Dan Varian

Height:

183cm

Ape index:

+4cm

Born:

16/07/1987 in Carlisle

Current Location:

Sheffield

Been climbing for:

9 years

Fav 5:10 Shoe:

Anasazi velcro, then moccasyms and Teams.

Memorable Climbing Moment:

Loads, mostly Trad and bouldering related

Climbing Heroes:

Anyone really trying hard and pushing things. But Malc, Gaskins, Mike Adams and Marcus Windisch are particularly inspiring, lots of dedication, strength and Humility are always admirable traits.

Loves:

Big/ hard lines, any holds except massive pinches, outside edging, pure power moves. Smart wool thermals and socks.

Hates:

Massive pinches, chipping, naming climbs after one's self, getting lost on the way to the crag, am fairly energy concious too so wasting it bugs me a bit.

Fav Book:

Lots, cult novels or classics, am currrently reading alot of non fiction. SEWTHA by David Mackay and Heat by george monbiot are really useful books.

Fav Music:

Even harder to pick, infact i can't as if i put one name down i feel bad for leaving some out.

Fav Climb:

This one is easy, Malcs Arete in Torridon, because it is perfect in every way. Arc Royal using the sequence i pigheadedly stuck with will always be special to me.

Other Hobbies:

Trials and freeride mtb, learning guitar, scrabble, learning foreign languages (german and Italian mostly and a little bit of french)

Occupation:

Run beastmaker with Ned, and teach climbing at Sheffield Uni.

Website:

www.beastmaker.co.uk & Five Ten

 

DAN's BLOG

5th Jun 2011 Dan explores more of what the UK has to offer...

Here's some pics courtesy of Mark Savage of a new line in the Simonside area i nipped up last week as i had some work in the area. Its bloody good fun and has a sitter left to go (Shotgun...see what i did there) the boulder itself is a work of art, only touching down on threee plinths and with a perfect beach bivvy under it if thee are a traveling fugitive. I can't find a name listed for the crag anywhere (have checked OS and nmc online guide, as well as a few walking sites) So I'll propose Rocher Moaty for this bloc for now unless anyone knows different?

The bloc has a jaguar pounce to a 1 arm arete guppy, and it'd be rude of me not to give it 7C+ in true county tradition, what with The Shrubbery being swamped since i did it 3 years ago i don't think this area can stand much more bouldering attention, good job there's nothing left around there but moss, pines and rusty circa 1990 carling cans. I took my MTB up too and got a bit of singletrack action in on the way home at 10pm with Mark. Awooga seemed like a nice onomatopoeic name to sum up the last move.

Earlier in the day i climbed the wall just right of mysticeti via a lupino lane esque running start, you then double drag a 1 pad ripple and push on up the ripples. The jump is fairly ungradeable, easier than lupino in terms of speed and coordination but you latch a much smaller hold. after that its a cracking 7A with the crux at the top. Might call it the Holy Grain. It was pretty fun anyway and certainly got me some funny looks off the odd walker who came by. Interestingly i did both this and Lupino lane in Daescents, i'd like to see parkour types on that top out! Not a bad day for a pair of "trainers" really, MTB in, Holy Grain FA, then single track descent!