First ascents

from around the globe 

Sport first ascents

'I've always loved the entire process of climbing a new sport route. From the initial spying-out of the line, to the inevitable struggle with placing bolts, to the trials and tribulations of the final redpoint. Sport climbing has always been my weakest discipline and for this reason, nearly all my sport new routes have been hard earned and immensely rewarding. ' NG

This section contains info and background tales of Neil's sport FAs in the UK and in destinations such as Kalymnos, Cuba and China.

DWS first ascents

'DWS contains a potent mix of the best elements that climbing has to offer, being as fast and free as bouldering and as adventurous as trad. Whether I'm plunging into the chilly atlantic in Pembroke or catching some rays out on a boat in Vietnam, for me, DWS new routing is about as exciting and immediately enjoyable as climbing gets.' NG 

Trad first ascents

As a young climber who was raised on traditionally protected climbing in the 1980s, it was always my ambition to search out un-climbed rock and to put up new routes in a clean style. Sure enough in later years, my trad exploits have taken me all over the world to unlikely destinations such as Mongolia and Norway, right back to my stomping ground on some of the popular cliffs in the UK.  

Winter first ascents

'I'm really not sure what it is that draws me back to new routing in winter and why I've never managed to give it up in favour of other climbing styles that involve less pain and suffering. Whether it's snowed-up, turfy mixed buttresses in Scotland or steep, fragile ice pillars in Norway, I've always been a sucker for punishment in winter and the small handful of new routes that I've done are amongst my favourites.