Paul Williams, Slate of The Art at LLAMF

by Mick Ryan and Mike Raine Slate of the Art If you are free the weekend starting the 7th March I think it may be a good idea to head to Llanberis, North Wales.Why? You´ll meets lots of people, be able to watch loads of great climbing films, witness a variety of live lectures, have a beer or three and maybe even get out into the Welsh hills. It is the fourth Llanberis Mountain Film Festival (LLAMFF), that most grassroots, not for profit, climbing community celebration where all are welcome. LLAMFF is run by a team of unpaid volunteers (this year led by a very young but very capable Jess Sylvester) and all the contributing speakers and filmmakers give their time and energies to the festival for free. Not two for one, but FREE. So wassup this year? There´s loads of climbing and adventure films, and a great line up of speakers including: Simon Yates, Nick Bullock, John Redhead, Andy Cave, Chris Davis, Mark Reeves, Noel Craine, Chris Rowlands, Ian McNaughty Davis, Leo Dickinson, Louise Turner, Tim Emmett (famous for apples), Hosey B, Celia Bull, George Smith and Mr.Johnny Dawes – with more live speakers to be announced……Oh and Jack Geldard and Mick Ryan, the UKC editorial team will be there reading out some of the entries from the DMM/UKC essay competition, My First Outdoor Lead, accompanied by the author ofthe winning essay, Nicola Wilding. Further details, including film list, accommodation and tickets at www.llamff.co.uk Paul Williams´ Slate of the Art slide show by Mike Raine Mike Raine describes the resurrection of Paul Williams´ Slate of the Art slide show, a celebration of first ascents, bad haircuts and lycra, which is being shown at LLAMFF. “Al Harris and Joe Brown made some early forays in to the Llanberis slate quarries in the sixties and seventies but the potential for modern rock climbing wasn´t really noticed until Stevie Haston climbed the fantastic Comes the Dervish in 1981. By 1986 the word was out and slate boomed. The year of 1986 was the turning point as the slate quarries generated over 160 new routes. The climbers involved were almost as radical as the routes they climbed. Paul Williams seminal audio visual presentation documents this amazing period of development and features many of the first ascensionsists, join us for a journey into the radical rock with Johnny Dawes, John Redhead, Paul Pritchard, Trevor Hodgson and a remarkable cast of hangers on, featuring lycra, big hair, massive rock shoes and radical rock overs. Paul sadly departed this Earth in 1995 but he leaves us a fantastic legacy. For one night only at the 2008 Llanberis Film Festival the stars of Slate of the Art will come together and present to you the stories of their adventures. This is a unique opportunity to relive one of the most exciting times in the history of Britain´s rock climbing development, a one off occasion that anyone with the least interest in the story of slate climbing will not want to be miss, be radical, be there. For more details and how to book visit www.llamff.co.uk.” Can you identify these three photographs from Paul Williams´ Slate of The Art slideshow: the climber and the route? Photo 1: The climber took a ground fall just after the picture was taken. click here Photo 2: click here Photo 3: click here UKClimbing.com is a proud sponsor of the Llanberis Mountain Film Festival (7th – 9th March) and the imminent Sheffield Adventure Film Festival (February 29th to March 2nd).

QuelleUKClimbing