Our UK athletes are always keeping t busy with various projects and expeditions. Every so often it’s nice to sit them down for just five minutes and gain a better understand of whom they are ad what they do.
We recently fired across number of mountain orientated questions to Will Sim our Marmot UK alpine athlete and Chamonix resident.
Here’s what Will had to say for himself:
How did you get into climbing?
I guess from living in the Lake District and seeing mountains all the time I wanted to do something which involved them. For a few years before I knew anyone who climbed I read FRCC guidebooks endlessly and aspired to do every route in them.
Who are your climbing hero’s?
Colin Haley for being so motivated and having the balls to ignore weather forecasts, and Jude Spanken for not knowing the meaning of forearm pump.
What is your favorite UK route?
Probably either Astral Highway on the Ben, or Saxon on Scafell.
What is your favorite Alpine route?
For elegance and position something really easy like the Kuffner would be hard to beat.
Do you ever get scared on lead?
I'm usually always scared on lead...
What routes do you aspire to climb in the future?
I'd like to do some big Alaskan lines which can be done in long pushes. Other than that the Brenva, Freney and Brouillard faces of Mont Blanc really interest me.
You’re stuck in an alpine hut during a storm. What three luxuries would you like to have?
Three sleeping pills.
What advice would you give to climbers coming out to the Alps for the first time?
Climbing in the Alps is so far removed from climbing in the UK. So although it’s much more fun and rewarding to throw yourself in at the deep end you have no base of experience to shape the judgments you make, and in climbing judgment is everything. You can skip years of the learning curve by spending time with an experienced alpinist or even just observing how things are done out here.
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