Climber Magazine May/Jun22 Edizione posteriore

SPRING TIME
Now that spring is here, I trust you are getting out and about? This is my favourite time of the year when we emerge from winter and welcome longer days, new growth and warmer temperatures. I used to be keen on winter climbing but as age progresses, my body creaks and groans more each year and winter forays are strictly limited nowadays. Hence, loving the joys of spring and the chance to get out on warmer days along with the prospect of getting into the mountains to climb rock.
This brings me neatly to our cover feature on Pillar Rock in the Lake District. There’s a back story to my involvement with this. Before the pandemic, I was invited by the Fell and Rock Climbing Club to take photographs for a revamped Lake District Rock guide. Along with guide editor and cover star, Nick Wharton, we have spent many great days out capturing new photographs and tweaking what is already a quality guide to enrich the next one further. This is how I ended up on Pillar Rock with ‘Mr Pillar Rock’, Stephen Reid, who introduced us to this fi ne mountain crag. Stephen is writing a historical book on Pillar, so it was a logical step to get him to write an article on six iconic routes throughout the crag’s history.
I’m looking forward to returning to Pillar this summer to actually climb some of the routes – the life of a climbing photographer is one of sacrifi ce and climbing becomes a luxury when out on a shoot. Over many years, I’ve photographed some of the fi nest routes in the world but climbed very few of them. But I love photography, capturing just the right moment and atmosphere so it’s a sacrifice I was willing to make and wouldn’t change it.

Until next time, be safe and well.
David