After spending yesterday(Tuesday), firmly out on the side of Meol Siabod in horrendous snow and hail condition, teaching part of a ‘Summer’ ML course. The irony was that the condition at the top of the Hill were more ‘wintery’ than one of the days on my Winter ML training. However in order to achieve the aims of the training course needs must. Today was quite different, as I was route setting inside, with a young lake’s based climber George Ullrich.
I think I had met George before if so, getting off on the wrong foot might be the most diplomatic way of putting it, as I might have approach one of his friends and explained that using the wooden holds on the route they had chosen was, well a. cheating and b. damaging to the holds. George defended his friends, and I defended my stance, with the arrogance of someone who had set the route.
George is a rising star in climbing circles, albeit with apparent reluctance, if the review of the DVD about a year in Ullrich’s climbing life is anything to go by. The next time I met him, he was topping out on the steep section of road as you head up to the beacon climbing centre, he had just ridden from Bangor to set routes. I stopped and offered him a lift the rest of the way, but having done the worst of the cycle George opted to carry on pedalling.
I HAVE TO APOLOGISE HERE, AS I WAS CALLED OUT ON A RESCUE, SO LOST MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT A LITTLE
Anyway having chatted to George about his antics since arriving at Bangor, seems that he has started to attack the *** classics like The Cad and Positron at Gogarth, a good effort given the horrendous weather we’ve had. He has also knocked about the quarries and climbed the bold Scare City in Bus Stop. In my brief meeting with him I got the impression that this quiet design student hides some serious motivation and of course climbing ability.
Whilst I have found films about one climber dull or boring, I am actually looking forward to seeing ‘Call it What You Want’ about young George. As I have heard so much about him yet seen so little. If you are interested in buying a copy of the DVD then may I direct you to V12 Outdoors or Joe Browns, my local retailers, or if you’d like to support the film-maker directly, and help him afford to make more film then Dave Gill will sell you one direct.