Nick's now back online after his and Andy Houseman's successful ascent of Slovak Direct on Denali. Check out Nick's blog for a full report - http://nickbullock-climber.co.uk/
Nick and Andy on the Summit photo Nick Bullock Collection
Wednesday, 4 July 2012
Monday, 18 June 2012
Down Codex: Hits the Catwalk
Over the past few months our design team have been supporting Falmouth design student George May and his latest Eco design project by donating a supply of of our Audited Animal Welfare Down from our DOWN CODEX programme.
George created a 5 piece collection including a Pull-On which uses our DOWN CODEX Down.
George tell us more....
"The pullover above is made of 100% silk.
The silk has been treated with Poppy Oil and a Walnut Alkyd Medium in order to
waterproof it. The coating made the silk habotai go translucent and crisp and
adds fairly good waterproofing. You can see the down through the silk. This is
all non toxic and eco friendly so goes very well with the ethically sourced
down!
The lining is pure silk without a coating so has great insulation
properties. It features a chest zip pocket and a zip up to the neck in order to
get it on; the zip has a wind guard behind it. The belt can be removed so you
can have it as just a standard pullover. The jacket looks quite fashion-like but
it is tailored in order to provide full movement in the arms and good comfort.
It also features high performance merino cuffs on the gaitors in the
sleeve.
Here is a link to a short video of my collection.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ7aiS0_ADo
All of the clothes in the collection have used varying
techniques and fabrics in order to make them high performance."
You can check out more about George's collection here www.georgemay.co.uk and read more about our DOWN CODEX programme at www.thedowncodex.me.uk
photos: Kirstin Prisk
Friday, 8 June 2012
Mazeno Ridge Expedition 2012
Tomorrow ME Pro partner Sandy Allan, Cathy O’Dowd and Rick Allen set out from the UK for Kathmandu to attempt the 1st ascent of Nanga Parbat via the Mazeno Ridge. The longest ridge on any 8000m peak, considered “the ultimate endurance challenge.” and one of the most coveted goals left in the Himalaya.
You can read more about this expedition, check out latest up dates, videos and location of the team through out their trip over at: http://www.mazenoridge.com
The Mazeno Ridge
The Mazeno Ridge divides the Diamir and Rupal Faces of Nanga Parbat. The 10 kilometre (6 mile) ridge with its eight 7000 metre peaks has never been climbed all the way to the summit.
Wednesday, 6 June 2012
Video: Bleau Chapter
Heres a short video put together by ME Pro partner Juri Chiaramonte from his recent trip to Fontainebleau.
Wednesday, 30 May 2012
An evening on Pluto
With the long and light evenings of late Spring now well upon us, I took the opportunity for an evenings climb on Raven Crag. Its a superb venue for evening climbing, a short walk from the well placed Old Dungeon Ghyll and offering a great selection of accessible routes.
Long-term climbing buddy Chris was with me and with plenty of other teams on the easier classics we headed across to Pluto, a 3-pitch HVS offering a little bit of everything - some steepish crack climbing, a great traverse pitch and a final rib and slab. I hadnt climbed the route for several years and Chris never so it was perfect, a great route for a competent team, we'd obviously just have to scrape by!
Everything felt a little alien, having spent so much time fell running rather than climbing lately but everything quickly fell into place and it was one of the best evenings climbing I've had in ages and the perfect tonic to last weeks rather busy Summer 2013 sales launch!
Long-term climbing buddy Chris was with me and with plenty of other teams on the easier classics we headed across to Pluto, a 3-pitch HVS offering a little bit of everything - some steepish crack climbing, a great traverse pitch and a final rib and slab. I hadnt climbed the route for several years and Chris never so it was perfect, a great route for a competent team, we'd obviously just have to scrape by!
Everything felt a little alien, having spent so much time fell running rather than climbing lately but everything quickly fell into place and it was one of the best evenings climbing I've had in ages and the perfect tonic to last weeks rather busy Summer 2013 sales launch!
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| A late Spring evening in Langdale |
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| Pitch One - a steep crack |
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| Chris cruising on pitch one of Pluto |
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| Rich delicately traverses pitch 2 of Pluto |
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| Chris struggles with his rack |
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| Are you sure its this way? |
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| Rich traverses high above Langdale |
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| Chris high on the final pitch of Pluto |
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| 'I dont want to hear anymore about your new SS13 range' |
Echoes
The guys at Vertebrate Publishing have just release more information about Nick's first book 'Echoes' due for release September 2012
The Book
“As I sat cradling the man’s head, with his blood and brains sticking to my hands, I heard a voice – my own voice. It was asking me something. Asking how I had ended up like this, desperate and lost among people who thought nothing of caving in a man’s head and then standing back to watch him die.”
Nick Bullock was a prison officer working in a maximum-security jail with some of Britain’s most notorious criminals. Trapped in a world of aggression and fear, he felt frustrated and alone. Then he discovered the mountains.
Making up for lost time, Bullock soon became one of Britain’s best climbers, learning his trade in the mountains of Scotland and Wales, and travelling from Pakistan to Peru in his search for new routes and a new way of seeing the world – and ultimately an escape route from his life inside.
Told that no one ever leaves the service – the security, the stability, the ‘job for life’ – Bullock focused his existence on a single goal: to walk free, with no shackles, into a mountain life.
Echoes is a powerful and compelling exploration of freedom – and what it means to live life on your own terms.
About Nick
Nick Bullock was born on Christmas Day in 1965. After leaving school aged 16 he worked variously as a gamekeeper, a self-employed labourer and at Alton Towers (less exciting than it sounds) before joining Her Majesty’s Prison Service in 1987 where he was posted to the high security Gartree Prison as a Wing Officer, then a Punishment Block Officer. In 1992 he was introduced to climbing at Plas-y-Brenin while training as a Physical Education Instructor: his life was about to change dramatically.
Devoting all of his free time to climbing, Nick quickly established himself as one of the UK’s leading climbers, making bold repeats in fine style of many of the UK’s most renowned traditional climbs. A veteran of over 20 expeditions to the greater ranges and approximately 50 Alpine routes, it is in the mountains where Nick has truly demonstrated his imagination and abilities, making significant ascents and failing on some audacious attempts around the world with partners such as Jules Cartwright, Al Powell, Kenton Cool and, more recently, Andy Houseman. In 2003 he quit the prison service and has since devoted his life to climbing, writing and being frugal.
An accomplished writer, his work has been published in Alpinist, Climb Magazine, Vertical, UKClimbing.com, The Alpine Club Journal, The American Alpine Journal and more.
When not on expedition, Nick lives in Chamonix through the winter and in his van in North Wales through the summer. Echoes is his first book.
For more information head over to the Vertebrate website
The Book
“As I sat cradling the man’s head, with his blood and brains sticking to my hands, I heard a voice – my own voice. It was asking me something. Asking how I had ended up like this, desperate and lost among people who thought nothing of caving in a man’s head and then standing back to watch him die.”
Nick Bullock was a prison officer working in a maximum-security jail with some of Britain’s most notorious criminals. Trapped in a world of aggression and fear, he felt frustrated and alone. Then he discovered the mountains.
Making up for lost time, Bullock soon became one of Britain’s best climbers, learning his trade in the mountains of Scotland and Wales, and travelling from Pakistan to Peru in his search for new routes and a new way of seeing the world – and ultimately an escape route from his life inside.
Told that no one ever leaves the service – the security, the stability, the ‘job for life’ – Bullock focused his existence on a single goal: to walk free, with no shackles, into a mountain life.
Echoes is a powerful and compelling exploration of freedom – and what it means to live life on your own terms.
About Nick
Nick Bullock was born on Christmas Day in 1965. After leaving school aged 16 he worked variously as a gamekeeper, a self-employed labourer and at Alton Towers (less exciting than it sounds) before joining Her Majesty’s Prison Service in 1987 where he was posted to the high security Gartree Prison as a Wing Officer, then a Punishment Block Officer. In 1992 he was introduced to climbing at Plas-y-Brenin while training as a Physical Education Instructor: his life was about to change dramatically.
Devoting all of his free time to climbing, Nick quickly established himself as one of the UK’s leading climbers, making bold repeats in fine style of many of the UK’s most renowned traditional climbs. A veteran of over 20 expeditions to the greater ranges and approximately 50 Alpine routes, it is in the mountains where Nick has truly demonstrated his imagination and abilities, making significant ascents and failing on some audacious attempts around the world with partners such as Jules Cartwright, Al Powell, Kenton Cool and, more recently, Andy Houseman. In 2003 he quit the prison service and has since devoted his life to climbing, writing and being frugal.
An accomplished writer, his work has been published in Alpinist, Climb Magazine, Vertical, UKClimbing.com, The Alpine Club Journal, The American Alpine Journal and more.
When not on expedition, Nick lives in Chamonix through the winter and in his van in North Wales through the summer. Echoes is his first book.
For more information head over to the Vertebrate website
Friday, 25 May 2012
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