So I have work four days on a How to Climb Harder course this week with two great clients up from London town. We have been blessed with excellent weather. So good that I have mainly been focused on what crags were in the shade for the longest hottest part of the day.
We have visited Milestone Buttress, Bochlliwedd, Idwal Slabs and Pant Ifan. My clients have lead routes from Diff up through to severe and today one lead a pitch that would get HS 4b. So they have made pretty good progress, and seem to be climbing calmer and weigh more confidence and with a better tactical approach.
Anyway after work today I drove through Llanberis and had a lovely half hour chatting with the The Evans and the Newt. Sat on the wall outside V12 Outdoors putting the world to rights. It so good hanging out with these guys as they have been around a fair amount and climb with some of the best climber of their generations.
What that means is loads of great stories from the 80s, 90s and naughties. During the conversation we chatted about Derek Hersey, a ex-Pat Brit who shook up climbing in the US with his outrageous free soloing. Like so many people who make a name for themselves soloing he died soloing. There is a mini tribute below.
Climbing is quite a brutal sport that way. I am not sure if my Dave and Andy knew that it has been ten years since a good friend Will left us. Will touch so many peoples lives and his leaving us was a wake up call to reality for many of us lost boys and girls.