Interview

  • Climbing

    When and how did you get into climbing and what kept you interested / fascinated in the sport?

    I started climbing at age 12 when a new climbing gym opened in my hometown. I'd never really had any talent or passion for other sports but immediately after my first climbing session I was hooked and went to that climbing gym almost every day through my teenage years. I was initially motivated by competing and enjoyed a few years in youth competitions but as I began to lose interest I found outdoor climbing and it reignited the passion. I find projecting hard boulders outside incredibly motivating. My friends have described me as 'chronically psyched'.

    Who was your childhood hero and do you consider yourself a role model now? Does it influence you at all that other people look up to you?

    Nathan Phillips is an incredibly well accomplished climber from the UK and he coached the youth team that I was part of. His successes in comps and on rock were a massive inspiration to me as a kid and massively influenced my attitude to climbing.

    I hope that I can inspire more climbers to train hard, get out on rock and see what they are really capable of. I think a lot of people would be surprised what they can achieve with a bit of consistent training and sinking time into a boulder project.

    What were the most important milestones in your life so far, both in climbing and in everyday life? Did you immediately recognize them as such or only later on?

    • Opening my recording studio was a huge milestone that allowed me to structure my life and work in a way where I could climb and train almost whenever I want. I'm very lucky to be able to take as much time off work for trips as I do.
    • Gekcogrip were my first sponsor when I came back to climbing after a few years break. I hadn't climbed much outdoors at that point and wasn't on very good competition form but they took a chance on me and it motivated me to show them they made the right decision to support me.  
    • Getting married last year was a huge life milestone and my very supportive wife let me plan our honeymoon to include a week in Rocklands
    • Releasing the 'This Rough Magic' film this year was the culmination of the past few years training and projecting. It felt like the perfect way to close that chapter and allowed me to go into this year with a fresh mindset without any pressure to return to a specific project and re-evaluate my training. It was the first time I've been involved in a film like that and having a crowd turn up to the premiere event and Q&A was quite surreal.

    What were your greatest failures / setbacks / injuries? How did you cope with them and how did you come back from them?

    I've fortunately not had any major injuries or had to take any extended time off climbing. I've had a few annoying tweaks on trips that have meant I've not achieved what I set out to do but my experience of projecting over the past few years has taught me how to zoom out and see the progress on a much bigger scale. The setbacks are all part of the process and make the success even more rewarding.

    What is our favorite climbing related story/ experience?

    I climbed Big Dragon in Fontainebleau back in April 2023. I'd been very close to sending for 2 sessions but struggled with conditions and other groups of climbers trying it at the same time. I managed to convince my friend Rory to get up early with me and head to the boulder at 6am. We had a spectacular sunrise and the forest was perfectly quiet; just the sound of birds and the slapping of slopers. The conditions were immaculate and it was a truly magical experience to stand on top of the boulder. One of my favourite climbing memories.

  • Training

    Do you have a strict training schedule for when and how you train throughout the year?

    I do a lot of off-wall strength training and predominantly board climbing year round. I don't change my training much throughout the year as I try to climb outdoors at least once a week but I try to tailor the training to specific projects for that time or a few months in advance.  

    In the past I have had periods of prioritising training too much, now the most important part of my training plan states 'Outdoor climbing takes priority over all of this'.

    What advice can you give to somebody looking to improve their training routine?

    Consistency is far more important than your specific fingerboard protocol. Find something you can stick to that motivates you and get everything you can from it.

    What do you think of indoor climbing gyms in relation to climbing on actual rock?

    I'm not as big of a fan of the new style bouldering but I appreciate the popularity it has brought to the sport. I just hope there is enough of a cross over to rock climbing to inspire a new wave of outdoor climbers. 

    I mostly train on a very old-school 50 degree board that has been around for longer than I've been climbing and I love the history of it but most climbing gyms seem to be moving away from that style. It would be great to see a resurgence of that old-school style.

    Are you able to do a one-arm pull-up? How about a single finger?

    One armers on a bar or a crimp are great but I hate pockets! You won't find me doing a mono one armer any time soon

    How much of the success as a pro climber is due to show and how much due to actual climbing skill?

    The level is so high now in pro climbing that I think now it's just as important to have something unique to share. Climbing is an incredible way of having a genuinely unique experience and I think this is where an athlete can provide a lot of value whilst not being at the cutting edge of performance.

  • Climbing Psychology

    Is it possible for anybody to eventually perform a one-armed pull-up or get to the top of the Eiger/Matterhorn, or do you really have to be born for it?

    I think that motivation and consistency are the real limiting factors for most climbers. No amount of genetics will get around that. You have to find motivation in the process and failures,  not just the successes.

    Most people could likely train a one-armer with a bit of training but it might not have as much impact on their climbing as they expect.

    How important is it to set goals in professional sports? What are your goals / targets you are working towards in climbing and in life?

    Setting goals that I consider to be very ambitious is really important for me. Each jump in grade has felt completely unachievable until it goes. Something going from completely impossible to possible is one of my main motivators in climbing. 

    My dream project would be The Big Island in Fontainebleau. Certainly ambitious!

    Shorter term I’m very motivated to repeat boulders in the UK that are either unrepeated or haven’t had many ascents. The experience of working a boulder that is unrepeated for 20 years can be very close to the experience of a first ascent.

    How to you deal with extremely hard climbing problems? Do you ever get frustrated and give up on them or do they motivate you even more?

    On every hard project so far I have had periods of doubt and plateaus spending session after session falling off the same moves. Even after going through the process so many times it happens on most projects but only the perspective of knowing that it has always worked out in the past makes me believe that it will happen. I know that I’ve been in that same position sitting under a different boulder, doubting whether it will ever go, and then sometime later ending up standing on the top out.

    One of the most memorable experiences was on my first 8A project at a local crag, Zoo York. I remember sitting under the boulder and thinking to myself, ‘maybe I’m just not strong enough for it yet’, and told myself I’d have 3 more attempts that session before leaving it for the next year. I sent it the next attempt. That experience really changed my perspective on how progression can be very difficult to gauge and motivated me to try boulders way out of what I thought would be achievable.

  • Future of rock climbing

    Is there anything you would like to change about the current developments in climbing?

    In recent years I feel that the modern style that gyms are leaning into has lost some of the community that used to thrive in most climbing gyms around the world. The community is one of the main reasons I fell in love with the sport but it feels different in the new, massive open-plan climbing chain gyms.  I think the new style can be embraced without completely getting rid of the traditional board and training culture that produced some of the strongest climbers in the past.

    Outdoor climbing seems to be more about grades than ever before. It would be great to see some climbers prioritising developing boulders for their features and aesthetics rather than just the number. A lower grade climb of amazing quality is a great contribution to the sport that more people can enjoy.

    Where do you see the sport going in the next years, what will change and what is your role going to be in it?

    With the rise in popularity of indoor climbing we are seeing an increase in outdoor climbing too.  Whilst there will inevitably be some negative consequences of this I hope that some positives can come with more route development, old boulders being cleaned up and trails being maintained. I hope that I’ll be able to continue developing new boulders and repeating the climbs that inspire me for many years to come!

    I started coaching in 2024 and have really enjoyed being able to pass on what I’ve learnt. It’s been incredibly rewarding to see the climbers I work with progress and have success with their own projects.