I started climbing with a school friend in the early 1970’s, equipped with Alan Blackshaw’s “Mountaineering” and a borrowed rope. We taught ourselves the basics mostly locally at Scugdale and the Wainstones. We then progressed to Scotland, Wales and the Alps where I developed a passion for long medium grade trad routes. More recently (2008) the CC introduced me to Norwegian ice. Since then, I have also been making an annual winter pilgrimage to various parts of Norway including the far North. If I’m not climbing, I can usually be found at one of my apiaries with my bees.