Dave Gliddon on his Flaming Hornets (5.12c), at Riverside on the Li River, Yangshuo, China.
For many in the Blue Mountains climbing community it has been a tragic finish to the year with the death of Dave Gliddon a few weeks ago. Dave was working, doing some rope access work to stabilise a cliff above the walking track in the National Park at Wentworth Falls, when a massive section of rock unexpectedly collapsed killing him and seriously injuring two other workers. Dave was 36. He had an extraordinarily adventurous spirit. Dave’s exploits included much time spent living in Yangshou, China, where he was one of the major new route developers and really helped put that place on the map, impressive ascents of Yosemite’s El Capitian, and 42 days spent on a big wall in Krygyzstan. I have long considered him to be quite the legend. But if the massive turnout to his funeral last week is any indication, there was something about his great character and charm which is the reason he’ll be missed by so many. As someone said, he often brought out the best in others. There is a good obituary in the local paper here. Dave was the father of two young twins, and a fundraiser for donations to support his young family has been established here.
The photo above is the best one that I have of Dave. I wish I had more. But it’s a great memory from some time we spent with Dave in China in 2005.
Not really much more I can say after that.
The other pics this week a mixture or mostly new or unseen from a few places around the joint. The image below of Jack Massel on I Have a Dream is new angle on an old classic. I’ve considered this angle for quite sometime and we have finally started piecing this image together. I’m not convinced the light quite co-operated, so it seems my work here is not quite done; I guess it never will but it’s good to have some sort of vision to pursue…
Some end of year announcements:
The new South East Queensland Climbing guidebook is now available and in store. Thanks everyone.
Please place your (Australian) Christmas orders with our web shop by noon Wednesday (20th). Even is you don’t specify it, we’ll upgrade all orders received before then to Express Post. If you order after then, well you might get lucky but we can’t guarantee it.
It is now too late to order prints for Christmas but if you’d like to browse some new pics, I’ve just added a new China gallery to my print gallery –> here.
Thanks for following along this year. Have a great Christmas and here’s to 2018!
~ Simon
Jack Massel, I Have a Dream (25), Pierces Pass, Blue Mountains. Buy print
Amanda Morrissey, Wages of Fear (24), Kangaroo Point. Buy print
Amanda Morrissey, Hanger Wall Arete (22), Kangaroo Point, Brisbane. Buy print
Monique Forestier, Fab (23) on Thunderbird Wall, Point Perpendicular. Buy print
Monique Forestier, Footloose and Fancy Free (22), Point Perpendicular. Buy print
From the archive.
Matt Maddaloni pitch 6 (12a) of Black Dyke (13b), on the Stawamus Chief, Squamish, BC, Canada. Buy print
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See the stockist list or just order the new guidebook –> here.
Order here now (and stockists info).
