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Specializes
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Rock
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Bouldering |
Mountaineering |
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Mrs
Gnarl! |
In a Nutshell
Professional climbers, photographers,
journalists and coaches as well as international election and IT consultants.
Both Anne and John Arran have been pushing the boundaries of the sport
for some time, in recent years applying their top-level free-climbing
skills to big walls in some of the remotest parts of the world.
Recent Arran Achievements
• Ascent of the exotic
‘Gondwanaland’ (800m, 7c), Madagascar 2006
• ‘Esoterica’ John on another mid summer challenge with
Shane Ohly 2006
• Angel Falls first ascent, 2005, and other big wall climbs in Venezuela
on Cerro Autana and Acopán Tepui
• 500 routes in a day, and 100 Stanage extremes – on another
day!
• The Hostage and the Philosopher’s Stone – Exciting
new route adventures in Kyrgyzstan
• Dr Dolittle, unrepeated E10
Shows
Both Anne and John most often
use a digital projector hooked up to a laptop, but 35mm slides are also
an option for many of the talks. Video is usually incorporated into the
presentation with sound clips and images to music. As well as giving an
insight into top end climbing, the journey of reaching or escaping the
often remote locations is always entertaining.
Angel Falls, climbing the
world’s biggest waterfall – How an international team
lead by John made the first free ascent of this spectacular face in 2005
after 19 days of effort and 31 pitches, 9 of them E7! The wall is 1000m
high and overhangs by over 50m. This third-time-lucky success realised
a dream for John and Anne, who first tried the line in 2002 after watching
an Eric Jones BASE jumping video. The show features a close look at ledge-life
and the best of thefreeclimber.com photography.
Gondwanaland – Mad
in Madagascar & Lemur life – Amazing country, amazing wildlife,
amazing people and amazing climbing! A brilliant trip with Gaz Parry,
Jerry Gore and Giles Cornah. Not just an 800m granite wall encounter but
a great insight into the idyllic sport-climbing off Madagascar’s
north coast. The local people, fadi’s (taboos) and the unedited
tales of Diego Suarez night club antics will offer a night to remember.
Grit Fest, 500 routes in
a day – John relates how he and Shane Ohly succeeded in each
climbing 500 routes in a day as a mid-summer challenge. A multimedia tour
around some of the Peak’s best climbing, it includes many humorous
interludes throughout this tiring 17-hour day. Many of the routes raced-up
are easy enough for most climbers, but perhaps not all at once!
In the footsteps of Fawcett
– 100 Grit Extremes in a day; plus a first ascent account of
the unrepeated Dr Dolittle, E10 7a – A big effort and a long day
out, another mid-summer Ohly, Arran challenge day. Contrast the long day
of concentration with five minutes of ultimate intensity as John trusts
all to a hand-placed knifeblade on what may be gritstone’s hardest
lead.
‘Esoterica’
– A short talk coupled with video footage of the making of the Slackjaw
Film ‘Esoterica’. The ‘On Peak Rock’ Esoterica
list combines charming classic climbs like the Kinder Downfall and the
Matterhorn Ridge with vegetable-fests like Generously Cut Trousers and
the ultimate nightmare of the tottering Mam Tor Gully. The challenge finished
in the dark after 18 hours, 155 miles of driving, 5½ hours of approach
and 423m of climbing.
Venezuela Extreme –
A Climbers’ Earth from the Air – Inspired by the photography
of Yann Arthus-Bertrand, this slideshow includes dramatic aerial shots
over Venezuela’s remarkable Tepui rock formations, taken both from
a Cessna and also from the climber’s perspective, high above the
remote jungle of Amazonas and the Canaima National Park. It also features
big-wall free ascents of Cerro Autana and Acopan tepui. With ancient rocks
standing proud above the jungle floor, snow-capped Andean peaks, idyllic
Caribbean archipelagos, impenetrable jungle, rare wildlife, curious creepy-crawlies
and remote Indian tribes, this diverse and little-known country is more
than worth a visit.
The Hostage –
Superb granite new-routing in Kyrgyzstan’s Yosemite –Anne
and John visited this valley with Ian Parnell and Mark Pretty at the same
time as some Japanese tourists were taken hostage and the year before
an American climbing team were kidnapped. They completed a number of new
routes before fleeing the valley, along with the yaks, after being told
that Taliban were on their way!
Behind the veil in Iran
and the Sinai connection – Climbing in Iran, coaching the Iranian
climbing team and trad new-routing in Sinai, as well as developing an
extensive new bouldering area. Two fascinating countries with a lot to
offer in bouldering, sport and adventure climbing. In 2002 Anne and John
were lucky enough to be guests of the British Embassy and Iranian Mountaineering
Federation in Tehran.
Other topics Anne or John would
be happy to lecture on:
• Rock around the world
• New routing in the UK
• Exotic locations
• Combinations talks of any of the above in two 30 minute sections
are also available, for example Madagascar and Esoterica.
• Expedition planning
Previous Shows
"Well that was stupendous. You can be sure that 99.9% of the
audience wouldn't be able to go up there. I shall be dreaming of bromeliads
tonight." Stephen Venables
“That's the best slide
show I've ever seen here” The Alpine Club, London
“I really enjoyed
that, thank you very much!” Kendal Film Festival
Photographs
See their gallery
for some sample images illustrating John and Anne’s expertise as
a photographers, as well as some of the topics of their shows.
To arrange for Anne
to give a lecture Contact
Heason Events
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