Thursday 15 August 2013

Peak Puntering

Left: Colehill Quarry 

We have been back in the UK for about 10 weeks (well always excluding a quick flier back to the Ariege in June) and it has been OK - though we both have been getting ichy feet. The main aim was to photograph the Eastern Grit crags in preparation for a new guidebook due out sometime next year. The previous volume has been Rockfax's best selling guidebook of all time, but already it looks a little dated, a full refresh is in order.  Of course it was a rewrite of the book that really broke the mould - Peak Grit East. When it was 1st published way back in in 2001 the effect was electric and guidebook production was changed for ever, certainly in the UK and probably further afield too.
Most significantly it gave me the chance to pack in teaching and take up writing full-time - which also freed us up to travel as and when the urge took us and that has been fantastic - we have become a right pair of nomads.
Other than getting on with the photography there has been plenty of climbing with the usual team, and pleased to report Colin has been down a couple of times and he is climbing really well.

Right: one more day photographing at Rivelin

A ferry is booked for early September - Hull to Zeebrugge, so it is back to Swizerland for a bit of autumnal time in the mountains. Last time we locked the door and sailed away, we were gone for 8 months - I wonder how long we can last this time?



2 comments:

ADRIAN said...

I remember your name. We are roughly of an age. I used to climb with Dave Gregory and Clive Jones. I now just ramble. I'm glad you shook the system up and did so without destroying it.

Chris Craggs said...

It took a while, but I think we made people realise: "hey, we can do this". I think the UK guidebook system has never been in better health, many of the new books are simply brilliant.

Around the Loop

Snowshoeing at Beille We left the Costa Blanca with some misgivings, we had been there quite a while and were well settled, plus I wasn'...