Click HERE for the Beta Climbing Team Blog |
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Gaz ParryClick HERE for Gaz's personal blog
Photo by Anna Piunova
MALA HIERBES - F8C FOR GAZ PARRY"Hot on the heels of his recent redpoint of L'Espolon De L'Ocaive, Gaz
Rope of Choice: Sterling Velocity
UKC latest report HERE
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Name: Gaz, Gareth Parry Occupation: Climber, Coach, Writer, Lecturer, Adventurer. Age: 38 Hardest os: 8a+ Hardest Boulder: 8B Hardest Redpoint: 8c Best Comp Result: 3rd Birmingham World Cup, Arco Rock Master 2007 Best Day Climbing: Twice I have climbed 2 8B boulders in a day. Another day I redpointed an 8c and onsighted two 8a+’s.
What’s your bag? Anything to do with climbing.
What’s your next big challenge? I am currently on with it at the moment. At the end of 2008 my partner and I moved to the Costa Blanca in Spain to live and run our new outdoor company Epic Adventures. We are slowly working towards having a renovated casita a full year of coached climbing and adventure holidays with a personal edge at the same time as trying to maintain my climbing level and place on the British Climbing Team. My aims for 2011 are to compete in the boulder World Cups, On Sight 8b and climb 9a……….not much really. How did you get into climbing? I started climbing when I was 12 with some friends from school, but I always had an outdoor upbringing. I spent a lot of time walking and scrambling with my dad in the Lakes and Wales. He has always been big on the mountains. It began with a day a Cadshaw in Lancashire, climbing and abseiling with harnesses made out of old car seat belts. Why should everyone go climbing? Climbing is one of the most pure sports around. Even before we can walk we are trying to ascend the sofa. When you are out there alone just climbing it can be such a great feeling. It is the only sport I know that really uses the whole of the body but its greatest challenge is sometimes just on the mind. If you are a tennis player you will never find yourself playing next to Federer or Nadal but in climbing you will find yourself climbing next to Ondra or Fischuber, its just the nature of our sport.
What training do you have to put in? At the moment I spend at least a week a month in the UK working. This involves either coaching or route setting at indoor climbing walls. This means a great deal of climbing on “plastic” which allows me to train while I work. When I am at home in Spain either I am coaching, climbing or working on my Casita. This tends to involve a lot of manual work. Even though this is not really a structured training regeime at 37 I have a little more experience than most and this allows me to get more out of such a random set up. This year I have managed to finish 2nd at the British Boulder Championships, qualify 1st in a World Cup event and onsight 8a, so somehow it keeps me fit!!
Do you have any advice for budding climbers? Yeah. Don’t get obsessed with training. Learn how to climb with good technique, it will stand you good in the future. Fall off, don’t be afraid to fail or try harder. Just get out there, get experience and travel the world.
What’s the weirdest thing that’s ever happened to you while climbing? Not so weird really but in 2008 I went to Pakistan to attempt Trango Tower we spent a month at Basecamp making weak attempts to climb the 500m face. On the last evening there was a massive avalanche and the force of the air and spin drift from it flattened our camp. It was as if the mountain was telling us it was time to go home. The next morning we did, a little shaken but thankfully all in one piece. Not so weird but a bit spicy.
Info: Climbing 27 years 6 Times British Climbing Champion Sponsors:- DMM, 5.10, Beta Climbing Designs Pets 4 cats, 2 dog, 4 horses Member of the Bristish Bouldering Team www.gbclimbingteam.co.uk
Gaz and Kate run Epic Adventures. For people seeking a holiday with a difference. |
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Gaz
