Nigel Callender
I started climbing back in Ireland aged 11. At the time, bouldering wasn’t ‘in’ and clipping bolts was something that could actually get you shot on sight. So I scared myself on trad for quite a few years before moving to Wales for Uni when I was 18. I’d come from a background in swimming, I was ok at it but nothing special. However, it did mean that to me, training was a normal thing that you did for sport and so various incarnations of a woodie were built in my parents garage. Malcolm Smith was always a hero and I guess in my daydreaming, teenage mind, I was him.
Just to show that Nige is actually Malc, here's Nige sending Malc's finest Monk Life 8b+
Monk Life, Font 8b+, Kyloe from Nigel Callender on Vimeo.
Wales opened my eyes to what was possible and bouldering became my main focus, interspersed with occasional terrified moments on the Slate or on Anglesey. In 2008 I moved to Newcastle to study medicine and for once was injury
free, just with very little time. However, being busy seems to focus things a lot and I finally realised how to put all the stuff I’d learned as a sports scientist together and things have just skyrocketed.
Having a class wall up here thanks to Andy, Chris and Darren at ClimbNewcastle has just made it even easier. I’ve been sponsored by Red Chili/Wild Country since 2001 and in 2010 became British Bouldering Champion and began representing Ireland in international comps.
Nige on Desperado 8a+, Gimmerknowe, Northumberland...
Some of my best moments in climbing:
My first E1, topping out on the classic North Ridge of the Piz Badile, Sunny evenings in the Pass, Will O’ the Wisp - V. Diff with Rob B., getting spanked on a V5 at Almscliff with Matt R., CWIF 2010 and realising I could actually hold my own at an international level, various Welsh/Lakeland/Scottish gullies, topping out my first F. 8a in Siurana just as a thunderstorm rolled in, Munich World Cup 2010 and Monk Life - 8b+...
The future? No idea really, I’m never short of goals, only time.
Some of it involves www.gravityclimbing.ie
The rest can be found here: nigelcallender.blogspot.com
22nd Feb 2012 Wild Country UK Climbing Team 2012 Unveiled
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 2nd 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 2nd 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 6th 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!!!!!!
