Andy Kirkpatrick DVD

In the past five years I've attended over 20 mountain film festivals and seen lectures by many of the worlds top climbers and mountaineers. I think the funniest of all these speakers is Andy Kirkpatrick; more Eddie Izzard than Sir Chris.  

Andy says that he tries not to talk about the actual climbing. He says:

'Climbing is like masturbation; it's fun when you're doing it, but no one else wants to hear about it.' 

In December 2008 Andy asked Hot Aches to join him on the last date of his UK tour and record the performance. We filmed Andy's show in Stornoway on the island of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. We then mixed this footage with Andy's collection of photos and movies to produce the DVD 'When Hell Freezes Over'.

The DVD is now available from our shop (£11.99), we will be shipping the first orders on Monday 22 June.

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Kev Shields on the Grit

Earlier this year I headed down to The Peak to film Kev Shields climbing on the grit. This was Kev’s first grit trip, so it was great fun showing him around the crags and pointing out lines for him to look at.

Kev enjoying a nice grit top out. 'Traveller in Time’ E4

If you’ve not seen Kev in action before, check out the clip of the month on our homepage from Committed Vol1.

While at Ramshaw Rocks Kev spied the nice looking line ‘Traveller in Time’ E4 6a. Kev was almost stopped by a long reach out left at half height. As most of Kev’s left hand is missing it makes moves like this almost impossible, but after inventive use of a high toe hook with his right foot Kev made it to the top moves.

The next day at Froggat Kev made a fine solo accent of the classic Brown’s Eliminate E2.

Kev on 'Brown's Eliminate' E2

I always find climbing with Kev inspirational; it forces me to examine my own self imposed limitations and makes me think what I could achieve if tried has hard as Kev does.

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First Ascent ‘Silent Scream’ E7

Pete Whittaker

A team from Hot Aches were there to film ‘Grit Kid’ Pete Whittaker’s first ascent of ‘Silent Scream’ E7 6c. The route traverses the length of the Cioch Block in the Southern Quarry of Burbage South before finishing up the existing line ‘Masters of the Universe’ E7 6c.

Pete Whittaker topping out on Silent Scream 

Andy Pollitt made the first ascent of ‘Masters…’ back in 1988. I remember it made the front cover of one of the mags, ‘High’, I think, maybe OTE. It’s an interesting route in that, like its neighbour ‘Offspring’ (as seen in ‘Stone Monkey’), both leader and second have to abseil to a starting belay on the corner of the block.

Pete had previously climbed ‘Masters..’ ground up… well, ground up apart from the abseil in! Maybe ‘Abseil Up’ is the correct style description. He then looked for a way to dispense with the ab rope.

The new route starts on the left edge of the block and traverses a line lower than the existing girdle, ‘Silent Spring’ E4 5c.

 

Cross-through on the traverse

Pete’s mum, Jill, was belaying on the ledge. 

Jill Whittaker

The route is protected by a few ancient rusty bolts, which date back to a time when aid climbing was practised on this crag (1960’s?).

Ancient bolt

The route is also protected by a sling behind a ‘shipwreck’ of a block; I’m not sure what I’d trust more, the block or the rusty bolts. 

Pete hanging off the 'shipwreck' block

Once Pete reached the right side of the block he clipped a second rope into four more rusty bolts, belayed from the quarry floor by his dad, Paul. Then with a parent on each rope, Pete climbed the arete ‘Masters of the Universe’ to finish.

 Pete gurns through the last move

‘Silent Scream’ E7 6c

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Video - James Pearson Working Gerty Berwick

James Working Gerty Berwick Feb 2008

Congratulation to James Pearson who claimed the second ascent of Gerty Berwick (E9), or as I like to call it “Gerty Berty”. I had been calling it Twlons for the last year since I first filmed James working the line.  (TWLONS – The Wall Left Of New Statesman).

James on Twlons Feb 2009

It was a very cold windy day in February last year, the day after James had lead The Groove. We called by Ilkley and James worked the moves on a shunt. I hung on a rope and got blown around by a freezing wind whilst I tested out some camera angles.  It was a rather grey overcast day, but luckily James brightens the shot up by wearing a black top and grey pants! 

The result of that cold day is this 3 min video clip below:

Maybe some of the hardest moves on a grit route?

Paul

Clip of the Month - Ben Cossey

I've just added a movie of Ben Cossey climbing Simba's Pride to the Hot Aches website as our clip of the month. This clip is taken from our DVD Committed Vol I.

You can watch it here.

Paul.

Fly Another Day - DVD

Just in case you thought that we were putting our feet up after finishing Committed 2, we now have another DVD coming out.

View the trailer here

Fly Another Day
The Story of the Tip To Tip Paramotor Expedition

Six men set out on their quest to fly the length of Britain on paramotors. Like the earliest methods of aviation this is flying in it’s most simple form. Suspended beneath a fabric wing and with a small propeller on their backs they set off on the journey of a lifetime.

The range of flying conditions that Britain throws at them takes a heavy toll and one by one the pilots encounter their own personal disasters. There are mid air wing collapses and free falling through the sky, crashes on take off, wings sucked into the engines and emergency landings abound. This is no easy ride.

The tension rises and when the team are forced out of the sky over the Scottish Highlands it looks like the expedition is doomed. But with true British determination they gradually they inch their way ever northwards into the eye of the storm.
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The Tip to Tip expedition was created to raise funds for the Air Ambulances of England and The Forces Children’s Trust. £5.00 from the sale of the DVDs go to these charities.


When we went to film the Cornish Air Ambulance I was really surprised to find out that it wasn't publicly funded. It seems ridiculous that such an important emergency service should rely on charity. Each air ambulance and it's crew costs over £1 million a year to run. But I changed my mind on this one. The reality is that if the air ambulances were publicly funded, then they would be the first part of the ambulance service to be cut when funds are tight, so staying independently funded works.

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The DVD is released on 12th December.
You can pre-order your copy in our webshop now.

Indian Face - Johnny Dawes and Nick Dixon Interview

With all this talk about grades recently... we decided to publish a fascinating interview about what was the very first E9. This footage had been languishing in our archives for a while so it seemed like a good time for an airing.
Johnny Dawes and Nick Dixon were two of the most influential climbers of their generation - no less than climbing legends. In this interview they talk about their experiences on Indian Face. It is fascinating stuff.

Gordon Stainforth on UKC wrote 'PHENOMENAL! Possibly the most interesting climbing interview I've ever seen.'

This isn't an interview that will appeal to everyone, but to those climbers who have been kicking around for a while and remember the time when major climbing ascents made the centre pages of The Guardian, or film releases such as 'Hard Grit' prompted TV appearances from the stars doing one-armers on Breakfast TV - well, for this generation at least, this inteview might well raise the hairs on the back of our necks - two climbers talking frankly about their ascents of one of the most significant rock climb in recent history.

What is even more significant for me was the fact that this was the first time that these two guys had got back together for over a decade. They had shared so much common ground, experience and history. It is such a shame that so many of us drift apart and go our seperate ways.


That day back at the crag (The Roaches) and also later on in the pub - it was as if all the years hadn't passed by. The conversation was the same, but the benefit of all those years of hindsight had definately played a part too...

Check out the video in a UKClimbing.com video exclusive http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=1481

One important hint - watch the last 60 seconds!

Dave B.