- A record of a period (late 1960s–early 1990s).
- A grassroots account of the job.
- A celebration of traditional outdoor education.
I once taught at outdoor-pursuits centres, and in particular at Derbyshire County Council’s White Hall, in northern England. Climbing Lessons describes that job and that life.
Climbing Lessons is accessible to casual, non-specialist readers as well as to outdoor professionals. It presents outdoor education in plain English. I turned somersaults to avoid the jargon of education. Some of the language comes bluntly off the crag. Risky sports don’t always lend themselves to politeness, and I sought a down-to-earth realism, not a sanitised ideal. Holy shit! … is that a chequebook in your hand? Too right! Now, click on ‘Mail-order’ and write that cheque, friend. If you’re an impoverished student, borrow the book from your library.
‘I loved it … it brought back so many happy memories … what an accomplishment … ’ Dave Draper.
A record of a period.
A grassroots account of the job.
A celebration of traditional outdoor education.
ISBN 0-473-04870-1
384 pages, A5, paperback.
