[Luke Owens]

What a stallion

[Doylo]

He was with the ladies. I've even got unedited footage.

[Whyatt]

Post it for the doubters chris

[Will Hunt]

My favourite one was when he had a one night stand with some climber girl and she had a poster of him on Liquid Ambar on her bedroom wall.  The story goes that before he sneaked out in the morning he signed it 'Rich was here xx'.

That is fucking disgraceful, but there's something inside me which really wants it to be true.

[shurt]

I've got the email Shark received from Dan Townley in which Dan confirms he belayed Simpson on ascents of LA and Hubble (both times 'early in the morning, no-one else at the crag'.

Just to be clear I am not a friend of the guy, in fact the couple of times I met him he didn't seem like a great person but that isn't what's being argued here. What I want to know is why is the above evidence not good enough for anyone? Does Rich require more witnesses than everyone else because he lied about a load of stuff. Seems like because everyone said he was a bullshitter then everything he claimed is invalid?

[Paul B]

I remember bumping into Rich Simpson in the school around 2002-3 and he was jaw droppingly strong. I chatted to him a bit about bad elbows and watched him run laps on high sevens (eights?) on the 50 degree board like they weren't even there. I'd never seen anything like it at the time or since (not that I've watched many wads train), I thought he could climb any top route of that time for sure. Doylo's videos of him are inspirational and I'm sure just show the surface of what he was capable of. To me all the doubt and controversy doesn't really matter cos he was just so damn strong it was amazing.

I'm not going to trawl through this thread but like Dan I witnessed some amazingly casual ascents of pretty much everything at the school bar PP; I've seen a lot of wads climb on boards and never seen anyone come close in terms of raw strength. That's not to say it means anything on rock, it's simply an observation.

[Three Nine]

My favourite one was when he had a one night stand with some climber girl and she had a poster of him on Liquid Ambar on her bedroom wall.  The story goes that before he sneaked out in the morning he signed it 'Rich was here xx'.

The same girl once described herself as 'quality clunge'. 

[Doylo]

 Seems like because everyone said he was a bullshitter then everything he claimed is invalid?

That's the situation-boy who cried wolf innit. Everything's written off.

[DAVETHOMAS90]

I've got the email Shark received from Dan Townley in which Dan confirms he belayed Simpson on ascents of LA and Hubble (both times 'early in the morning, no-one else at the crag'.

Just to be clear I am not a friend of the guy, in fact the couple of times I met him he didn't seem like a great person but that isn't what's being argued here. What I want to know is why is the above evidence not good enough for anyone? Does Rich require more witnesses than everyone else because he lied about a load of stuff. Seems like because everyone said he was a bullshitter then everything he claimed is invalid?

This +1

I find the wholesale invalidation - of which there seems much - at the very least, imbalanced. Also, the notion of "consensus", seems too generalised, and really the voice of one group over many. I'd love to see some discussion of what we possibly do know, and I'd say the group think is away from inquiry into the accounts of other people. I don't see suspending judgement as sitting on the fence by the way.

[Three Nine]

Has anyone been told in person by this belayer? It would hardly be beyond Rich to set up a fake email account. 

If I sound bitter its because of all the times I cut him slack for being a bellend on the grounds that he was dying of cancer.

[monkoffunk]

I liked him the couple of times I met him.

Didn't he tell UKC to fuck off when they asked for names of belayers? He was dropped by his sponsors. It's certainly not normal to not even slightly defend yourself when called on something so big that it results in potential financial loss and a reputation in complete tatters. He just walked away from it all.

I don't think it matters either way other than in the effect it's had on other climbers in raising the bar for proof. I don't believe anything with 100% certainty but it's gotta be high 90s that Rich lied about everything.

[Doylo]

I actually set up a fake email and said I was researching for the guide (didn't want him to know I was Simmo's mate). Must have been 5 years ago. I've met the guy in Sheffield though, he was a bit nuts so we let him go into a shop to get booze and we got the taxi to drive off. He climbed about 8b+ though so knew his stuff regarding climbing.

[Will Hunt]

I actually set up a fake email and said I was researching for the guide (didn't want him to know I was Simmo's mate). Must have been 5 years ago. I've met the guy in Sheffield though, he was a bit nuts so we let him go into a shop to get booze and we got the taxi to drive off. He climbed about 8b+ though so knew his stuff regarding climbing.

What is your life, Doylo?

[Doylo]

Currently consists of Caves full of pigeon and goat shit.

[shark]

As well as Liquid Ambar Dan Townley also confirmed that he belayed Simpson redpointing Hubble. He moved to Thailand shortly after and stopped climbing

[Moo]

My favourite Simpson related story is about Barnsey chasing him down the M1 and parkway before Rich had to pull sharply in to a layby to escape barnseys' wrath. Of course this story came from Barnsey so I've really no idea what to believe anymore.

[Doylo]

I heard he threw a bike at Dense in the School.

[tomtom]

My favourite one was when he had a one night stand with some climber girl and she had a poster of him on Liquid Ambar on her bedroom wall.  The story goes that before he sneaked out in the morning he signed it 'Rich was here xx'.

That is fucking disgraceful, but there's something inside me which really wants it to be true.

Did he not sign your poster Will

[dave]

BORING ANECDOTE ALERT:

I once bumped into Rich at the Tor, he wasn't climbing but seemed alright.

[shurt]

Slightly less boring anecdote:

I was at a bouldering comp in Bristol which Rich Simp didn't win and he cried. Everyone was a bit -  what?

I believe that SA Chris was there to witness this along with me so hopefully this is enough to satisfy any doubters... 

[Will Hunt]

Slightly less boring anecdote:

I was at a bouldering comp in Bristol which Rich Simp didn't win and he cried. Everyone was a bit -  what?

I believe that SA Chris was there to witness this along with me so hopefully this is enough to satisfy any doubters...

You must be joking. I wouldn't trust Chris as far as I could throw him.

[SA Chris]

Slightly less boring anecdote:

I was at a bouldering comp in Bristol which Rich Simp didn't win and he cried. Everyone was a bit -  what?

I believe that SA Chris was there to witness this along with me so hopefully this is enough to satisfy any doubters...

I was. I think Stu Littlefair was there too, as an independent witness. I don't think he cried because he didn't win, I seem to recall he had a paddy because he couldn't do a problem, threw a hissy fit and tore up his scoresheet and flounced out.

[Bonjoy]

I've got the email Shark received from Dan Townley in which Dan confirms he belayed Simpson on ascents of LA and Hubble (both times 'early in the morning, no-one else at the crag'.

Just to be clear I am not a friend of the guy, in fact the couple of times I met him he didn't seem like a great person but that isn't what's being argued here. What I want to know is why is the above evidence not good enough for anyone? Does Rich require more witnesses than everyone else because he lied about a load of stuff. Seems like because everyone said he was a bullshitter then everything he claimed is invalid?

Is it necessary for this to be raked over again and again when you could get a lot of the background by doing some back searching on UKB and UKC, or speaking to other climbers.
The onus was on Rich to back up his wild stories with some evidence at the time. That didn't happen.
 Some mass gossip dump on here is never going to prove a negative on every single ascent and I really don't think it's worth going down that rabbit hole. Save it for the pub.

[shurt]

Slightly less boring anecdote:

I was at a bouldering comp in Bristol which Rich Simp didn't win and he cried. Everyone was a bit -  what?

I believe that SA Chris was there to witness this along with me so hopefully this is enough to satisfy any doubters...

I was. I think Stu Littlefair was there too, as an independent witness. I don't think he cried because he didn't win, I seem to recall he had a paddy because he couldn't do a problem, threw a hissy fit and tore up his scoresheet and flounced out.

Well your memory is probably better than mine. I do remember Stu was there. There were tears shed.

Bonjoy: I know it seems like raking over shit. I did re read the UKB 'Simpson vanishes' thread before posting and there was no mention of someone confirming the LA and Hubble ascents. That felt like new information to me. Maybe its not to others....

[shark]

I did re read the UKB 'Simpson vanishes' thread before posting and there was no mention of someone confirming the LA and Hubble ascents. That felt like new information to me. Maybe its not to others....

There was another thread that was logpiled titled: "UKC Simpsons Statement"

With Doylo's help I emailed Dan through Facebook last wednesday and got a reply this morning.

Dan again confirmed he belayed Simpson on LA and Hubble. Both were early morning ascents to get good conditions and there wasn't anyone else present. He moved to Thailand shortly after the Hubble ascent. He wasn't present for any of the other key ascents or able to provide any other leads on other belayers/witnesses and was sorry he couldn't be any more help.