Who Needs A Mountain Guide? #6 Magnus George, University Professor

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WRITTEN by MAGNUS GEORGE & ANNE ENSOLL

Magnus George is a university professor, and is head of the Entrepreneurship & Strategy department at the University of Lancaster. We first met him in May 2020 when he booked a couple of days with Chris to brush up on his rock climbing skills.

The Arctic Circle at Hautajärvi in Finland, 2018

The Arctic Circle at Hautajärvi in Finland, 2018

Do you have any memories of adventures in the outdoors as a child or teenager?

As a toddler, I was outdoors a lot because we lived in the southern Highlands or Argyll. As a teenager, I was mad on fly fishing for trout, spending summer days wandering Highland lochsides or boating on the sea. Duke Of Edinburgh expeditions got me camping and a teacher started a hillwalking club, which brought me to the Munros.

What do you remember about your outdoor adventures when you started doing them independently?

At Uni in Edinburgh in the mid 1980s I climbed a lot. It was the era of informal climbing apprenticeships, information was sometimes sparse, and gear was shared around. We walked long distances in all weathers and I spent most holidays exploring the wilder parts of the Highlands, becoming an avid bothy-goer. In work, I joined Assynt MRT. That and subsequent adventures and misadventures taught me a lot about being self-reliant.

On the summit of Meall a Bhuachaille, with Cairngorm behind, 2014

On the summit of Meall a Bhuachaille, with Cairngorm behind, 2014

When did you first think about hiring a Mountain Guide?

Although I had climbed a lot in my teens and twenties, I was off the rock for two decades. I pretty much stopped climbing when the kids came along but I retained a watching eye, changing my focus to camping and backpacking, paddling and island hopping. I’d been caving with a guide, and done a few days of winter climbing with guides to keep my hand in. With lockdown this year I realised that I really miss climbing. But having been in and around a few accidents over the years I wanted to upskill and tune up my technique. As a SCUBA diver and in weightlifting I’d always respected guides and coaches, so I was lucky to find Chris through the web.

Will I you be hiring a Mountain Guide again?

Yes, with Chris I have just enjoyed two great days of climbing. Movement came back quickly though I did over-grip the first day out and worked far harder than I needed to on some pitches. The feeling of exposure was uncannily familiar and unexpectedly comfortable in an exciting way because I so wanted to be up there again. Plus, the modern gear is so much lighter, thinner and better than a lot of what we used to use and I wanted to learn its proper use – so it was good to get a thorough briefing in all of that. Although I have lived in NW England for twenty years I never really did much in the Lakes, and Chris sorted two full days of mountain travel, linking pitches and abseils to teach me a host of modern skills. I’m not sure about leading again yet, and don’t have a climbing partner or a rack yet so I need to get my act together in those area. But, right now, knowing that I can get out and just go climbing with a guide I like and appreciate is a wonderful feeling. Looking ahead, I want to do some more climbing overseas – so some of that might involve working with a guide.

With Chris in the Lake District, June 2020

With Chris in the Lake District, June 2020