During this time when we can’t meet up or go climbing, we thought that it would be a good opportunity to get to know some BCC members a bit better. Every week we will publish an interview with a club member.
Questions by Kyle Stewart
Photo 1: Jamie enjoying cake after alt leading 'Cake Walk' at Fair head with Thomas Prebble
Hi Jamie, tell me a little about yourself.
- ‘I’m 28 and currently work as Post-Doc Fellow in the Centre for Cancer Research for Queen’s University of Belfast. I came to Northern Ireland to complete a PhD in the same field and did so last year. I’m originally from England but moved around a lot when I was younger and have lived in Germany on two separate occasions. Interestingly, most people don’t realise I’m half Pakistani, but my middle name (Zeshan) gives it away. Anything else you need to know about me can be easily summarised in the first picture!’
How long have you been climbing? Where did you learn?
- ‘I started climbing in 2011 with the University of Bristol Mountaineering Club (UBMC), while attending my bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry with the University of Bristol. I was lucky that the club was so enthusiastic and went on plenty of trips with them around the UK, learning to Trad climb on all the different types of rocks that England and Wales had to offer. My first lead was outdoors in the Peak district before I had even led indoors! I formed a strong bond with them and joined the committee, the rest was history.’
What styles/types of climbing do you enjoy most?
- ‘I enjoy all climbing in all of its forms, but to date I have partaken in; Trad, Sport, Bouldering, DWS, Ice, Mixed and Alpine climbing over Europe. Of course, being from the UK, Trad climbing has a special place in my heart and is my preferred method of climbing.’
Most enjoyable climbing experience?
- ‘It’s really hard to put my finger on one, mainly due to my lousy memory. Anything with big multipitch climbing comes to memory; climbing on: the huge golden towers of granite in the French alps in the Vallee Blanche area, the grey rhyolite of Llanberis pass in Northern Wales and even the bare and smooth limestone of the Avon Gorge in Bristol. While Fair head has many extraordinary routes, the adventure of route finding is not the same there (since you usually follow a crack straight up). The Avon gorge’s routes are mostly multipitch and very windy, mainly to avoid gnarly areas with no gear, which there are plenty of. If you didn’t stick to your route in the sea of grey, quarried limestone then you could easily go from a VS to an E7 with no gear.’
Least enjoyable climbing experience?
- ‘None seem to come to memory, even if I haven’t had the best time, I’ve always learnt something from the experience.’
Favourite route/Favourite crag?
- ‘Favourite routes are either the Rebuffat on the South face of the Midi or the Contamine Route on Pointes Lachenal. Favourite crag has to be Fair head, such a large number of high-quality routes, with excellent protection at harder grades is pretty difficult to overlook.
Climbing experience you learnt most from?
- ‘There were two routes around Bristol that I didn’t have good falls on (luckily I didn’t injure myself) but I wouldn’t have if I hadn’t tried the routes again after I failed them the first time. Their grades weren’t really accurate in the climbing book and taught me it’s best to walk away from some things and not be so stubborn.’
Any goals for the future, any routes you want to try, new crags to visit?
- ‘Currently, it’s to get climbing outside once this whole COVID-19 thing blows over! I don’t have a particular routes in mind, just grades I want to push. I was getting comfortable climbing E2 and want to push into E3, luckily there are so many class routes at that grade in Fair head and the Mournes I will be spoiled for choice. Obviously, grades don’t mean everything, some people are perfectly content climbing at a grade they are comfortable with and there is nothing wrong with it, I just get a lot of enjoyment pushing my limit with climbing.’
Photo 2: Jamie leading the crux pitch of Guy-Anne, l'insolite at the Envers in Chamonix
Photo 3: Jamie’s reliable climbing buddy Steve seconding him on Pink Wall Traverse in the Avon Gorge