Pennine Lines w/c 1 December 2025
|| Cool and mixed || Grit season in full swing ||
Curbar in the mist || November 2025
|| Focus On... ||
Cutting To The Chase
OK, cards on the table here folks; I was going to write a thing which looked at first like a benign email, talking nonsense about in minutia of gritstone climbing on cold winter days; the projecting, the conditions, the self-doubt, the joy of just being out there, the possibilities, the impossibilities, the fleeting moments of madness. Talking about boulder problems as old acquaintances, of the start of the winter grit season being like hooking up with your old mates in a pub, to catch up and reconnect. You know the type of thing, it’s the type of thing I write.
I was going to talk about surfing the unpredictable ebb and flow of psyche, of ageing, of competing with your younger self, of being steamrollered by the weight of expectation, then being buoyed on by an infinitesimally tiny success. Of the silent guilty resentment when everyone else gets their projects done except you. Of misjudging the conditions, going to the wrong crag, or going to the right crag at the wrong time. Of how there’s definitely a right time for certain things, for you, no matter how fleeting. And how if you can line things up on that day then almost anything is possible. Of how, conversely, if you force it the door slams shut.
Deliverance || Stanage
I was even going to cleverly tie this into the creative act of writing, of how there’s an ebb and flow or psyche for that too, a zone to get into, and if you’re not in that zone then it’s not happening. I was going to then use this as a way of apologising for not doing these emails as often as I’d like. Then about three paragraphs in I was going to neatly segue it into an advertorial, to thank everyone for ordering the 2026 calendar, big myself up by saying how great they look this year, and then remind everyone that large art prints of my landscape photography are still available for delivery before Christmas. Imagine how brazen that would look?
I was even going to go as far as to say that we don’t have to do everything America does, hence there’s no Black Friday sale or nonsense like that. Of how I’m not trying to sell you a load of destined-for-landfill disposable tech junk, and how buying a piece of art is something which lasts much longer, gives you enjoyment for years and is hence is a bigger bargain than any discount code will give you. Was probably going to drop into conversation how I’ve updated the Print Shop with a few favourites from the Peak and a bunch of new work from the Northumberland coast from earlier this year.
But I think you’d probably see through all that, so I’ll just cut to the chase; prints are available, they make great Christmas gifts, and you know where to find ‘em. Last order date to be sure of Christmas delivery, to be on the safe side, is 11th December. You also know if you want a print of something you don’t see in the Print Shop then you just need to get in touch and we’ll sort something out. You know where to find copies of Grit Blocs, and you know where to find me (and it’s probably at Stanage).
Lord's Seat || Barden Fell
|| Yorkshire Bouldering latest - Rockfax Digital ||
If you've been keeping your eyes open you may have already noticed that the bouldering up on Barden Fell (aka Simon's Seat, Lord's Seat etc etc) AND Brimham Rocks is now up on Rockfax Digital, courtesy of yours truly, muggins here.
A few people have commented to me that it must have been a right pain in the arse doing Brimham in particular, and yes, you'd be right to think that! So I hope everyone makes the most of it being on the App now and gets out to these crags this winter. I've said it before but a cold crisp day up at Lord's Seat and those Barden Fell crags in particular is a thing of beauty. Enjoy.
Red Face || Brimham Rocks
|| Recently Through The Lens ||
Stanage and Curbar and whatnot.
|| Fresh Prints ||
We have a bunch of new stuff burning a hole in the Peak Landscapes and Coastal sections of the Print Shop this week, all shot on 5x4" transparency film in the time-honoured and labour-intensive fashion, so here's a couple of Northumberland shots to mix things up a little. Last orders to be sure of Xmas delivery by 11th December please.
