All climbers

The first Scottish woman to climb 8b with her ascent of Satan X in 2012.

References

[1] Discussing Return of the Sleepwalker on the Lattice Training Podcast, March 2024 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDPA289CuO8

Mountaineer, author and connoisseur of sketchy trad.

References

[1] Interview with Matt Heason March 2007, https://web.archive.org/web/20080504012731/http://www.planetfear.com/article_detail.asp?a_id=936

References

[1] https://verticallifemag.com/articles/getting-to-know-oliver-schmidt/

Niall Grimes:

UK Bouldering OG

Keswick based Borrowdale pioneer in the 1950s-1980s. Brought up in a rough area of Carlisle, climbing saved him from juvenile delinquency or worse, although not before he lost an eye in a pub brawl. His first climb was Kern Knotts Crack (HVS), soloed onsight after a foot injury meant he could not go fell-walking. You can see how this might have influenced his son James's exploits. Thereafter, based in Keswick, he was guardian of Borrowdale climbing, contributing over 250 new routes to the valley on days off from his job maintaining footpaths for the National Trust.

His physical characteristics were considerably outweighed by is key defining feature, his ability to talk. On leaving the house in Keswick once to go climbing down Langstrath I remember returning home flabberghasted at his ability to talk, non stop, all day, some kind of circular breathing going on. [3]

References

[1] https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/ray-mchaffie-520345.html

[2] https://www.theguardian.com/news/2006/jan/05/obituaries.ruralaffairs

[3] https://www.jamesmchaffie.com/caffs-blog/climbing-with-ray