERRY MOFFATT
(very sleepily)
Andy?

ANDY POLLITT
(Loud whisper)
So what do you think about Sonic Sinbin?

JERRY MOFFATT
(sleepily)
Uh??

ANDY POLLITT
(Loud whisper)
Is is 6a or 6b?

ALL
Shut up Andy!






 

[grimer]

brilliant 

[Joepicalli]

"Cannibals" a story in Mountain (can't remember which No.) By ?Long about the fallout from an expedition gone wrong, with two guys trapped at altitude by bad weather. Only one gets down and there are rumours of cannibalism circulating in the press. The guy who survives give his account of what happened on the hill. It revolves around the guy who died recounting the story of how he killed a white Tiger in Vietnam and was cursed as a result, to the one who survived.
Really powerful stuff I thought at the time. I wonder if I'd still think that? If anyone knows which story I'm on about and wants to scan and post I'd appreciate it.

[joeb]

Maybe a bit too recent for this but when i first started out Haston's articles to me were massive. Still have the copy of his Walker Spur story, must have read that dozens of times. Would love to see some of that charchter in the mag's again. Reading revelations at the mo' and some great stuff in there.

[Kingy]

Here is a great article on Malcolm Smith from December 1995 High magazine

[Kingy]

posted this reply in wrong thread and can't delete it!

[SA Chris]

seems like totally the right place to me. good to read it again.

[dontfollowme]

Is there a similar article for Gaskins?

[fatneck]

Kingy, totally right place for the article. Not seen it before, inspiring stuff!

Is there a similar article for Gaskins?

I think there was a Panton piece in OTE not so long ago. Crouch has a copy, will bust him when he's back from destroying all the 7c's in N Wales!

Back to other classic articles I just came across "Common Ground" by Grimer in OTE 103. Classic.

He leaves his friends to explore some boulders...

"Quarries are tolerable places at best. Dark, spent and abandoned, I felt it's dead cold air give way to sunshine and wind and living elements as I emerged onto the grassy moor above."

Then whilst enjoying some problems, he comes across vague chalk marks on the rock and realises that he is not the first person to indulge themselves hereabouts.

"I spent a while, wandering from one problem to the next one that caught my eye, and almost always, found chalk on the holds. Not much, I suspected it was only one person, but mainly in the same spots as mine; heavy at the starts of problems or on the cruxes, then on the easier bits reduced to pale outlines or to none at all."

He then gets a feeling of union with the unknown climber.

"I started to get the sense of communion with my predecessor. Where he had gone, I had gone, not because I had followed his trails, but because something in me had led me in the same directions. We were both attracted by the same features, found the hard bits in the same places. Enjoyed the same things. On one problem, one well chalked problem, I was having a hard time. Powerfull for me, up an overhanging arete, it involved a fair bit of slapping and grunting. Hitting a hold, but never actually managing to hold it, I was about to give up when I saw, just over the top, two white hand prints. It was then I knew I could do it to, for if he could, then so could I. Thus strengthened, I tried the move again, and got it first time. I thanked my guide for the encouragement as I hauled myself over the rounded top, where I sat down for a gaze."

He continues to explore the crag, guided by the unknown climber before deciding to return to his friends.

"Maybe I can't really say I got to know someone through my experience, maybe it was more like peeking at someone through a glass window, but as I tied my laces and headed back towards my companions, I knew the happiness inside me was the one that comes from sharing."

Thanks Grimer....

[Johnny Brown]

Fave Grimer piece (also posted in the calling of the grit thread):

[Falling Down]

Here is a great article on Malcolm Smith from December 1995 High magazine

By our very own GME.

[slackline]

Don't t think this has graced UKBs pages...

[Muenchener]

But I think that there are too many bolts in the Frankenjura

Not a widely held opinion.

[slackline]

But I think that there are too many bolts in the Frankenjura

Not a widely held opinion.

In 1986 or today?

[Muenchener]

But I think that there are too many bolts in the Frankenjura

Not a widely held opinion.

In 1986 or today?

Good question. Of course the whole sport climbing thing was very new in 1986, in the Frankenjura as well as everywhere else, and perceptions have changed. The Frankenjura has a strong sense of legacy and history about the routes from the Albert/Güllich era, and generally rather sparser bolting and more robust ethics than most sport climbing areas. I think this adds to its character and is generally positive.

By modern standards a lot of bolted routes in the 'jura don't really resemble what has come to be seen as normal sport climbing. A new-school VII can feel like an ordinary 6b sport route, whereas one from the Albert/Güllich era might be E4 5c. Fortunately one can normally tell the difference from the topo or by looking from the ground. Also by reputation: everybody knows the classics are much bigger ticks than the average modern clip-up of the "same" grade.

There are similarities to slate in this respect (not the climbing style obvsly). Some bolted routes on slate clearly are "sport routes" in the modern sense; Raped by Affection clearly isn't. And some are borderline. When I first tried Goose Creature in the '90s I thought of it as an E3; two weeks ago I thought it felt like a pretty normal sport 6b+. Having climbed in the Frankenjura in the interim probably made the difference.

[Moo]

Best response to a throwaway comment ever, good work.

[slackline]

It wasn't made as a throwaway comment. 

[slackline]

Sticking this in here too for posterity....

[jwi]

Mad props to Adler for using Wittgenstein as a tool to smash down on the truly daft idea of personal grades. But I strongly suspect that he misquoted Wittgenstein.

[mrjonathanr]

I don't know the quote, but it's coherent. Is it about language? Conceptually a rule is aconvention, and you can't have that in isolation( - unless you're Thoreau, of course  ).

[slackline]

More pictures of articles I culled from old magazines (I'm too lazy to rotate the images today)...




Dougie Hall, Johnny Dawes & Jerry Moffatt two part interview from High...










Kurt Albert Interview




Mark Pretty Interview



Ron Fawcett Interview





Letter From a Rock Star

[bendavison]

Some proper good articles on here.

Its been asked before on another thread (one of which is my own) but does anyone has the OTE interview called The Young Ones? Inspired by this: http://www.planetfear.com/articles/What_Happened_to_the_Young_Ones_Malcolm_Smith_100.html