Simon Nadin

Simon Nadin
Personal information
NicknameBuxton stick-man[1]
Born (1965-07-10) 10 July 1965 (age 59)[1]
Buxton, England[2]
Climbing career
Type of climberSport climbing, Traditional climbing
Highest grade
Known forWinning first IFSC Climbing World Cup in 1989
Medal record
IFSC Climbing World Cup
Winner 1989 Lead
Sport Roccia
Winner 1989 Lead
Updated on 18 January 2022

Simon Nadin (born 10 July 1965) is a British rock climber and professional photographer, who won the first ever IFSC Climbing World Cup in 1989.[3]

Climbing

Nadin was a climbing all-rounder and pioneered routes which set new levels in climbing.[3] He started climbing on gritstone outcrops, such as The Roaches, near his home in Buxton[4] and using nuts made in his school metalwork lessons.[4]

Within a year of starting climbing he was climbing at E6 level[4] and in later years frequently onsight-soloed E4, E5 or harder routes.

In 1989, having only been a professional climber for six months, he became the first IFSC Climbing World Cup champion, beating Didier Raboutou at the final round in Lyon, with an audience of 8000 people (Jerry Moffatt finished 3rd).[2] He also came first in that round of the World Cup winning £3000 for this.[2] Nadin was nearly disqualified twice for late arrival due to not seeing instructions put up in the official hotel, as the UK team was staying in a youth hostel.[2]

Later in 1989, he unsuccessfully attempted to free climb The Nose on El Capitan with Lynn Hill.[5]

Nadin's training methods were unusual, training 'heavy' in the winter, but still able to complete difficult ascents having not climbed for a period of time.[6]

Media

He appeared in series 3 of Coast climbing The Old Man of Hoy with Neil Oliver and Andy Cave.[7]

Selected climbs

  • Barriers in Time - The Roaches
  • Thing on a Spring - The Roaches
  • Paralogism - The Roaches
  • Painted Rumour - The Roaches
  • Dangerous Crocodile Snogging - Ramshaw Rocks, Staffordshire
  • Never Never Land - Ramshaw, Staffordshire
  • Master of Reality - Hen Cloud, Staffordshire
  • B4XS - Hen Cloud, Staffordshire
  • Inaccessible - Ina's Rock, Churnet Valley
  • Menopause - 6b (solo) - Stoney Middleton

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Heinz, Zak (1996). Rock Stars: World's Best Free Climbers. Cordee. p. 59. ISBN 978-3763370443.
  2. ^ a b c d Clouston, Erlend (20 November 1989). "From the archive, 20 November 1989: Miracle, miracle on the wall, GB is the best of all". The Guardian. London: GMG. ISSN 0261-3077. OCLC 60623878. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  3. ^ a b "Simon Nadin - Living Art". living-art.org.uk. 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  4. ^ a b c "Simon Nadin (1965-): The World Champ Next Door". ote.dsl.pipex.com. 2009. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  5. ^ Hill, Lynn (2008). "Freeing the Nose". In Jeffrey Mathes Mccarthy (ed.). Contact: mountain climbing and environmental thinking. University of Nevada Press. p. 189. ISBN 9780874177466.
  6. ^ "Mountain Heritage Trust". mountain-heritage.org. 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  7. ^ "BBC - Coast". bbc.co.uk. 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2013.