Climbers

Doug was the idiosyncratic resident of Rock Cottage at Roaches Lower Tier, a cottage built in to the cliff. Doug died in Summer 2022 aged around 88.

Although not a climber himself he was friendly (or intimidating, depending on who you ask) with many of the climbers who climbed at the Roaches and surrounding area. He was known to memorize beta for routes and then find climbers in need and help them out by relaying the sequence to them.

Phil Burke:

He also probably saved my life, when soloing Elegy I hadn’t realised the top delicate last few moves where green and wet. Made one upward move too many and started to slide, but I couldn’t reverse for the same reason. I’d started contemplating a fall out zone, when I spotted and shouted to Dougie, who ran round to the top and lowered me the end of his wood bundle rope. One quick pull and I was up, so thank you Dougie! At the top I thanked him profusely and he replied “Any time Ron”. Ron [Fawcett] and myself both lived in Buxton at the time and so climbed there a lot, sometimes soloing together and Dougie often mixed us up. [3]

Dan Middleton:

Back in the 80's my mum used to go to the Roaches regularly, running personal development courses for British Gas and Royal Mail apprentices. Sometimes the youngsters could be hard work and be a bit macho and cocky, which she would solve by asking Doug to do his axe routine, which would terrify the living daylights out of them and get them in order sharpish. She'll be gutted to hear he's gone, she had a real soft spot for him. [2]

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg7DKSGjYHf/

[2] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,18343.msg663919.html#msg663919

[3] https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/rock_talk/dougie_moller_-lord_and_king_of_the_roachesfor_a_while-750563?v=1#x9668401

[4] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/aug/26/doug-moller-obituary

The founder of Metolius.

References

[1] Moving Over Stone 1988 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGcUl1obrWA

Doug founded The North Face together with his wife Susie.

Owner of Rodeo Resole.

Dr (PhD) Edmund "Ed" February is a climber from South Africa, who helped establish (alongside Andy de Klerk) many of the country's most popular crags, with many routes established in Paarl, Montagu and the Cederberg.

Ed has played a pivotal role in the history and development of climbing and alpinism in the country, despite his racial struggles as a climber of colour in apartheid South Africa.

Ed and Andy's routes have remained bold (often runout) test-pieces, that are often stiff for the grade. Moreso, their development has been world-class and many of their routes remain classics almost 40 years later.

Ed is a emeritus professor of Botany at the University of Cape Town and has played a crucial role in the research and conservation of the Clanwilliam Cedar Tree (Widdringtonia cedarbergensis).

If you're the world's best climber and you treat somebody with dignity and respect...they will shine and they will grow, I think that's a very important thing that you can learn from these people.

I went bouldering in Texas, this guy I was bouldering with was called Fred, and Fred just kept saying "Oh no, it is easy...tak, tak, tak and summit" and I say "Oh god Fred, you must be mad!" Turns out it is Fred Nicole! Tak, tak, tak, summit...yeah right! [1]

References

[1] https://niallgrimes.libsyn.com/jcpc-110-ed-february