James Pearson (UK)

Since he joined the Wild Country team James' climbing level has kept moving up and in the last few seasons his ascents of The Groove E10 7B, The Walk Of Life E9 7A, and many other routes including the 2nd ascent of Gerty Berwick E10 have made him a household name in the UK and across Europe. Wild Country are proud that James uses our gear and that James is an ambassador for Wild Country across the globe.


More about James

Born within a stones throw of some of the worlds best crags, and five minutes from the Wild Country factory, it’s no surprise he has made a name for himself on ‘gods own rock’ - gritstone. But James also seems to have the ability to raise his game on all rock types and James loves doing new routes and has made journeys to some obscure places to do so already and I’m sure more will come.

A traditional climber first and foremost he’s also getting a more than worthwhile bouldering pedigree, with his steely fingers pulling down a number of classic hard problems to date and his sight set on many more. James is still pretty young and if his climbing moves on as fast as it has to date he’ll be cranking E15 in no time…but until then just watch this space for more quick ascents of E8’s E9’s and E10’s.

James sent me this rather modest summary of his climbing (up to 2009):

"I started climbing in 2001/2002. I mainly bouldered for the first year and then gradually started to get in to trad. My first hard route was Kaluza Klein E7 6C at Robin Hoods Stride. I wore a skateboarding helmet and boots that were too big for me with socks. After that, I bought some proper shoes and started doing more of the routes which really attracted me. The grades were a bit of a jump to "The Zone" E9 6C, "Smoked Salmon" E7 7A, and "Knocking on Heavens Door" E9 6C. I continued to dabble with bouldering and sport climbing but never really got hooked, probably because I was so weak.

In the autumn of 2004 I went on a 3 month roadtrip round the US. I mainly bouldered on this trip, got a bit stronger and did the Buttermilker at the Buttermilks my first 8a+ V12. Back home on the grit, I felt pretty good so decided to have a look at Equilibrium E10 7A, Neil Bentley's masterpiece at Burbage South. This had had only two ascents and I thought it would be a cool tick to have - but at this point I didn’t really think I would do it.
However, it took me only 4 days to repeat Equilibrium, making it the quickest (and youngest) ascent by a long way. I felt really good about that and headed off to Fontainebleau for 2 weeks where I repeated Big Dragon V12.

Summer 2005 came along and I felt a little stronger, so I went to America again and this time things clicked quickly and I had a very good trip! It was great for me to go back on problems that were too hard to do the previous year and do them easily, it made me feel a lot stronger and got me psyched. Annoyingly, there were still some problems out of my reach: I tried "Black Lung" 8B in Joes valley quite a bit and even got my hand in the finishing pocket a few times but kept falling. So although the trip was great I left feeling mentally fatigued and on my return, decided to have a go at doing some training and started to develop a little more strength.

I completed a lot of my boulder projects in the peak district, giving River Of Life V12 and Hats For Youths V11. I invested a little time in sportclimbing and succeded in climbing the classic Mecca 8b+ at Ravens Tor. In Summer 2006, I once again headed back to the states, this time to Colorado. I had a fantastic trip and repeated a load of hard problems. I feel like this trip was the beginning of the current stage of my climbing life and I left feeling great both physically and mentally. On my return, I climbed a load of classic hard boulders in England and Europe. At the start of 2007 I put up what i felt was one of the hardests route on gritstone, The Promise E10 7a. Since then I have spent about 4 weeks in Switzerland which is currently my favourite bouldering venue and have taken my climbing to a new level with 2 flashes of confirmed V13 boulders, The Ganymede Takeover V13 and The Great Shark Hunt V13."

James can be seen here on The Groove another of the hardest routes on grit...

James can be seen here in this video of deep water soloing in Majorca...

You can more videos of James at the loinks below

5th Feb 2012 James Pearson - Postcards from Paradise #4

James Pearson versus Monty Python's Flying Circus 8b....

Ben Grasser (mentioned in my last postcard) had recently escaped from Bangkok to open a climbing/adventure camp in the nearby jungle.
Located at Kaeng Koi, the Nam Pha Pa Yai camp is a haven for travellers, climbers, and adventurers, and would soon play host to a New-Year/1 year birthday party for a local climbing group.  The nearby climbing looked great, especially in the easier grades, and so, with a few days spare before flying to the south, and not being ones to turn down a good party, we decided to pay Ben a visit.

Arriving late in the evening, we followed a rough dirt track to a dark and deserted camp.  Whilst wondering if we were in the wrong place, a head-torch appears through the black, and introduces himself as Ben.  He gives us the quick tour and explains a few necessary precautions, including what to do for a snakebite, and how to check for scorpions in the toilet block. After showing us to our tent, Ben disappears back into the darkness and I start to wonder where it is exactly that we have come.  Whilst falling to sleep, my mind is busy… not with thoughts of whether will we enjoy the next few days, but whether we will survive!
The next morning we join Ben for a visit to the Cliff.  Along the way he explains a little about his ideas for the place and the work he has already done – it is clear how passionate he is, and the amount of hard work and energy he is putting in to make it a success.

After a few minutes’ walk, we arrive at a wide river, with the cliff on the other side and no bridge for miles around.  Bens solution is as crazy and exciting as the rest of his project – two giant zip-lines allowing visitors to quickly and easily fly back and forth.  We race across, giddy from the excitement, only to be stopped dead in our tracks by the sight of several huge, very hard looking, unclimbed overhangs.
After climbing the best existing lines on the cliff during the morning, the place begins to fill up with guests of the party, including a national Thai TV crew!  Seeking a little tranquillity among the madness, I hike to the top of the cliff in search of potential new lines to bolt through one of the main overhangs.  Moving around on this big cliff is hard work, but by the end of the day a few new bolts are in place – everything must have a beginning.

Its a tough job, but somebody has to do it!

The next day would prove to be long… especially after the late night shenanigans of the party before.  Caroline had a crash course in bolting, and she helped me to finish our new line and project for the day.  On first impressions, the route looked easy, then after a little cleaning and a closer look, really really hard.  I was not overly confident of my chance of success, but fortunately managed to find several good kneebars, allowing me to shuffle my way through the overhanging madness, flashing the first ascent with a big fight.

Caroline in the beginnings of the upside down madness… Photo – Richard Eden

Caroline followed with the second in a much more relaxed manner – I am always amazed about how comfortable she looks on overhanging collo’s.  I called the route Monty Pythons Flying Circus, and at 8b, is one of the hardest rotes in Thailand, outside of Krabi.  The name is not only a reference to the upside down acrobatics, but also the giant python who watched me whilst I drilled, cosily curled up in a hole just a few meters away.  You don’t see that every day!

 

31st Jan 2012 James Pearson - Postcards from Paradise #3

At around 6.30, walking down a sleepy street as the sun rises, a black pick-up stops beside us and rolls down its tinted window.  Richard Eden smiles warmly back at us, his beautiful baby daughter asleep in the back seat.  Today he has to work, but kindly offers us free reign of his nearby house, promising to be back early in the evening so we can get ready for the next few days.

One of the rare sets of Tufa, on the amazing 6c+ warm up, and 7b+ “Waxing the Crack” .  Photo – Richard Eden

Muak Lek Is a small cliff 1½ hours North-East of Bangkok, just over the Saraburi border.  Easily accessible by Bus from the capital, Muak Lek is one of the local hang-outs for the very small group of BK climbers.  I say very small for a reason, in fact, you can probably count the numbers on one hand, and consequently will often have the cliff to yourself.

From the parking, the cliff does not look like much, and if I am honest, I was dubious about the quality of what was to come.  A steep 30min hike up a rocky jungle trail brings you to the cliff, from where my doubts grew even more after the first close up views of stone.

Unlike Thakhek and Ban Nam None there was hardly a collo in sight.  Seemingly blank expanses of white and yellow limestone, split occasionally by discontinuous cracks and corner systems, struggled to inspire.  Richard explained to us the lines of the best routes, and not wanting to offend, we began climbing.

Stepping on to the rock, everything changed!  Meter after meter of fantastic moves on perfect rock is what Muak Lek offers to its visitors.  Nothing painful, nothing dirty – fantastic pockets seem to appear from nowhere, surprising you each time by their presence, and how great climbing around them is.

James on the first ascent of the incredible  “No One Is Innocent” 8a+. Photo – Caroline Ciavaldini

Climbing an open project up the centre of the main wall was the highlight of my day.  The route had been bolted around 4 years ago by French Ex-pat Ben Grasser and is an absolute joy to climb – a contender for the best route I have climbed in Asia.  As the light of the day faded we finished with one of Richards own creations, a magnificent 7c up an unlikely concave wall just to the right.  Perfect holds were exactly where they needed to be, and Caro and I both agreed that Muak Lek was quite the unexpected little gem.

24th Jan 2012 James Pearson - Postcards from Paradise #2

Finally I find the way… With the rope bag between my legs, and my backpack on my front, I can take a “comfy” position lay flat out of the wind, as I gun my little 50cc moped, full throttle towards the unknown. The ease and tranquillity of Green Climbers home has been left behind; we are in search of adventure in the East.

The road is long…

After 150km and 3 hours aboard my “hair-dryer”, my ass is numb, but spirits high as we enter the incredible cavern of Kong Lor. A 7km long watercave, navigated in almost pitch black with a tiny longtail boat is an experience in itself – the incredible stalactites in a central chamber being the icing on the cake. We leave the cave at just before nightfall with a new friend. Our guide from the cave offered for us to sleep at his house and eat dinner with his family, which was quite a humbling and eye opening experience.

The next morning we are back on our bikes in search of the small climbing area we had come all this way for. Ban Name None was opened a few years ago by a small team from France, who over a few weeks opened three new cliffs with around 30 routes up to 8b. Arriving at the base of the cliff was surprisingly easy, as the thick jungle we had expected had been recently cut back by the local villages – we could drive our bikes directly to the cliff!

The reason for our good fortune turned out to be the local government, whom have recently decided to make the area an Eco-Park. Climbing is one of the many activities they hope to offer to attract tourists, and work is well underway to make the area as accessible and safe as possible. Its a good plan, and one I hope works – the next step will be to convince the villages to stop stealing the hangers off the first and second bolts, all of which are currently missing.

Wow!  Not so ugly…  Photo – James Pearson

Steep routes on giant tuffas is the order of the day. Some of the rock is very sharp, and almost all of it is dirty due to lack of visitors. We would often have to aid the routes first with a big sweeping brush to clean off the spider webs, but after this little bit of effort, we were left with great routes with not a polished hold in sight.

James Pearson on the incredible tufas of Ca Baille Dur.  Photo – Caroline Ciavaldini

The best routes to seek out are Ca Baille Dur – a perfect 7b on glorious jugs and collo’s, and Gross Slame, 8b – one of the rare routes to breach the blank rock between the lines of Tufa (this one was even more memorable as I Flashed it, perhaps making the first ascent in the process?). The rock continues for several hundred meters in either direction, with mega-impressive features just waiting to be climbed. With time and motivation invested from the right people, this area could become something really special…

12th Jan 2012 James Pearson signs up to lead the Wild Country team for three more years!!

James Pearson, one of Wild Country's top sponsees has put pen to paper and committed to the Wild Country team for another three seasons. James Pearson on Muy Caliente Pembroke

James, one of the UK's top climbers has been with Wild Country for 5 years already, since his emergence as one of the brightest UK climbers in the early 00's and has cemented his strong relationship with this deal.

James will be not only helping to test and prove Wild Country's latest gear but representing Wild Country across the globe as he makes his ambitious trips to such far flung regions and Chad or Greenland (as part of the North Face team) as well as missions closer to his new home in France - and obviously flying visits to the UK.

James explained why Wild Country is such a good fit for him and why he chose to represent Wild Country:

"Being a 'local lad' born a 'stones throw' from the Wild Country factory in the Peak District it was an obvious choice to work with Wild Country. I am proud to be an ambassador for the brand and help with the testing and proving of their new gear. I am hoping to really push myself in the next few years and having the support of Wild Country (as well as my other sponsors) makes all the difference.'

James Pearson in 'blitz mode' on his Pembroke visit early in 2011...almost flashing Muy Caliente E10 7A

Richie Patterson, Wild Country Marketing Manager commented
'James has been an exceptional sponsee for Wild Country providing us with great feedback on gear as well as having an amazing appetite for rock which has resulted in some incredible ascents which we're proud to be associated with - I'm really happy that he's on board with us for the next few years.'

An Amazing Climbing History

Initially a gritstone maestro, throwing himself at E9's as a callow youth and getting up them; like The Zone E9 and Knockin On Heavens Door E9 James then proved himself in the Uk with a string of even more awesome gritstone ascents: The Groove E10, Equilibrium E10, Gerty Berwick E9, The Promise E8 - before moving one to some bigger challenges with The Walk Of Life E9.

And as well as this James was proving himself on the bouldering scene with his 'Raven Tor' strength and steely fingers getting him to the level where he added the classic Keen Roof 8a+ to Raven Tor then even managed the first ever 8b flash incredibly enough - it was easy to see his levels rising.

You can see James from a few years ago in the video below from 'Committed' by Hotaches'

An Even Brighter Future
However, for James this wasn't enough and he decided he needed more and some bigger challenges, and so in the last few years James decided to change direction and a move to Innsbruck led him to discover what 'euro-training' was all about - and humble enough to start over - he has added a new level of fitness and ability to his base level.

So in the last couple of seasons as well as now having the ability to polish off 8c's pretty quickly - read more here and see video -  James' new found stamina and resilience has allowed him to start to take up multi-pitch challenges - which showed this year as his first big route Joy Division 8b fell.

James is now living in France with a host of big cliffs and limestone testpieces around so I'm sure we'll see lots of big numbers coming from him - like the 2 8c's he polished off recently - but there's more on the agenda than that and James is looking for more big routes and big walls to throw himself at.

So with loads more strength and multi-pitch ambitions we're expecting great things from James in 2012 and beyond and you can follow all his exploits here on the Wild Country website....

 

James climbing and nearly flashing Muy Caliente E10 in Pembroke early in 2011 - thanks to North Face for this film...

 

12th Jan 2012 James Pearson - Postcards from Paradise #1

James Pearson is once again in exploration mode and this time it's south east Asia, and his first 'postcard' comes from Laos: James Pearson 3D climbing in Laos

'I am lying on my back, half stuck inside a hole on this giant block of Swiss Cheese, trying to figure where to go next.  I squeeze upwards, or is it sideways, limbs twisted and inching slowly... then finally, there it is; the next quickdraw!  You would be forgiven I was caving, but no, this is just another strange and funky route in the mega roof of Pha Tam Kam, the newest discovery in Eastern Laos.

James Pearson shows the meaning of 3D climbing in Laos...

Green Climbers Garden is the creation of Uli and Tanja Weidner, a German couple who visited this area during a round the world trip, and never left!  Hidden away in the Pho Hin Boun NPA, just 12km from Thakhek, this little paradise holds several bungalows, a dorm, central restaurant/bar, as well as really great climbing. Uli and Tanja are wonderful hosts, and the whole camp has a very relaxed atmosphere, exactly what you expect from Laos.  The best time to visit is November to March, when temperatures actually get quite low.  In December and January, it’s not uncommon to need long trousers and a jacket – essentially perfect conditions for climbing. 

I never expected to see something like this!

The area in general is Tufa-central, it is quite similar in appearance to some of the cliffs in Southern Thailand, only with some friction, and without the crowds.  The main event however is the gigantic roof on the right.  20m of horizontal, gloriously featured Emmental.  Huge jugs and slopers, nothing sharp, nothing loose, nothing chipped or glued – this might be the best roof I have climbed in! The current hardest route is the spectacular Monkey Trail, 7c+ but much harder lines are just waiting to be bolted.  Having said that, it is not the hard lines that make this place really special, but the easy ones.  It is quite rare for routes in the 6’s to venture into steep terrain, but here you can find 6b’s that tackle almost the entire span, via wonderfully interesting and involved movements – 3D climbing at its best.

Green Climbers Home surpassed all my expectations.  If the rest of the locations we visit over the next few weeks are half as good as this place, we will be very happy indeed.  Tomorrow we will rent a couple of bikes and drive to Kong Lor Cave, where you can float 7km along an underground river, as well as explore some nearby cliffs developed by a French team a few years ago.

Sôhk Dee Deuh, James and Caroline.

 

Read more about James and watch his videos here...

 

Read about Wild Country's ascents of the year which includes James here...

 

There is a link to my blog here... http://jpclimbing.com/2012/pfp-green-climbers-home/

 

James Pearson finds a cool kind of paradise.....

Jame