GOING SOLO
on the rock. I could only climb for a couple of hours, then I’d have to rest for three days. ‘For me it was the equivalent of
training for an Olympic fi nal. It was the hardest route I am ever likely to do.’ The route – which Lines named ‘Hold Fast Hold True’ – has been graded an E10 (the British grading system only goes up to E11), which probably makes Lines one of, if not the, best climber in Britain. However, he doesn’t look at it that way. ‘Competitiveness is not in my nature. For me, soloing is about
a number of the top free climbers have perished over the years. Amongst these are John Bachar, who died after falling in California in 2009; in 1993 Derek Hersey died in Yosemite; and in 1987 Jim Jewell died after falling in Wales. Sometimes conditions conspire to make
things diffi cult. Moisture, ice, wind and rain are all potentially lethal, but Lines believes that the biggest threat to soloists is complacency. ‘One of the top climbers, Johnny Dawes, said that if you know you’re going to die then you’re in the safest place. What he meant was that when you are on the hardest climbs, you are one hundred per cent alert – but on an easier climb, if you’re not concentrating, you can come unstuck.’ Ironically, perhaps, his worst-ever accident
was in a paraglider, when he fell 120 feet. ‘I thought I was about to die, so I just relaxed into it – it felt quite peaceful.’ Again, to the amaze- ment of the paramedics, Lines escaped with no broken bones. As well as mental strength and risk assess-
ment, planning and technique are also crucial for soloing. Lines is renowned for his technique. ‘I am known as a bold technician,’ he explains. ‘When I take on a climb, I try to read the rock, work out where my body needs to be, where my feet will go. I work out where I can rest and think about the next section. I’m always thinking ahead. In fact, it’s much like dancing, except on the vertical – it’s about getting the sequences right.’ And it can often take Lines weeks, even
months, to get the sequences right. Last year he completed a route in Glen Nevis, which took him months to work out the most effi cient sequence. ‘Once I’d worked it out I had to drop my
weight to under ten stone, because the holes were so small I was actually puncturing my fi ngertips
solace, just me and the world around me.’ This love of nature shines through in his
book, Tears of the Dawn, which was published last year. The idea started ten years ago, after a couple of articles he wrote for a mountaineer- ing magazine were well received. The book is well written, and his vivid description of the places he climbs make this a lot more interest- ing than the average climbing book. Lines has climbed all over the world – in South
Africa, Namibia, Spain and Brazil – but Scotland is his favourite place to climb, particularly the Cairngorms. ‘That’s why I chose to live here,’ says Lines, who lives near Aboyne. ‘The Shelterstone, for example, is a special place for me. But Scotland in general is so secluded and peaceful and there are a number of climbs I want to do some day, many of which no-one knows about.’ Lines has certainly quashed my preconceptions
about the nature of soloists. He is meticulous, controlled and yes, brave, but certainly not fear- less. However, he did admit to being a bit of an adrenaline junkie. ‘It is defi nitely like a drug to me. I think it harks back to when we were cavemen – you needed that adrenaline if you were going to stalk a lion, for example. I need the adrenaline rush that I get from feeling fear.’ Well, from what I’ve learnt about Jules Lines, if he was a caveman I wouldn’t bet on the lion.
Left: Lines makes for the summit. Above: Hanging around on Abduction in the Alien Cave in Pembroke.
FIELDFACTS Tears of the Dawn by Jules Lines, Shelterstone,
hardback., £20 – signed by author.
www.shelterstone.co.uk
WWW.SCOTTISHFIELD.CO.UK 73
RIGHT - MIKE ROBERTSON PHOTOGRAPHY
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204 |
Page 205 |
Page 206 |
Page 207 |
Page 208 |
Page 209 |
Page 210