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Nic Sellars

Q: Age and number of years climbing?

A: 39 ! years old (Gulp). Been climbing for 20 years now.

Q: Where were you born and where is home now?        

A: Born Exeter, now in Sheffield.

Q: If you had to write a brief climbing CV what would your ‘top ten’ best routes or boulder problems be and why?   

A: Difficult one really. I suppose it’s the routes that strike a real chord in your memory. Generally it’s routes which hold the main appeal and whilst I spent 3-4 years just bouldering I now think of it as something you do in the winter or to get power for routes. Memorable boulder problems include The Feather (V11/8A) in Hueco, a truly fantastic problem tucked away on West Mountain which climbs a natural feather imprint in the rock! Did lots of new boulder problems in The Cederberg in South Africa in the late 90s which were amazing.

Routes:

Cardigan Street (28, Taipan Wall, Australia)
Absolutely fantastic, slightly overhanging climbing up a smooth groove up the left side of Taipan. You ab in from the top and begin climbing 30m up, with 50km of totally flat Australian farm land between Taipan and Arapiles stretching out behind you. Crux at the top with barn door laybacking up the right side of the groove. Taipan is my favourite crag in the world. 70m high with really funky but pumpy climbing between well spaced bolts. Often completely deserted.

Romantic Warrior (5.12b, Needles, California, USA)
Another unsung gem of a crag which many yanks haven’t been to. Imagine Yosemite but with lots small footholds for Brits to put their feet on to avoid all that nasty body-expansion-in-cracks business. Romantic Warrior is a 7 pitch route which covers some amazing territory. Check out a picture @ http://www.alpinist.com/media/web08f/honnold-needles.jpg

Progress (F8c, Kilnsey)
Always going to be a memorable route for me cos it took me 24 days, 3 years and lots days of specific training to nail it. No way I’d have the focus/obsession to devote that kind of effort these days. 20m of powerful fingery climbing up North Buttress to a 3m roof to finish. Proved to be a real journey.

Deon’s Dihedral (5.12b/E5, La Esfinge, Peru)
An amazing dihedral topping out at 5000m which I freed with Patch Hammond back in 2000. Not done much stuff in the mountains but had a fab time using portaledges for the 1st time. Some truly scary moments way out from gear.

Q: There are many disciplines within climbing, but some folk believe: ‘Jack of all trades, master of none’. What say you?     

A: Personally I have a lot more respect for climbers who can cut it on all terrain. It’s harder to do and requires more depth of skill and ability than focusing on one type of climbing. I actually find I do better if I have variety in my climbing but I understand that to really excel you need to focus specifically.

Q: How do you split your climbing time between the different aspects of climbing/mountaineering, be it bouldering, trad, sport, DWS, winter, alpine, big walls or snowy mountaineering and how does this vary through the seasons?

A: I tend, like many, to boulder in the winter when it’s freezing and do routes in the summer, with grit routes in the spring and autumn.

Q: Top three favourite crags and why? 

A: See question 3.

Q: Do you have any heroes, climbing or non-climbing?   

A: I admire lost of climbers, too many to mention but they are generally folk who can perform well on all sorts of terrain but don’t blow their trumpets about it.

Q: Most impressive/inspiring ascent you’ve witnessed?     

A: Simon Nadin onsighting Under the Thumb/Urgent Action (F8a+) back in about 1992. Totally in control, removing and replacing rags placed in holes to prevent birds nesting and with loads of climbing up and down, resting in appalling positions until he got the right sequence. Truly inspirational. When I onsight something I generally have to get it right first go or I just get too pumped.

Q: What is the narrowest margin you’ve experienced between success and failure?   

A: None spring to mind. Lots of close calls over the years

Q: What is your biggest fall?

A: 70ft from Chupacabra (E8 6c) in Huntsmans Leap, Pembroke.

Q: Top three favourite books/authors?   

A: I’m an uncultured non reader. The Guardian?

Q: Top three favourite bands or musical artists?    

A: In recent years I’ve become a complete Minimal Techno geek (Ricardo Villalobos, Richie Hawtin, James Holden), but from my rock days when I had long hair I still rate early Van Halen, Hendrix, Led Zep etc.

Q: Who are your regular climbing partners, and what is it that you like or dislike about climbing with them? (Go on, spill the dirt!)

A: Katherine (me missis), Tom Briggs, Dale Holding, Andy Cave, Dave Pickford, Bob Smith. They all have similar climbing taste, are relaxed in their outlook by enlarge and live nearby.

Q: Who was your mentor/who influenced you most as a young climber?   

A: Gavin Ellis took me under his wing when I first started climbing. He used to pick me up from Middlesbrough where I was at college and drive me down to Kilnsey and Malham.

Q: Who or what gives you inspiration these days?   

A: Sea cliff adventures.

Q: Top three favourite pieces of DMM kit, and why?   

A: Phantom krabs - I was initially a bit dubious about the size of these thinking they might be a bit ‘dropsy’, but their absolutely great! They work brilliantly and a rack of 16 weighs hardly anything. Running out of draws is a thing of the past.

Revolvers - these have helped me out so often. I always have 2 racked on long slings to ensure minimal drag with those runners which would otherwise make your life hell.

Walnuts - a timeless classic. They just seem to fit securely in to all sorts of spots.

Q: If you could do it all again, would you do it differently, if so, how?   

A: I’d start climbing before the age of 19, as it seems that to get properly strong you need to be training through adolescence.

Q: What training, aside from just climbing a lot, do you do?   

A: I cycle to work and run about once a month.

Q: Top three favourite climbing guidebooks?    

A: All Ground Up productions of course.

Q: What other interests do you have outside climbing?   

A: Techno, Curry and Real Ale.

Q: Other sponsors?    

A: Moon clothing, Boreal.

…a few easy, quick fire choices:

Q: Camper van or tent?

A: Tent for sure. The whole van thing I just don’t get. All that extra petrol cost driving around during the week to save yourself the small effort of pitching a tent. It would probably be cheaper to get a B&B than run a van. That said it was great staying in Pete Robins' van in Pembroke last year.

Q: Wine or beer?       

A: Beer then wine.

Q: Flapjack or custard cream?    

A: Flapjack.

Q: Apple or banana?   

A: Banana. I’ve started just squashing the banana into my quickdraws and rack and binning it rather than waiting for the process to happen gradually through the day.

Q: Tea or coffee?       

A: Tea first off, then coffee.

Q: Dogs or cats?       

A: Neither.

Q: And lastly, catch phrases: Frank Sinatra’s was “I did it my way”, Eric Morecombe's was "What do you think of the show so far?” What is yours?

A: Just get on with it and we’ll catch last orders.