09/06/21: this is a ‘living’ document as I fill in the various gaps and use it as a tool going forward.….

1996

with scouts, toped roped up the main face of Hollywood crag as first experience of rock climbing. Still remember being told about the ‘hard’ line up the wall on the right (from memory, it’s an E2)
the same year, visited the indoor climbing ‘wall’ (made up of pieces of rock concreted into the wall of a sports gym).

1998

joined the rockclimbing club at DCU after starting university there. University criteria was that it must have a climbing wall!
one day outdoors top-roping routes in Dalkey quarry alongside bouldering at the climbing wall in DCU.

climbed outdoors for first time at Dalkey Quarry with some other starters, from memory leading a HS (grade 4 sport?).
Competed at first Irish Bouldering League events.
First trip abroad to Wales for Easter weekend. Note the overpacked bag above, the scrawny arms and even scrawnier physique! A great weekend, culminating in leading my third ever lead, 3 pitches up a multi-pitch which transpired to be a HVS - we were on the wrong route….
continued progressing indoors, and outdoors at Dalkey, soloing some easy routes and improving roped climbing, culminating with on sighting E1 in August 1999 (less than one year after starting). On the same day, after topping out, participated in my first rescue, helping an individual who had taken a swing on a poorly aligned top-rope resulting in a headwound.
First trip abroad to Spain, visiting Montserrat and Siurana. First experience of post-accident scars, when had a mild panic on a route in Montserrat - an interesting experience. Lots of climbing, primarily up to 6a+, with a near-onsight of a 6b+. Heady days!
First climbing injury on return at 1st bouldering league event. A foot slip leading to a pulled tendon in left ring finger. 3 months off due to injury. Hard lesson in avoiding injury, especially tendons! (the tendon still feels tight over two decades later).

after the previous injury, back into climbing both indoors and outdoors. DCU’s wall was particularly good at improvement: slab to 20 degrees steep, it forced to improve a lot at technique and small holds.
onsight soloing E1.
Visited Gola Island for the first time, onsighting multiple E2’s.
First Alpine trip, to Chamonix. Big learning experience, trying out new routes on big mountain, etc. completed a bunch of the well-known easy classics - had no idea how slow we were! Major near-death experience after belay ripped out on 2nd pitch of a route (another post will write that up…). Climbed 6c+ on sport.

Continued attending Irish Bouldering League comps, climbing outdoors.
Visited Ceuse for the first time. Lots of routes, 6a - 6c, culminated with a final day onsight of first 7a (Nitassinan) on the Biographie wall. Told beforehand that “we could never climb 7a” by another college buddy/climber so I had the mind focused ;)
First visit to Ballykeefe Quarry, Ireland’s ‘first’ sport climbing crag (see right). Grid bolted……

final year of university so while slightly reduced outdoor activities, still kept indoor training. A UK climber doing construction work not the redevelopment of Croke Park tells me many of the problems I’m climbing at the DCU wall are 7C-8A.
First visit to Alladie, Burren.
3-month Summer road-trip with two university friends. Font, Frankenjura, Ceuse, Siurana. Fell off first move of a 7b+, lowered, then climbed the first immediately. The ‘almost-flash’. Lots of of routes in the low 7’s climbed. Building up pyramid across all lower grades.

further consolidation across trad, up to E3 onsight
2nd 3-month road-trip. Tried moves on first 8a. Mentally not ready - although with hindsight, more than physically capable.

Climbed at Yangshou, China.
Onsighted first E5’s.started year-long trip after quitting Telecoms job. Started in USA in December 2007 in Utah and Nevada. Slipped off final move of ‘The Gift’ 5.12d/7c, onsight (After the crux…).
now onsighting 99% of routes up to 7b.
7 7b’s in a day, Paynes Ford, New Zealand

Year-long trip, covering Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Australia, New Zealand, USA. Red-pointed first grade-8 route, 8a+ in Thailand.
climbed 7b onsight on trad at Arapiles, Australia.