Search results for ""Author Grant Farquhar""

The Blue Cliff is focused on the more aquatic sea cliff exploits, i.e. those where you stand a serious chance of getting wet, and the sea is by necessity engaged with, not just a pleasant backdrop to the action. So, it's mostly about sea-level traversing, sea stacks and, above all, deep water soloing. This book takes you on a clockwise circumnavigation of the British coastline, starting from the chalk of the White Cliffs of Dover. Along the way, the book deals with some particular questions: Did Aleister Crowley invent sea-cliff climbing, and was he the best climber in the world in the 19th century? Did the St Kildan natives really evolve prehensile feet? What is the truth about the famous story of commandos watching Menlove Edwards deep water soloing and then drowning while trying to emulate him? The chapters are structured by area. Most of the essays and images are previously unpublished but some have appeared before in books, magazines, or journals.

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The White Cliff is a collection of writings about the best sea cliff in the world: Gogarth. This book has a historical narrative into which are embedded essays by various protagonists. The book is not just about the place, though. The climbers who have been drawn to touch the stone of Gogarth have often been the best of their generation and have pioneered amazing routes elsewhere. The book is also about their personal stories of life and death. It details the history of the exploration of the cliff in the context of the time period, climbing standards and the development of equipment and techniques. In the process, it touches on a myriad of related issues. The chapters are structured by area. Most of the essays and images are previously unpublished but some have appeared before in books, magazines, or journals. Grant Farquhar has been climbing for over 35 years. Currently resident (and climbing) in Bermuda, he was highly active on Gogarth in the 90s and despite living faraway has retained his affection for the place. The book includes contributions from over 100 Gogarth pioneers including Martin Boysen, Joe Brown, Pete Crew, Henry Barber, Arnis Strapcans, Dave Durkan, Geoff Birtles, John Cleare, Leo Dickinson, Ed Drummond, Richard McHardy, Doug Scott, Smiler Cuthbertson, Mick Fowler, Pat Littlejohn, Ron Fawcett, Geoff Milburn, Jim Moran, John Redhead, Dave Towse, Glenda Huxter, Johnny Dawes, Paul Pritchard, Stevie Haston, Andy Pollitt, Steve Andrews, Twid Turner, Adam Wainwright, George Smith, Glenn Robbins, Tim Emmett, Neil Dickson, Jules Lines, Nick Bullock, Alex Mason, Emma Twyford, James McHaffie and Tom Livingstone.

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Compiled and co-authored by veteran climber Grant Farquhar with contributions from a range of voices within Scotland's close-knit climbing community, A' Chreag Dhearg traces the rich climbing history of Angus Glens. Although less frequented than the forbidding ramparts of Glencoe or Skye, the crags and gullies in this unique area of the Cairngorms harbour classic summer and winter lines that have attracted some of Scotland's most respected climbers over the course of a century. In this engaging collection of vignettes and photographs, the origins of many of the glens' best-loved routes are described in intimate detail in an entertaining style that will appeal to both local climbers and those seeking new ventures to explore. The authors have woven the distinctive dialect and humour of this corner of Scotland into the narrative, imbuing it with a quality that is, by turns, both edgy and wistful. Despite the deceptively narrow scope of this story, the breadth with which it is considered here captures the way that climbing has developed in Scotland over time, and how this history is often exceptionally localised. A' Chreag Dhearg is both a tribute to Victorian pioneers and latter-day trailblazers and a poignant reflection on formative, youthful endeavours.

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