James Pearson has just been back in the UK from his new home in France for a visit and we caught up with him to make this fantasic new video and for an exclusive interview:

James you’re back in the UK for a quick hit what are you up to?

I had some meetings with Wild Country and we signed a deal for me to keep using their gear for the next few years. Wild Country was one of my first sponsors, in fact I think it was my very first, in 2004 I think, and so now I’m obviously really, really happy to continue the relationship.  It’s a brand that I really love to work with, they’re very creative, interesting people, and the product speaks for itself – I don’t need to talk about how good it is.    But more it feels very much like a family – I’ve always felt very cared for and looked after by them, and, yeah, you know, and you... you stay true, I guess, to your family and so I’m happy we can continue to work together and hopefully do even more amazing things in the future. So now I have a few days off and I’m going to show Caroline some more of the UK’s climbing.

You had a pretty amazing year in 2011 how would you sum it up?
Last year was certainly a really busy year for me.  At the start of the year I had no fixed plans, and these amazing things just kind of materialised, and it would certainly be one of my most productive years ever.  And maybe in terms of success, I think, yeah, it probably was my best year ever just in terms of a continuous, you know, a continuous mass of ascents.  But the main thing was they were all so fun, so varied, so different – every challenge was making me work in a different way, testing me in new areas – and I think this is very important for me to maintain the motivation and also maintain the level.
The things I did last year, they’re all so memorable for many, many different reasons, like Pembroke, (when James attempted to flash the  E10, Muy Caliente)  for example, because it was the first time I’d been properly trad climbing for a long time, and so before the trip I had no idea of even, you know, how my body would take again to it. Then Chad was incredible just for the sheer beauty of the place, the landscape is like nowhere... nowhere I even imagined existed before. 
And Joy Division, (the 22pitch 8b 800m route that James did the first continuous ascent of) wow, I mean this... I think this thing pushed me more than I think anything else I’d done.I remember my first visit to the wall with such high expectations, you know, of planning on going and making a very fast, maybe on site for sure ground up in a day ascent and just getting completely shut down.  I completely underestimated all that big wall climbing entailed.  For me, I looked at it just as going and climbing a few sport routes, and it’s just... I was so... almost so disrespectful to the whole thing – it just slapped me in the face and I came away from that first trip, I think we made it four pitches up the wall, I couldn’t do some moves on the first pitch and I was just like so down-hearted, so... so shocked at how difficult it was.  And then to finally find the way to go back to make the entire journey in after another month or so of continuous effort, four trips, to be stood on the summit was just... just unreal.  An amazing experience, and one I will for sure, I think, remember for a long, long time.

So what do you think is next for you, James, how does 2012 pan out?
Ok, so this next year actually is pretty busy in comparison to last year where I almost had no plans, this year I’m pretty much full up until the end.  So right now we just came back from a month and a half in Asia where we were essentially exploring new areas, new sport climbing, cliffs.  It was a pretty good trip, I climbed the hardest route in South East Asia, so for me this was nice, it was a goal before I went, and so to achieve it was super-cool.

James Pearson on his 2011 masterwork Joy Division 8b 800m
And now we’re back in the UK for a little while, do a little bit of trad, a little bouldering, show Caro a few of the nice little cliffs before going back to France and then on to Spain for a month of just pure hard sport climbing, really trying to raise the fitness level.
And a big goal of mine that I’ve had for a while is to climb 9A.  At the end of last year I found a nice project in Perles, a route called Esclatamasters.  It’s amazing... amazing time, and it’s the first time I’ve actually been really psyched for a hard route, for a 9A especially, and it’s something I feel like I can invest a good amount of time in before I get bored. Then after Spain we go to Sardinia for some big walls, sport big walls, so pretty chilled but they’re still fun.  After Sardinia it’s on to... maybe a little trad tour in the UK, this is kind of in the work at the minute.  I’m hopeful that this is going to come off, and we can have some fun going to a lot of new areas that I’ve maybe not been to before, hanging out with old friends and just having a laugh. Then the really cool expeditions start – the first one being a trip to Borneo to make first ascents and repeats of some sport routes on the top of Mount Kinabalu.  It’s over four thousand metres high, so it’s going to be kind of quite different.  In fact I think it’s the... some of the highest sport climbing in the world, and certainly the hardest highest sport climbing. There’s one 9A project up there that Yugi Hiryama bolted last year, and so I’m going to return with Yuji this year to try this and open up some new lines, so this is going to be mega.
After this, it’s potentially a big expedition in Brazil to try and open up a... to try and open up a... to try and free an aid line on one of the big like six hundred metre faces, completely trad, completely in the jungle, you have to hike in for one day, there’s absolutely nothing there, it’s going to be, you know, cut and trail, it’s going to be a really different new experience, but I’m very much looking forward to this. And after that, well, that’s probably enough for right now.  It’s busy.  It’s busy.

Essentially, you now have the dream ‘job’of  being a ‘professional climber’ how is that for you?

Life as a professional climber is... is great, I mean this is the best way I can describe it, it’s perfect, it’s my dream and I couldn’t think of anything... anything better.  I think even... even if I was rich, you know, if I’d won the lottery and I didn’t need to, to have sponsors, I still think it’s better to have sponsors because you’re continuously trying to push yourself, trying to evolve, you know, try and stay on top of things, and I think if you were... if you didn’t have to worry about the money side of things, if you could just do what you wanted every day with no care it wouldn’t be, it wouldn’t be as fun.  You know, I kind of like the whole... it’s like a game, you know, you have to... you have your assets and you have to try and learn to piece them together to make the most... to make the best situation.  And I really enjoy this, it’s very creative.

So what have you made of Back Bowden Doors,  I know you’ve only had a few hours but would you like to come back?

Cold.  Especially right now, now the sun’s going!!  No, today was my first time actually at Back Bowden.  I’d been to the other Bowden, I don’t know if you call if Front Bowden? I’d been there once before but in the middle of summer, and so, sure, conditions were not so great.  And here, to day, I loved it.  I think there’s really interesting rock formations, especially at the far end of the crag at Merlin Wall is... it is very nice, it’s something that you just don’t... you just don’t get on the grit stone – these steep overhanging walls covered in positive hold – and so it’s quite fun to climb on a rock that’s quite similar to grit with the friction, you know, the texture, but to have... have this kind of terrain that’s normally restricted to limestone.

So this was great.  I wish my fingers were not quite as injured, and I would have been able to hopefully spend a bit more time on the harder problems, but it’s something to come back to in the future, I guess.

And the trad routes – well I just did one, Charlottes Dream Direct E7 6B, and it was so, so much fun.  I don’t think I’ve done a route with a move quite as wild as that for a long, long time.  Pretty... pretty good gear, small wires, the rocks are a little soft so you’re never quite sure whether they’re going to stay, but I think they’re ok.  And just this crazy... this wild, crazy, awkward dyno over from this scrunch position to a super good hold...but hard to hit.

You can read the full interview with James either here on on the PDF below

Wild Country are proud to unveil their 2012 UK climbing team - a group of reckless and hardy individuals who help us test and promote our gear whatever the danger and cost to themselves...! Well, it’s not exactly like that, but, led by James Pearson, the Wild Country climbing team is peopled with climbers that we feel help represent the values and ideals of Wild Country across the spectrum of the sport.

So, leading the way with a slew of hard ascents in 2011, from almost flashing E10 to multi-pitch monstrosities like Joy Division and flashing 8b+ is James Pearson, now living in France but originally a Buxton lad and working with Wild Country since 2004. There’s a superb video of James in action on his E10 flash attempt here - http://vimeo.com/25140891.

James Pearson seen here on his flash attempt on Muy Caliente E10

Hot on his heels are the incredibly talented ‘Wideboyz’ team of Tom Randall and Pete Whittaker, who as well as tackling the worlds hardest offwidths – and the first ascent of Century Crack E9 (as you may just have heard about) have produced a load of awesome grit routes in the past few years filling some very cool gaps on the Peak District edges – you can see some Century Crack footage here - http://vimeo.com/35270800.  Sheffield based there’s also Ben Heason who’s been working with Wild Country for years and is still sending 8b+ and E8, and the enigmatic Miles Gibson – the quiet man of the legendary super-desperates ‘Superstition’ and Superbloc’ on the gritstone. Also Peak based the youthful Hamer brothers have both been performing superbly in 2011: Ed probably outdoing his brother Sam with his fantastic results in the youth world cup climbing comps with a  couple of 2^nd places – but Sam showing he’s no slouch winding his neck out with few E8’s on the grit to even the scales – see the Hamers’ in action here - http://vimeo.com/26593785.
Last, but not least, long term teamer, Katherine Schirrmacher is hoping to build on her hard trad and grit E7 ascents after a year out to have a baby and build a very successful guiding business and will be starring in and sharing her technical knowledge in Wild Country’s ‘how to’ video series later this year.

Then up in Lancs the super psyched Jordan Buys is joined this year by his wife and partner Naomi to make an all action team. Both are multi discipline masters, mixing bouldering, trad climbing and sports climbing to a very high standard Jordan to 8c and E9 and Naomi to 8a+ and E7.  See Jordan in action here: http://vimeo.com/34862987

Over in Yorkshire, Jenny Woodward, has an incredible resume and after a bit of a stop start year last year after having a baby and suffering a few injuries and only sending up to 8A+(!!!) has some even harder projects on the go...watch this space!

Further north, in the Lake District, Dave Birkett and Adam Hocking are both climbing at the highest level and still doing stunning new trad lines and bouldering at the highest level – there’s a great video of Adam on a new E8 here – http://vimeo.com/25808567

New team member Naomi Buys in action on Snap Decision E7 6C Ilkley...

Meanwhile in Scotland the evergreen Malcolm Smith of has been relentless on rock with a recent new 8c+ Blood Diamond, while the fearless Kev Shields simply sets new standards for his bold soloing and some great winter ascents. And across the ‘pond’ in Ireland Andy Marshall has been representing Wild Country and has also sent some pretty rad lines including E8 2^nd ascents and plenty more.

Our boulder team (thought that terms a bit restrictive as they’re more than that) is headed up by the amazing Ned Fehally who seems to be taking bouldering up a notch as well as blurring the lines between highball and routes making some very hard ascents in 2011 including Samson E8 7a, and the Prow E9 7a both solo. See Ned in action here: http://vimeo.com/33103583. Nigel Callender also manages to continually impress, sending 8b+ - http://vimeo.com/20435941 - while studying to be a doctor in Newcastle and taking advantage of the awesome sandstone of Northumberland. Then in the south east the strong Ben Read is helping  establish a new wave of sandstone desperates as well as writing guidebooks and promoting the excellent climbing around there. Joining these guys this year is year is Stewart Watson, a very strong climber who’s been competing internationally in boulder comps for a number of years and is adding 8c ascents to his pretty awesome bouldering CV.

We also have some young climbers doing well and with Tara Hayes we have one the most up and coming of the UK junior competition climbers who in her first year managed to grab an overall 6^th place in the European Youth B standings.

So a big thanks to all those I’ve mentioned and anyone else who’s been flying the Wild Country flag - and you can see more about all Wild Country’s UK team at our website here:

And to get any news from the team first and fastest you can follow Wild Country on:
Twitter - @wildcountryuk
On our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wild-Country/97486098594
Or to watch all our videos our Vimeo page is here: http://vimeo.com/wildcountry/videos

Here's young gun Ed Hamer doing what he does best - climbing very very well on something that's very very steep!!!!!!

What an inspirational year for the world of junior British competition climbing! From our homeland across the channel to Bulgaria, Austria, France and Slovenia the team has been getting stuck in.

The evidence of the huge effort put in by our young athletes into their training, commitment and pure enjoyment of our fantastic sport is not just in the results on paper but the atmosphere and friendship within team events. On the international stage the GB team were like a firework travelling through the sky with an almighty whoosh of flying sparks! We have been propelled rapidly to great heights by the youngest competing members of our team. Molly Thompson Smith and Tara Hayes only in their first year of Youth B, taking their first (not so timid) steps into the terra incognito of international competitions have gone out and both taken positions of 6th in Europe!

On top of this Molly made it through to the finals in her first World Youth Championships, taking home an achievement of 8th in the world. Our metaphor flies on to its ultimate awe inspiring finale of sheer brilliance and flying color driven by the oldest member of our team. Ed Hamer has taken the dedication and vision of climbing, not just in the refined competition circuit but as a whole, a lifestyle of personal progression and achievement on plastic and rock. The result of this drive was realized in October when he positioned 2nd in world for U20's. The pride and excitement that welled up from the crowd of supporters cheering Ed under the clear Austrian sky that frames the inspiring competition wall at Imst Kletterhalle, was such a powerful and moving experience!

Amongst fantastic achievement and international ranking the background is as important and valued. The whole team has been a credit to those that support us. The atmosphere and livelihood of national events has been warm and unbelievably positive. There is no doubt that the standard of everyone is steadily pushing higher and higher. The display of outstanding performance at the national events, British Championships and Youth opens shows that every climber that has been chosen to represent Great Britain has the potential to make it as far or further than our current stars, all that is required is dedication and belief. We have seen the amazing talent and energy of the up and coming climbers in Youth C by the outstanding performance at the recent Sunderland youth open, the lads were well onto the heels of us junior males, inspiringly so! We are welcoming onto the team an incredible bunch of new climbers who are going to take things forward I can tell!

Now more than ever before the support from our sponsors; The Epicenter , The BMC our photographer Lukasz, coaches, family and friends are driving things forward for our national team.

Towards the end of the year we have faced the hard news of John Ellison's Cancer however as a network of friends we are united under the world of climbing in support for him. The energy and passion of team members, management, sponsors, volunteers, supporting family and aspiring young people promises for an exciting year ahead!

Luke Tilley (Team Captain)

Here's a quick report from Wild Country's South African distributors...

'Here is a pic of one of our new Wild Country sponsored climbers, Richard Halsey (aka Squeaky). This pic is of him opening his new trad line on Table Mountain, called Matador (25)….. I think that roughly translates to E5 6b.
I spent Wednesday afternoon on the Ledge on Table Mountain with Richard and Joe Mohle (we started sponsoring Joe last year), while they worked their projects. Richard sent his on his first attempt of the day. Joe is still working his, but it is a monster, felt to be around grade 31/32 (in the E9’s). I hope to be there to capture the send, so will be keeping in close comms with him.
Cheers Jono - Outward Ventures'