Climber Magazine Jul/Aug 20 Back Issue

STAY SAFE, BE SAFE
Over the last few years this is a message I would often sign off with.
It was aimed mainly at making sure we were safe on the crags and mountains. Little did I, or indeed anyone, think it would be something that would be on the lips of all humanity during this pandemic. The pandemic has had a devastating impact, not only on health, mental wellbeing and the freedom of movement we have all come to enjoy, but businesses and livelihoods. It may seem contrite to mention it with everything else going on in the world but the climbing scene hasn’t escaped its effect during lockdown. Neither has the industry, with climbing walls closed down, a social hub for many, and countless outdoor professionals and retailers struggling.
Climber has also felt its impact with reduced advertising and sales but as publisher I will strive on like the rest of society and look forward to things returning to ‘normal’. With that said, one way you can really help is to consider taking out a subscription if you don’t already – details are in the magazine and on the Climber website – as this will help the magazine through these tough times and continue to bring you the excellent content you’ve come to love, delivered straight to your home.
Alas the safe message resonates further, a few days after some restrictions were eased allowing us to climb locally, a friend of many, myself included, John Allen, died in a climbing accident in the Peak District. John was a climbing legend, a term that can be freely bandied around but on this occasion is very fi tting. During the 70s he climbed some of gritstone’s iconic routes at the highest standards for the era. In recent years he continued to enjoy his climbing, mainly doing new routes in abandoned old quarries. There will be a celebration of John’s life in the next issue.