Wonderful memories of climbing with really great mates over the years Number 26.

Wonderful memories of climbing with really great mates over the years Number 26.

I think the first time I met Tim Lowe was at Tremadoc in '81, he was climbing nearby, with Ian McMullan, when Phil Ralph and I climbed Vulcan and Pippikin. It was the day after a party at Gavin Peat's place in Liverpool, from where we'd pilfered two cushion covers that we wore to climb in that day (we must have looked so stupid but we thought we were being really cool). Our dialogue was also rather special, on account of having watched a soft porn film the previous night. Again we thought we were being so cool when we kept asking each other "Have you ever shaved your t...?" whilst climbing. Whilst it did make a big impression on Tim and Ian, I can imagine everybody else must have found us really irritating, to say the least. Alas, such is the ignorance of youth!

I climbed a few times in the coming years with Tim, as he could sometimes get time off midweek (stuff like Ivory Madonna, Countdown, Apocalypse, Ceramic Extension and Mortlock's Arete spring to mind).

However, it was Tim who introduced me to sport climbing at Malham in '87. I was gobsmacked, he had Obsession, New Dawn and Mescalito totally dialled and made them look like paths. I wanted to be able to do the same and was hooked from that moment onwards. I haven't looked back since. Thanks Tim.

Tim at Kilnsey in 2010. Photo by Elaine Owen.

Two photos of Tim strolling up Mescalito, Malham 1987.

Tim dogging at Malham. Photo by Dave Hinton.

Tim climbing Great Western at almscliffe. Photo by Dave Hinton.

Tim climbing Grand Illusion at Almscliffe. Photo by Dave Hinton.