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El Camino

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Pyrenees with friends

The Piano lessons versus economic lessons...

I was thinking about this as I stupidly tortured myself by watching an economics/ politics documentary on the box. What I should have done was continued learning my piano...

Mainly because I always thought of myself as non political and of the view that our system was estupido and not worth another brain fart from me.

I try to charge a low rate that is affordable in coaching so that people can work longer and build a real, sustainable coaching relationship, because I believe that coaching needs that time to create the knowledge, trust and ultimately a friendship between us.

So, more creative piano with more committed creative coaching to improving an individuals life (perhaps like young Jay's) although a little more demanding on the brain ( like the piano) the results are maybe similar where his life is improving through the practice and study of matching climbing movement to the wonderful, creative and colourful world of Jay's mind. Its not economics man, its just learning to play the piano...

Eiger, women and BSL...

North Wales

It was nice to enjoy a winter's walk round the lake contemplating some of 2014 and a little of what is coming in 2015.

The Eiger Paraclimb looks like it will take the most effort (to prepare for) but maybe return the most satisfaction.

Returning to a place like the Eiger feels a little spooky, because after my epic on the North Face all those years ago, I remember thinking I had pushed too close to my limits to top out the climb.

Neil on the White Spider

I had just split with a long term girl friend who couldn't make her mind up about me and her ex, so I made the decision for her and took off for the Eiger  and dutifully engaged in what the mountain could throw at me.  This years project will obviously be very different requiring less madness, a bit more celibacy for focus and much more care for others. Although the chosen route is far easier, as a Paraclimb it will hold some big challenges, which will feel as equally intense as climbing the North Face... I think.

What else for Reach in 2015? Expand my Paraclimbing capacity through learning BSL to communicate better in the coaching environment.

Continue to focus on the psychology of climbing as the main driver for climbing and training improvements.

.. Come off the Eiger with the team safely plonked on terra firma, find myself a nice woman, with a sharp mind, a kind personality, reasonable definition across her lats and shoulders and a nice bum! Not too much to ask for 2015?

Face Off...

It's a funny thing watching others remove their mask and just being their open honest selves.

It's actually a wonderful thing, because its reality.

I set myself a 3 year period to learn coaching, a bit like doing a degree! I knew that if I came out the gates too early thinking I knew stuff about coaching people when really, I knew shit about shit, then it would just end up as a big pile of coaching poo!

Just before I had a shit on the exit cracks
 near top of Eiger North Face

Coaching someone to achieve something exceptional is frightening ... For me and for them.  So we had to learn to know some shit. And that is what is happening in Paraclimbing for me. The complexity is intense yet simple and real. No masks just raw challenges, courage and humour!

Better Coaching...

Better...

I've started learning a new language for Paraclimbing coaching and it is great to be doing this again. I have been learning Spanish for two years now and enjoyed the fact that it is fonetic. I'm in the very early stages of learning BSL (British Sign Language) with the alphabet cracked, some emotional word groups and colours (for climbing holds). I'm loving this and it has reminded me why I love the work I am trying to do with climbing.

Coaching is communication and not to be able to communicate and motivate a climber who is deaf would be like trying to coach a Spanish climber in Glaswegian! I used to work alongside a chap who was deaf when I was younger. He taught me a few signs but I used to watch how he watched others around us in the work place. This was interesting to me because I used to watch people closely (due to trust issues) trying to read their personality, their integrity, by how they were visually, not from what came out their gob. Actual words are just metaphorical anyway! Anyway... Long way to go and loving it...

See https://m.facebook.com/deafclimbinguk?_rdr

What?

Eiger Sanction for mental health!

Eiger

I've managed to persuade myself into going back on the Eiger but this time with John Churcher (visually impaired with 3% tunnel vision) and my best mate Colin Gourley.

It will be challenging but that was the point. It was born from a challenge supporting mental health climbout.co.uk

The Eiger can be dangerous as I know from personal experience and our plan is to climb the West Flank Route to the summit. Although the route is of moderate difficulty, climbing as part of a VI team will prove challenging and I expect the descent will prove the most difficult element when abseiling etc but I trust John has the resilience to deal with whatever we encounter. He's a tough person.

John and I at World Championships in Gijon

It's fantastic that my old mate Colin is joining us to assist. I've known and climbed with Colin since we were 13 years of age and trust him emphatically.

Although my last adventure was an amazing epic that involved helicopter rescues and an unplanned change of partners high on the wall to allow me to summit it ended sadly with Roger losing his sight in one eye with a detached retina from falling ice near the Traverse of the Gods on the North Face. So it seems there is a link to what we are doing and to have Colin on this journey with me is just great as he missed out on the last Eiger sanction!

Summit icefield on Nordwand. 

Bringing the injured Roger up to my belay.

Neil Boyd preparing to tackle the Spider on the North Face

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FA Super Furry Animals with Stevie Haston (7c), Gozo Island

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FA Spunky Arête, Gozo Island

Falling Up...

It's been an eventful year. A bunch of 'stuff' happened. Nothing felt too crazy at the time, but on reflection, some stuff was in retrospect, amazing.

Meeting Gwyn and Jay and the various climbing and coaching journeys they have taken me on.

Meeting the GB Paraclimbing Team then joining them as their appointed Team coach competing across Europe.

Being part of a filming project by the talented young filmmakers from Final Crux Films.

Belaying Gwyn on his first Trad lead since losing his sight 14 years ago.

Gwyn

Becoming self employed again after 4 years living in fear of business failure having watched my life impload when I ran my last company with around 40 staff and £2M turnover. I used to write cheques for £50k without blinking, and now I still get the sweats when I'm forced to the ATM.

Skipping the flight back from the Gijon World Championships to UK and walking across Northern Spain for three weeks.

Being a small part of a big book with the collection of photos and climbing stories that have become The Great Mountain Crags of Scotland by Guy and Adrian.

Revisiting the Pyrenees and taking John and Jay for a weeks coaching.

It's been a year where things have just happened without much control or specific direction from me. I've just tried to avoid doing stuff I didn't want to do and by default found myself doing stuff I do want to do. A kind of 'falling up' I suppose...

As someone who was in a very competitive business environment, I wanted Reach Climbing Coach to find its success through giving and being uncompetitive in a successful way. This makes sense to me because it stops me getting sucked into the world of high growth business environments where I previously lost myself but stays central to the core of coaching - which is giving.

Coaching within various categories of Paraclimbing has been fascinating and extremely challenging. Various coaching techniques learned, a new language if you like. This year has been about learning by doing and if I was talking in business speak I would describe this years coaching activities as part of an emergent strategy. Next year may be more focused on creating structured methods and a framework that is transferable to other potential Paraclimbing coaches. That way, we can do more.

Spotting Suzi at London Comp

Getting to know Suzi Rees from www.ididadventure.co. (an inspiring woman and founder of various social enterprises within my field) is exciting both on a professional level and a personal level as I know someone like Suzi has this talent of spreading her enthusiasm and passion for what she is doing onto those she meets.

A long way to go at my end but the thing I think I've learned more than anything is to experience and respect the 'loss' that some of my clients have sustained, endured and learned to let go of, so they could emotionally commit to risking again for success or happiness through their activities in Paraclimbing.

Jamie Owen's : Beyond My Window...

Jamie Owen

http://beyondmywindow01.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/beyond-window-trip-to-south-of-france.html

Pyrenees Paraclimbing at Base Calames...

Jay, John and I returned to the UK after a week living and climbing in the Midi Pyrenees.

Calames crag

The highlights of the trip were seeing John lead his first 6a, his hardest lead outside and watching Jay in his paradise enjoying all things French, enjoying his climbing and independence in another country, another world of mountains and climbing. Witnessing John's commitment on lead as a VI climber was great, great to see and great to be a part of.

Coaching on my own in the mountains with two very different human beings involving visual impairment, deafness, autism, varying personalities with the addition of climbing risk and the main objective of transferring coaching value was extremely intense and in turn extremely satisfying.

Sight guiding with John

Coaching Paraclimbing in the Pyrenees is something special for me as the place has a unique atmosphere untouched by tourism and getting the chance to show these guys this special find was nice. Sight guiding John along the mountainside to the crag with Jay following behind felt quite profound. We must have seemed a little bizarre to our French friends.

Jay leading outdoors

John on a 6a+ 

A big thanks from Jay to DMM and V12
 for sponsoring his trip with much needed gear

It's not just the climbing environment that is challenging to manage but the hours before and after where you are depended upon for physical support and guidance and mentaly restructuring explanations to make them more understandable but at the same time legitimate. Worth it to see their smiling faces on top of a mountainside with great landscapes falling behind them.

Revisiting the Pyrenees was a personal journey that worked out well for me as I hoped it would.

Base Calames

Thanks to Jon Stoelker and family for looking after us at their Gite : Base Calames.

Chasing Butterflies...

My daughter chasing butterflies

Jay, John and I are getting prepared for their coaching trip to the Pyrenees. Lots of madness with Jay's packing...

Yesterday when coaching Jay, I asked him how many routes we had done ( I was packing them in as much as I could to get his mind and body synced for leading in the Pyrenees). He couldn't tell me the number, and I replied "that's not very autistic of you!?" I laughed, then Jay got it and laughed. Makes me chuckle now as I right it down.

Taking him to the Pyrenees is more than just another real rock coaching trip. It means a lot for me to show him a place, a place where I chose to change my life, Climbing is changing his life.

Jay's courage in his everyday life dealing with things that confuse him inspires me every day. When I committed to making changes with help from a psychotherapist in these mountains, I was broken. I was a man broken by my childhood. But working with Jay has taught me that every single day he requires a level of courage that it took me 30 years to find.

My balcony in Auzat, tough times in a far away place

I thought I could never go back to this place as there is so much pain left behind there but I think when we land in that place, it will hold real meaning to me. Only this time, I have my daughters in my better life and the company of two exceptional people, John Churcher (VI Paraclimber) and Jay...

On one hand, I am scared to face this place again, in case it triggers bad shit, but at the same time, I know it is the right place to be for me now.  I did a 1000 pull ups one night on my balcony in Auzat to ease the psychological pain during the therapy sessions as I had lost the will to climb! Luckily I don't feel that now...

Recovering at Colin's Cottage in Scotland after the sessions in France

The Hidden Disability... Not the constapated asshole

Dave on the slate, North Wales. 

I had the pleasure of working/climbing with our other GB Para Climbing Team coach, Phil Blue here in Snowdonia along with Jay, Katie and GB Paraclimber Dave Bowes.

A good day in the quarries on the slate to give Jay a days real rock practice before we fly over to the Pyrenees in a few days.

It was good for Jay to meet Dave because of Dave's hidden disability ( Dave was in a serious motor bike accident leaving him brain damaged with various after effects. )

"I have persistent post concussion syndrome ( basically permanent concussion symptoms forever: affecting memory, concentration, attention span, confusion, sensory overload, anxiety), central vestibular disorder, vestibular dysfunction in both ears (both mean I have no sense of balance, I have to focus on fixed objects ahead of me to use as a tilt guide, like the dial in a plane), REM sleep disorder leaving me unable to get regenerative sleep, post traumatic migraine, moderate to severe depression. Finally the worst, complete change in personality, as in Dave version 1 died on 08/09/07, a new Dave is who you know. Commonly called frontal lobe syndrome..."

Team GB Paraclimber Dave Bowes on climbing and hidden disabilities from George Sewell on Vimeo.

I've been to various Paraclimbing Competitions with Dave, most recently Gijon at the World Championships where he came 4th in his category. An exceptional guy!

When I first met Dave I thought why is he here amongst such obviously disabled and challenged paraclimbers but that was my mistake and spending more and more time with him has lead to a greater understanding of him and his hidden disability. I realized I had been an asshole and I even think I like him now!

That's the thing with all this... You don't need to like people with a disability by default. That's something else? People are people, and some are nice and some can be assholes. I wouldn't say I have gotten to know all the team yet nor do I like their assholes. But the more time I have with them climbing and coaching the more growth they give me as a more caring human being. Sorry about the asshole comment but it was just a running theme!

Phil and Dave

Flashing 8a Isn't Easy. Especially When You Only Have One Leg...

The Great Mountain Crags of Scotland...

This book is now published representing some of the best mountain crags in Scotland along with narratives from some of those who had experienced them over the last three decades.

I was asked to write a piece on my solo ascent of Shibboleth in Glen Coe and I did. Partly from the mountains of Pyrenees then finally from my ex girlfriend's cottage on a hillside in North Wales. I haven't seen the book yet as I gifted her my copy direct from the publishers since she persuaded me to go ahead with publication and it was her birthday (Happy Birthday Cordelia! x ).

I had never written about my solo ascent on this wall, partly because I didn't know what to say as it was a truly personal journey up there in that grand unpolluted special place so long ago and it was all a little unreal in Glen Coe that day but luckily the ascent was recorded on film by Stephen Yates and I walked away for more, so it became real for me and now for others.

It's great to see the book being so well received as the content and photos from others look stunning from what I have seen on social media.I can't remember what I wrote, just the truth probably, but I hope it added value to the publication. 

Scottish Climbing in the 80's and 90's was never written about that much as change from adventure towards sport began and bouldering took hold in Scotland and the climbing media, which was a good thing, because it eventually lead to harder adventurous behaviors from the climbers of the day.

... Anyway, I need to finish my Tesco Online Grocery delivery before I miss my slot!

Reviews:
http://stonecountry.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/great-mountain-crags-of-scotland.html

http://davemacleod.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/the-great-mountain-crags-of-scotland.html

Good luck and much success to Guy and Adrian with their book...

http://v-publishing.co.uk/books/categories/climbing/the-great-mountain-crags-of-scotland.html

Behind The Scenery... Slate Heads.

Wales is such a lovely place to live and I was inspired to take a walk back up behind the house today to the Bus Stop Quarry after watching local Guide, Libby Peter's short film of her taking her daughters out for an evening climb. It reminded me just how lucky we are living in Snowdonia and being right next to this mass of slate climbing.

If I'm honest, I find it hard to get motivated for the harder TRAD slate, mainly because I did most of the harder routes to E6 when I was 17 back in 1986 and to genuinely dig up the commitment required to on sight E7 on slate is not something I have in me (or if I think I do, I don't want to wake up eyeballing a 70ft ground fall and realize I really don't). But I absolutely love climbing at my limit on the sport routes because they are like no other rock type...

Eyeballing the 70ft ground fall when I did...

First Steps: Libby

So I'm keen as mustard to get back up and finish some outstanding bits at Bus Stop Quarry and continue bouldering harder in conjunction with refining some slate head technique!

Filming work at Bus Stop Quarry for Reach 

(Final Crux Films)

Behind the scenes at Bus Stop