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Golden Feet
23 April 2010, 10:13 am

I've been climbing a lot recently with Neil 'Nige' Kershaw, a man memorably described by Si Wilson as the 'beady-eyed, self-proclaimed cock-of-Lancaster'. We've got a lot in common in terms of size and climbing style, and a habit of regularly climbing with The Best without quite making the grade ourselves. Kind of Premier League reservists, if you will.  Nige The last few weeks, though, have seen

Source: Not the main path - Adam Long

[grimer]

Brilliant, nice read 

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Website move
4 May 2010, 8:59 am

My main website, www.adamlong.co.uk, will be down for a few hours today whilst I switch host servers.  The new servers have much more potential, and will help me expand the site and its functionality.  I'm looking into hosting the blog there too, or I might host a photography blog on there, and keep this just as a climbing blog... any preferences?

Source: Not the main path - Adam Long

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Life and Death at Donington
1 June 2010, 7:08 pm

   To the north, the fields and farms of the Midlands stretched away to the Ashbourne hills and the start of the Pennines. Closer, the parkland sloped downhill to the deer fence bordering the woods, through which the sparkling reflections of the lowering sun betrayed the River Trent. A little upstream, two swans turned gracefully on the current, silhouetted black on shimmering gold. Water from

Source: Not the main path - Adam Long

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28 June 2010, 8:36 pm

Finally I could rest. I wriggled down into my bivvy bag, breathed deep and slow the mountain air, and tried to sleep. It was well after midnight, and even on this solstice night the darkness was almost complete. The patch of sky framed by my sleeping bag was small, and a lone star glowed small in the centre. Below, the skyline was reduced to a black cut-out against the last glimmer of light on

Source: Not the main path - Adam Long

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Turn, turn, turn
15 September 2010, 7:05 pm

Callow Bank, November morning  Every year, around now, I take great delight in being a gritstone climber. As August slides into September, the summer ends. Holidays are over, its back to school, to work - another disappointing summer over, and a long winter ahead. For most, a good excuse to moan. For the gritstoner, every chilly morning, every dark evening, the strengthening wind and the first

Source: Not the main path - Adam Long

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Peace of Mind
13 October 2010, 11:57 am

 The Roaches, Staffordshire In August 1996, I was nineteen and, like most people, at a pivotal time in my life. In the previous twelve months I'd left school, got a driving licence, got stuck into what remains one of only two periods of full-time employment in my life, and spent my earnings on a rack and a plane ticket. I spent the winter more than a few days that winter at The Roaches, often

Source: Not the main path - Adam Long

[jcm]

What a great blog. Thanks.

[shark]

What a great blog. Thanks.

 


Its jarring where ethics are inappropriately imported and not suited to the landscape. I remember going to a crag near Stavanger in 1986 which was chipped and bolted Buoux-like. I couldn't understand why they were doing it especially when they had acres of unclimbed multipitch cliffs on their doorstep which lent itself to onsight new-routing.

[BenF]

What a great blog. Thanks.

I agree.  Adam, your blog is always an interesting read but your latest post is fantastic.

[Johnny Brown]

Thanks guys  I don't get a lot of feedback so its nice to have some encouragement.

[SA Chris]

Well I think it sucks!

[SA Chris]

Kidding. It's up there with Spherical Cow as one of the more readworthy blogs.

Looking forward to the article. Might set an unprecedented record of buying a mag two months in a row.

[Bonjoy]

Yep, damn good post that one yoot. Looking forward to reading the article in Climb.

[Falling Down]

Another great example of quality over quantity. Nice work JB.

[lagerstarfish]

Christ, your words brought back a flood of memories JB.

1993: finishing my degree coinsided with getting together with a young woman whose family lived not far from The Roaches. I fell in love with her - this was The First Time. I was warmly welcomed into their family home (large family) and spent what felt like forever climbing, loving, talking, cooking, eating, drinking her fathers home brew and smoking the odd bit of weed. All her family climbed and all were excellent company. For the first time, I felt like I belonged.
That feeling of belonging is nicely mixed with my memories of the feel of doing loads of quality grit climbing.
Thinking about it now, I can still feel a breathy warmth in my stomach and a gritstoney tingling in my hands.
The Roaches are ace

[Johnny Brown]

In the words of the late, great, Paul Nunn:

"Ironically, the finest crags on gritstone are neither in Yorkshire nor Derbyshire but in Staffordshire."

[nik at work]

Nice writing Adam. I agree with Lagers the Roaches is a special place, an eerie and tranquil early new years day solo-fest there above a cloud inversion is my personal highlight.

[lukeyboy]

I really enjoyed reading that, thanks. I don't think any other grit crag holds quite the same sort of magic for me as the roaches does.

[seankenny]

Nice piece. Actually I thought it was better than the final article - I'm sure you could have fitted some of those sentiments in with some judicious editing...

[SA Chris]

Just read the mag, and agree this is better than the main article. More of an emotional pice than the factuality (is that a word?) of the magazine piece.

Also liked the bit you wrote about climbing on the Lleyn in Summit.

[Johnny Brown]

liked the bit you wrote about climbing on the Lleyn in Summit

I didn't write that - just supplied the pictures!

Interesting to hear your opinions on this piece though - I didn't do the editing but wasn't surprised this was the first bit to go. I wanted to write a more complete history but ultimately the personal stuff took over and it was hard cramming both in. They were hardly woven together but I'm not sure if the layout of the piece might have broken up the narrative too much. Thanks for the feedback anyway.

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Midsummer in Wales
28 June 2010, 8:36 pm

Finally I could rest. I wriggled down into my bivvy bag, breathed deep and slow the mountain air, and tried to sleep. It was well after midnight, and late on this solstice night the darkness was almost complete. The patch of sky framed by my sleeping bag was small, and a lone star glowed small in the centre. Below, the skyline was reduced to a black cut-out against the last glimmer of light on

Source: Not the main path - Adam Long

[Johnny Brown]

That's not a new post - I just edited it slightly. Not sure why its appeared here...

[Fiend]

I'd prefer a Summer In Mid Wales post to a Mid Summer In Wales one.

I liked the Climb article too, especially the anecdotes, as well as the general promotion of good style.