Issues.1…

I don’t particularly have a lot of cash…

Using the guidelines given by the Government I am living in poverty. Not quite as drastic as it sounds, to be classed ‘in poverty’ a household can be bringing in up to £16, 500… I’ve climbed regularly in Asia and South America and I know I do not live in poverty, but…

…I dream of £16, 500… divide by 4 and that’s what I accrued in a year of hard media whoring… Maybe a few lessons can be learnt from some of my fellow full-timers, but that will probably involve not actually climbing, just talking about it, or writing about it, or bullshitting about it… so maybe not hey?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. (He says very quickly before all the folk hidden behind their computer screens on UKC rip him apart) It’s my choice. I live a life that is full. I climb more in a month than some people climb in a year… maybe two… actually, maybe more than that compared to some of the folk on the internet forums…

… But I do have concerns, usually to do with my van going wrong, or injury, although injury, as long as it’s in Britain, is free, and my body’s ability to fix itself still appears to be OK, so the injury one comes well down the line of concerns. (Although teeth are another thing… they do cost money!) No, the van concern is the most worrying, (did I say I drive a Citroen and its getting very tiered now, and if Citroen want to sponsor me, I’m here)…

I don’t claim any support from the Government. I don’t have a rich girlfriend who is willing to spend hours, days or even months alone or is willing to support her man in pursuit of his dream – which in turn will give her a happy-go-lucky, honed professional athlete, keen to do the dishes and maybe go that little bit longer when needed… (ok, ok, yes I know, I’m a homeless climbing bum that is slightly obsessive about his chosen activity and being so, I of course do not have a girlfriend… not a rich or poor girlfriend, not one with one or two heads, good looking or a moose, not even one who is slightly over weight or one who is thin…Maybe a Citroen sponsored honed 8a+, M10, Scotty X/10, E8 adventure starved, sex starved women is out there waiting…Well I’m here… and yours for the weekend… maybe longer if the weather is bad!)

And I certainly don’t have rich parents… My old man turned to me years ago and said; “Don’t expect me to leave anything when I die” Guess that told me! Not that he had a lot anyway.

So, the meaning of this post is to say this… British mountaineers are very fortunate… Even homeless, girlfriendless, poverty stricken, obsessive ones. We have an amazing climbing history and a real depth of great climbers, mountaineers and explorers… Bonnington, Doug Scott, Shackleton, Tilman, Estcourt, Brown, Patey, Griffin, Whillans, Longstaff, Tasker, Shipton, Haston, Parnell, (he’s great in my eyes and according to Ian his climbing is in the past!) Burke, Bordman, Coffey, Jones, McInnes, The whole of the 1953 first ascent of Everest team, Bullock…(ok you got me, just thought I’d throw it in so I could longingly look at my name along side all the greats)…etc… etc… And its because of them, we have the Mount Everest Foundation, The British Mountaineering Council, The Nick Estcourt Award, The Alpine Club and several other awards that want to give cash to people like me to go and have a go in the name of adventure…

… and having just heard Andy Houseman and I have been awarded the Nick Estcourt Grant which is £2000, for an attempt on the North Face of Chang Himal this autumn I think it’s amazing to be British and have this opportunity…

Thanks to all concerned…

…and to any other person out there with some spare coffers… my old man never had a credit card, still doesn’t, (and if he had, it would have seen the light of day less often than a hedgehog) so that isn’t an option, and we still have quite a bit to find, so here is a shot of the hill…

…nice isn’t it? Andy says he will even twitter and blog and do all those other things modern mountaineers seem to do in the pursuit of greatness. I on the other hand will make the coffee!

See yer...