What is Yorkshire? The Final Chapter?

I mentioned in my last blog post that I had started trying Progress at Kilnsey and that Chris Savage had just climbed the route.  Well now there is a video and I'm even more dismayed at how easy he makes it all look!  I'm going to mumble something about it being easy if you're tall, skinny, southern, got a new born baby.... aye OK, basically he's just pretty good.  If you want to know how I don't look on this route, try this video for size:

Yorkshire love doesn't stop at making regular visits to the furthest county you can get from Scotland before feeling out of place.  Yorkshire has also had a massive impact in climbing closer to home.  When Yorkshire comes to Scotland, you know about it!

Will puts his tiny arms to good effect at Kilnsey (Photo: Dan Walker)

A few years ago now a very tall man, with a cheeky grin and strong fingers appeared in the basement of Glasgow Climbing Centre and started flashing everything.  He then went out to Dumbarton and made the place his own in a way nobody else has since King Dave left for pastures new (apart from Malcolm of course).  That man is Will Atkinson, top geezer, sometimes an affront to the senses, always a laugh and always 6 inches stronger than me.  The impact Will has had on Dumbarton climbing extends beyond the surprisingly large number of first ascents he was able to bag in his time in Glasgow.  Will's legacy will be the surge of collective psyche he brought to the Dumbarton scene.  A lot of people lost their usual antipathy towards the place thanks to his enthusiasm.

Will's toughest Dumby addition - a testament to the man - Mr Tickle Extension 8a+ (FA) from Will Atkinson on Vimeo.

Despite sounding a bit like an obituary, Will is not dead, just moving back to the white rose county.  As a mark of respect to the man  the myth (and with a nod to a Limmy sketch) , Glasgow threw a Yorkshire themed party.  It was a "reyt" success, there was real ale, a whippet and 4 Glasgow neds just to remind us where we were.  Good times.  Big Willy, we salute you!

Squint and you'd think it was a nightclub in Leeds

A ned and a Yorkshireman share the decks -  Dropping 100% Motown bombs