Olly Roberts

I have spent most of my life growing up in Pateley Bridge, North Yorkshire, on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. I got into the outdoors by joining my local Scout Group, which lead me on trips away to Switzerland and Morocco. I started climbing when I was 17, and swiftly became a regular at the nearby crag of Brimham Rocks, spending my time bouldering amongst the maze of pinnacles, boulders and crags. After leaving sixth form, I had a year out and worked as a voluntary instructor at Bewerley Park Centre. Here, I met Ben Hirst, who quickly got me tied on the sharp end, leading my first route and exploring the many crags of Yorkshire Gritstone. I’ve never looked back. 
 

I’ve now been climbing for a number of years, and have gone through several phases, breakthroughs, setbacks, and I’m now more focused than ever. I quickly started moving through the grades, becoming a steady VS leader in my first year. I had a pretty major blow after taking my first lead fall, a bit of a whipper on Franklands Green Crack at Almscliff. After this my confidence was completely blown, and I was shaky on VDiffs and severes. I then went to university in Ambleside, and having only climbed on grit, felt uneasy on the volcanic Lake District rock. However a couple of years of intermittent climbing, with most of my time spent kayaking around the Lakes, I became focussed back on my climbing after a road trip across France, passing through Font and the Provence region in the south. I have since climbed all over the UK, down to Cornwall, North Wales, the Peak District, all over Yorkshire and the Lakes, I like to think of myself as a well-rounded climber. I feel as I have matured as a person, I have also matured as a climber, becoming less grade orientated, and savouring all my time spent climbing and in the mountains. 

I love spending climbing, traditional, sport, bouldering and winter. I love the movement on rock and the many different situations I have been in. I experience different feelings when climbing each of the different disciplines, the freedom of just the moves bouldering, pushing my physical limits on the hardest moves whilst sport climbing. The complete adventure and survival of winter climbing, enduring the elements in such harsh environments. Finally traditional climbing, where every route is a journey both physically and mentally. Pushing myself, putting myself in exposed positions enables me to believe in my capabilities. I feel like it frees my mind, there is no room to think about anything else, I must concentrate on the route, the moves ahead and not to worry about the gear. In complete contrast, I also enjoy spending time on easier routes, producing quality experiences with others, I guess that is where my personal and professional have an influence on each other. Climbing easier routes in the mountains in all weathers, in big boots provides that same adventure and experience that I thrive on and keeps making me want more.

I currently work as a Freelance Outdoor Instructor, holding my MIA, UKCC L2 and others, within the Yorkshire Dales and Lake District. These are areas that I have grown up in and spent the majority of my outdoor life. I aim to inspire, teach and share outdoor experiences to meet individuals goals and aspirations. I work at outdoor education centres, schools, and am currently setting up my own business, On the Ropes to provide climbing and mountain experiences to groups and individuals. 

I have never really been focused enough on my climbing to contemplate training, or properly structuring my training. I have always just gone climbing as training, maybe putting in more sessions down the wall. However for 2013 I have decided to write a list of goals for my climbing, to keep me focused, which is one of the main reasons for writing this blog. My goals are keeping me motivated to put in the time at home in preparation for the crags, spending time on the fingerboard, researching new crags, which will lead me to explore new areas. I am becoming completely engrossed in climbing, taking every opportunity to get outside on the rock and time in the mountains.

Since starting this blog in early 2013 I have grown as an climber and mountaineer and I hope that the blog has provided inspiration through my accounts, photos and reflections of some of my trips. I will continue to update as regularly as I can, to provide myself with an in depth reflection of my climbing experiences.