In what is reckoned to be the worst (or best depending upon you viewpoint...) winter for thirty years, the opportunities to ‘get out’ on rock have been pretty rare of late. Slowly though, there are signs that winter is coming to an end – even if it is that the snow, when it comes, doesn’t last for long – Scotland excepted that is!   more »

I have to admit to a near-obsession with the Burbage Valley, especially Burbage North. I first pulled onto Burbage North’s ramparts nearly forty years ago as a fresh-faced, snotty youth. I distinctly recall getting mauled on that occasion by Wednesday Climb. Not much has changed really over the intervening years except that there’s a lot more miles on the clock nowadays. I’m still getting mauled – albeit by slightly harder stuff!   more »

In the week that Wrossie (a.k.a. Jonathan Ross) jacks, Keith Sharples Photography hits the beeb (again)...   more »

In what might prove to be one of the few outside climbing opportunities this week Paul and myself headed out to Burbage North on Monday night. We figured it would probably be a dump-ass thing to do but that unless you try you don’t know what might be possible...   more »

We’re only into 2010 by a few days but I’m lovin’ it big time! In superb style, the clock rolled-over into a New Year and a new decade but the same sub-arctic conditions stayed with us and as a photographer I’m glad they did. It’s been time to get out and get snapping - I’ve added nearly 5gig of image files to the network drive already this year...   more »

When tales of no snow in some Euro ski resorts are set against the tales of snow across our fair isle, you start to scratch your head a bit. Then along comes a white Xmas, the first for some considerable time, and you really sit up and take note.    more »

So did you catch Keith Sharples Photography on BBC1 on Monday? I’m ashamed to say that I didn’t! Not to worry, a few clicks of the mouse and bbciplayer is up and running and wadda you know – KSP is on the telli…   more »

Do the years just seem to roll by to you? Yeah, same for me – especially since I’ve been in the calendar business; man they seem to zip bye! Anyway back at the point, I heard today that Climbing:2010, my sixth rock climbing calendar, is now rolling off the printing press at Printworks in Sheffield. Next up is collating, trimming, binding, shrink-wrapping and then... bingo – it’s time to start shipping! ETA is, at the moment, a (known) unknown – but it’s pretty darned soon so watch this space…   more »

Now that the 9th day of the 9th month of the 2009 has passed without the merest hint of an apocalyptical horseman and all the doomsayers are having a two-week summer vacation, it’s obviously time to get on with life and back into the business of blogging ...   more »

And the winner, scooping top prize in this year’s ‘Be in my calendar’ competition, is Alastair Smith from Chester. The competition on top UK climbing website, www.ukclimbing.com, was to find a willing victim to feature alongside the good and the great in climbing:10, next year’s climbing calendar.   more »

Steve McClure’s summer mission continues, at a pace, with a rare repeat of Ben Moon’s Raven Tor test-piece, Hubble (F8c+). Steve sent Hubble on one of the hottest days last week when humidity was well high and most people were reduced to thrashing around and complaining about the shocking conditions!   more »

Acting on a half-decent forecast, Steve McClure was keen to head into the (Welsh) mountains last Saturday on a mission to boldly go where (few) had been before. But straining under rucksacks bulging with climbing and camera kit we weren’t travelling light nor fast. Chances were that the walk-in would kill us never mind the climbing!   more »

It’s calendar competition time again where YOU get the opportunity to appear in climbing:10, my climbing calendar for next year. UKC, www.ukclimbing.com, are sponsoring a page in climbing:10 and the comp winner will be photographed specially for the occasion.   more »

Just days after climbing onto the podium at the British Bouldering Championships at Cliffhanger to claim a very credible third place, Gaz Parry got his harness on and rope out and nailed a rare repeat of the Kilnsey North Buttress classic, True North (F8c).   more »

Cliffhanger in Sheffield, billed as The UK’s Biggest Outdoor Event for Outdoor People, has once again delivered a great weekend of wall-to-wall climbing action and fun. The two-day event saw a new world record dyno jump from Skyler Weeks and a real cliffhanger of a finish to the British Bouldering Championships which were won by Ned Feehally and Leah Crane.   more »

In case you haven't been down to your nearest climbing wall or shop recently, the July edition of Climber has been out for a wee while now sporting a cover image and destination article by yours truly to the Canadian Rockies. As our cousins from across the pond would say, I’m totally stoked with the spread!…   more »

I had an email a couple of weeks or so back from someone in Barcelona. “Where is this going”, I hear you say? Well, it turns out that María José, said person, was searching on “Trouble with Lichen” on Wikipedia and my image from climbing 07, my 2007 climbing calendar, of Sam Whittaker climbing Trouble with Lichen HVS 5b at Bamford popped up in her browser.   more »

On Thursday last, Drew Haigh pulled the crux of Mark Leach’s 1988 Malham test-piece, Cry Freedom (F8b+) to join the handful of climbers who have succeeded were all else have failed to get closure. Drew was understandably chuffed and happily shared his delight with those at the crag. In a quirk of faith, I was at Malham in 1988 when Leach ended his monumental 46 day siege and I recall that his were truly Cries of Freedom! Drew, by comparison, took a mere six redpoints over five days to nail the route.   more »

Different photographers have different holly grails but all will include basic elements that are the same; good composition, eye-catching lighting and subject empathy. I like to shoot different subjects away from my staple diet of climbing photography as much as possible hence I make a point of heading into the woods for a short walk with my camera to capture mother nature every once in a while.   more »

I’m pleased to say that a new feature, Photo of The Month, is now up and running on KSP. The PoTM gallery will feature unpublished/new images from my climbing activities, travels and other photographic exploits as well as a mini commentary explaining a little about the subject, how the images was conceived and then captured.   more »

The 2009 edition of Tribe, the Go Ape! in-house magazine, features a 6-page spread of top wads from a variety of adventure sports including an image from my collection of Steve McClure on his Malham mega route, Overshadow.   more »

Rockfax’s latest edition of their award-winning guide, Western Grit, has hit the shelves with a double page spread of Upper Tor Wall (HS) from my Kinder collection used as the opening shot...   more »

I’m blown away to be one of the four photographers featured in the cover story, Vertical Take, in the latest edition (29th April 2009) of the British Journal of Photography (BJP). Vertical Take, is a behind-the-scenes look at ‘climbing with the mountaineering photographers’…   more »

A Grand Day Out, a magazine supplement with a twist, was published with Climb Magazine and was stuffed with images from yours truly.   more »

On the hottest day of the year so far, Malham was a veritable white-hot caldron of limestone yesterday. The sky was a cloudless deep azure blue, the wind conspicuous by its absence and the crag was almost bone dry...   more »

I’ve spend pretty much all the 2008/09winter out night-time bouldering both for pleasure (yes I know that sounds perverse!) and to pull together Night Raiders, an illustrated piece published in Climber Apl|09.   more »

Though I say it myself, I’m chuffed with the front cover of February’s edition of Climber which features an image of mine of Ben Bransby on the second ground-up (third overall) ascent of James Pearson’s Burbage North testpiece, The Promise...   more »

So hands up who didn’t suffer over Chrimbal from an excess of turkey, mince pie, chocolate and festive beverages? The question is though did you get out and get some action in?   more »

climbing:09 has been shipping out for nearly two weeks now and feedback has been coming back in…   more »

Printworks in Sheffield, are well on with the business of printing, collating, folding, binding and shrink-wrapping half a tonne or so of calendars and year planners/posters. The latest eta for climbing:09 and the 2009 Year Planner/Poster is that it will be back and ready to roll out...   more »