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| Name: |
Jason Currie |
| Age: |
31 |
| Occupation: |
Teacher |
| Base: |
Aberdeen |
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| Description: |
Although a keen all-rounder, Jason admits to enjoying winter climbing above all, saying it "just has so many dimensions to it". In summer, he prefers mountain routes to cragging, although has been involved in the more recent developments of Rosehearty, as well as having climbed new summer lines at various venues in the north-west. His belief lies firmly in the ground-up, onsight ethic - "it's what mountaineering is all about. I think early repeats in this style are as important as the first ascent which may have been attempted several times."
In the Alps, Jason has repeated routes such as the Supercouloir, the South Face of the Barre des Ecrins and Aurore Nucleaire on the North Face of the Pic sans Noms. Further afield in Bolivia, he and Mark Ryle climbed nine peaks in the Cordillera Apolobamba and Cordillera Real (three of which were new lines).
Back to winter where new routes include, Hot Toddy (VI,7) on Beinn a'Bhuird; Hood Route (VII,7) on Lochnagar and a Variation Finish to Stringfellow (VI,6) on Ben Nevis. Early repeats include Blood, Sweat and Frozen Tears on Beinn Eighe, Link Direct on Lochnagar and the Direct Route on the Fiddlers Nose.
He aspires to winter routes that cover ground, which wouldn't be justifiable in summer (due to vegetation, loose rock etc.), and "lines that are made possible by the presence of ice and snow rather than made more difficult and dangerous". He says, "my ultimate winter route will follow dribbles, drools and smears of ice over ground that I couldn't climb in summer. I am not looking for a high grade summer route to climb under powder."
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| Finest Moment: |
"Completing an ascent of The Fly. I led the entire route.
"The unrelenting steepness was getting to us both at the Apolyon Ledge and
Adrian wanted off, but I insisted we continue, pointing out that the belays
had all been excellent. Forty metres later, pulling over a bulge of rotten
ice, with only one tied-off screw for protection, I reached an ice screw
belay with a single chopped step. I thought I was in for it in more ways
than one.
"Setting off on the last pitch in the gathering gloom I could see
Aid hunched over, not daring to look up. I couldn't look down, the exposure
made me sick. I was close to tears as I yelled safe down into darkness, the
previous weekend I'd led my first VI with Aid and he'd done his first V."
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