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The current issue of Climber has an interesting article by Jim Perrin in it. This won't be a surprise if you've ever picked up this particular rag as he is a standard fixture. Perrins writing can be a bit hit and miss. For me, this month's installment was very much a hit. Though not in the hollywood blockbuster sense. More of a blow than a hit you might say. This particular piece was a reminiscence on John Syrett. I don't know much about him, but I do know he was a great climber and a troubled soul. The line from Perrin's essay that struck me was about Syretts's demise......"his sad and untimely death, jumping in drunken despair from the top of Malham Cove". Something about those words. Can't put my finger on it. The juxtaposition of the famous venue, the famous climber and the infamous drink. So much of what climbers do is about avoiding danger and the risk of death, it seems odd to picture a crag as the scene for a suicide. Possibly a place with a personal significance to Syrett? Doesn't seem like the kind of place one ends up in by accident. Stop. I'll go no further into that. His reasons were his own, not to be dug at by the like of me. It did make me think though. Once I was talking about climbing (which I do far too much of incidentally, talking about and not actually climbing) with a non climbing friend and I brought up one of my more memorable moments (soloing FM yonks ago), the question was raised about motives...."Was it suicidal?"....."Hell no, it was a V.Diff". The two just seemed incongrous, climbing and willful loss of life. Climbers at large seem to be practical and clear thinking sorts. A more efficient way could be found than that. In fact, its the practical and down to earth nature of climbers that gets me about the Syrett incident. I used to go out with a girl who went to art college. She was pretty well grounded. But her friends were artsy, whiney, attention seeking, self absorbed little shites who had no more grasp on the day to day realities of life than a kiwi fruit has a grasp of a greased up rats tail. In short, artistic idiots. Half claimed to be on some form of prescription mood enhancers for their deep seated inner demons. Whether this is true, i couldn't say and don't care. The point is, its the last thing I would expect from a bunch of climbers (this my be totally at odds with reality, i don't know. its just a personal perception). When snooker championship are televised, my father takes great pleasure in ridiculing commentators calling players "courageous" and well he might (the only notable exception to this being Paul Hunter). What are the consequences of a miss-queing? Not as great as blowing it on the top moves of The Bogey Man I'd imagine. Climbing does actually take courage sometimes. And proper climbing has possible consequence you have to be aware of. In Syrett's case, depression and alcohol may have had an effect in numbing this awareness, but again I'd like to point out I know jack shit about him and am in no position to comment. Johnny Dawes admits to having had a skinful of whiskey the night before leading Indian face, and being a borderline alcholic at the time. Not sure why I mentioned that, but theres a connection there somewhere as Nick Dixon put it, say that to climb that route you have to be prepared to risk dying.

I'm not entirely sure what all the above actually means, but they're just some thoughts what I had and wanted to write down. And this is where I write stuff down. Toodles