The other route of interest has to be Steve McClure's Northern Lights at Kilnsey, it's well known that you first tried the line, and we wondered if there is anything you would like to say about Steve's ascent?

Yeah! You bastard Steve, that was mine and I never said you could do it and when I see you I'm going to personally ram your teeth right down your throat! I was training really hard for that route and then you go and steal it right from under my nose. I hate you! Has that told him?

With 3 other unconfirmed 9a's in the UK, everything seems to be developing well, how do see the distribution of hard routes and levels of grades changing in the UK over the next few years?

I don't think we have any unconfirmed 9a's in the UK. I would say that all three (The Big Bang, Northern Lights and Evolution extension) are all definite 9a's. Who says they aren't? It's hard to say how things will go over the next few years. Maybe 9a+ within the next 5 years and 1 or 2 repeats of the 9a's. Now there's a prediction for you!

Your success has been so well documented, and your opinions on new training methods readily copied, but surly you have made a few mistakes in how you've approached climbing over the years, I wanted to ask what has been your biggest training blunder? (As far as new regimes/exercises have been concerned).

I think what you have to ask yourself is "what aspect of climbing or training makes me happy. What is it I want to do and how badly do I want to do it?" I mean speaking for myself I am not going to do something I don't enjoy and therefore I can't really look back and think I wish I had done that or I wish I had done this because at the end of the day I was doing what I wanted and what I enjoyed and if someone had told me to go and do this, chances are I wouldn't. Anyway, regrets are a waste of time so I try not to have any. Give it your best shot first time around and if you succeed great, if you fail at least you tried your best.

Presumably you will miss lots of things about climbing here, Bouldering on the Grit, on the Limestone (in particular @Cragx!), and lastly at the School. Your obviously going well, in particular with the ascent of Black Lung, but how do expect the Utah scene to differ from here, and how psyched are you to get into it?

I am totally psyched to get in to the scene over there and very excite about the climbing. I will miss my friends here but I am sure they will come over and visit. There are a lot of climbers in Salt Lake City at the moment and I think this will only increase and there are also big plans to build a huge climbing gym there so I really think it could become the centre for climbing in the States. I am really looking forward to being able to pop over to Bishop and Yosemite for long weekends and I know there are still a lot of really cool projects around. I might even get back into doing routes again. I did a couple of 5.12's when I was last there and got totally pumped but it really reminded me of how much fun onsighting is.

Do you anticipate these next 2 years changing your approach to climbing?

No I don't think so.

And finally will Jerry miss you?

Totally! I mean he has already started crying every time we see each other in anticipation of me leaving