Throughout this period I gradually progressed with my trad climbing. But it wasn’t until I met Ben Cossey, when I was 16, who came over from Australia that I realised I could climb significantly harder then I was climbing at the time. I started to progress through the grades at a pretty rapid rate, cramming in absolutely piles of routes, climbing everything I could and having a right laugh. Pete on the Quarryman Groove 8a.... I keep a diary of routes that I have done and looking back at that period of time is ridiculous even for me to look at, I went from climbing E3 5c to putting up a new E9 7a and climbing English 7b, in a year! At the time it didn’t feel like I had taken that big a step, as my progression was fairly even just very quick. Since Ben went back I have found a new regular climbing partner who can often be found hanging upside down in an offwidth somewhere. Yep that’s Tom (Randall.) He is pretty much as stupid as me and is always up for a good laugh, so since meeting him the climbing trips have been some of the best ever with a lot of my best climbing achievements incorporated in there somewhere. I don’t know how because usually the trips consist of complete epics and ‘Where the hell are we?’ Sometimes I wonder how we even get any climbing done! Anyway, since this time I have managed to climb at lots of different places and widen the variety of rock I have climbed on, mainly trading it with some sport climbing and bouldering thrown in there if my biceps can take it (they usually say ‘no’ though, but I’m working on it!) Over the last year I have been getting into the wider variety of cracks (that’s offwidth cracks by the way), I’m pretty psyched for this climbing as it requires a different type of strength that most other climbers aren’t up for using. It makes you try really hard and you know you’ve given every bit of effort after coming ‘out’ an offwidth route, which is what it’s all about. I have done quite a few new routes in the last couple of years and this is what I really enjoy doing. I have some routes in mind that I want to try in the future, I just need to train harder to make sure I get up them. Overall, I just love to go climbing whatever the weather with good friends and try and climb to my potential. Climbing achievements - A few first ascents:
Dynamics of change E9 7a, Loose Control E8 6c, Inspiration dedication E8 6b/c, Grandad’s slab E7 6c,
Re-mastered edge E7 6c, Gobbler’s Roof E7 6c (completely recommended………….), Gloves of war E6 6c (first new route abroad), Back down under E6 6c (my first, first ascent) Few of my best or favourite repeats:
Braille Trail E7 6c, A little Peculiar E7 7b (2nd ascent, first repeat for 16 years, also climbed it without the bomber side runners), Ugly E7/8 6b or XS (2nd ascent, first repeat for 17 years), Quarryman E8 6c (groove pitch, although I want to go back and do the whole lot), Ray’s Roof E7 6c (5th ascent), All Elements V11 (2nd ascent), A lot of E6’s and E7’s ground up, a couple of E7’s flashed. Other 'stupid' things:
Traversed the length of Stanage (4 miles) 2nd ascent, Record for most outdoor routes climbed in a day, 550 each (with Tom Randall), First pair to complete Staffordshire Brown and Whillans Challenge (with Tom Randall). | 
