Dave Pickford

David Pickford is one of the UK's leading exploratory trad climbers with a wide range of major first ascents to his credit, stretching from his local sea cliff crags in southwest England and south Wales to the mountains of Arabia, southeast Asia, India, Madagascar, North Africa, and Norway. Some of David's significant first ascents in the UK include the modern British classics Point Blank and The Brothers Karamazov (both E8 6c) in Pembroke, Wall of Spirits (E8 6b) at Pentire Head, the hardest route on Cornwall's Atlantic Coast, and the still-unrepeated Teahupo'o (E8 7a) at Bosigran, Cornwall. Further afield, along with fellow Scarpa athlete Sam Whittaker, in 2005 David made the first ascent of From Russia With Love (E7 6b, 500m), one of the hardest and most serious climbs in Kyrgyzstan's Ak Su Valley, and in 2011 David established the first ascent of The Lady Of The Lake with Swedish climber Malin Holmberg, currently the hardest trad route in Norway's Lofoten Islands. David has also redpointed 8b+ and onsighted numerous 8a's, and bouldered up to V11. David is currently the editor-in-chief of Climb, Britain's leading climbing magazine.