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| Name: |
Neil Shepherd |
| Age: |
36 |
| Occupation: |
Dentist |
| Base: |
Arbroath |
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| Description: |
Seen by some as a controversial figure for bolting new routes Neil combines his passion for climbing with his work as a dentist and obviously has a talent for drilling! He has been climbing for the last 23 years and has spent 21 of them putting up new routes.
From doing his first new "sport" route in 1982 - 3 pegs in a 30 foot route - and placing his first bolt in 1983 he has always felt himself to be a sport climber and has done first ascents of well over 200 sport routes in Scotland. However he says "coming out" had to wait until the start of the `90's and a growing acceptance and indeed demand for more sport routes.
A co-organiser of Vango bouldering league and Tiso Scottish Bouldering Championship, Neil has also developed several new climbing areas including Arbroath sea cliffs, Weem, Elephant Rock and "The Camel" and the sheer scale of his activities will be revealed when the new North East Outcrops guide appears.
He is also responsible for almost single-handedly developing the Angus sport climbing venues of Legaston, Balmashanner and Ley quarries, many new routes in Glen Ogle and some classic new lines in the Glen Clova "goldrush" years. Frustrated by the lack of bouldering to be had around his hometown of Arbroath Neil also has what is possibly the best personal climbing wall around! |
| Finest Moment: |
"Coming 10th overall in 92/93 and 93/94 in the N.I.B.L. in England against high quality opposition, including people like Nic Sellars, Gareth Parry, Ian Vickers, Stuart Cameron, Andy Swann and Tony Mitchell. Tenth wasn't too bad for an 'unknown' from Scotland. The placing wasn't exactly headline stuff but the effort I had to put in to get to the comps - including on one occasion driving to The Foundry on a Saturday morning, doing the comp and then driving home the same evening - meant it was quite an achivement!" |
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