Simon's Bio:

Simon Moore aka ‘Irish Si’ born in Northern Ireland in 1981. Began rock climbing at the age if 15 but was no stranger to the mountains due to his parent’s keen interest in climbing and mountaineering, and in the outdoors in general. Travelling was an important aspect of growing up, spending at least a few months a year in Europe and further afield. By the age of 21 he had visited France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, Iceland, Greenland, USA, Canada, Russia, Georgia and Mexico, climbing in many of these countries, and enjoying the party scene in them all!

As a young teenager Si began to develop a keen interest in the world’s larger mountains, visiting and climbing peaks in the Alps and Russia. He also spent some time in Scotland, climbing ice up to grade V. After several years he drifted from this aspect of climbing to develop his interest in pure rock. He moved to Sheffield to study Geography and to essentially climb full time. Here he systematically ticked his way through dozens of the hardest classic lines such as Gaia, and End of the Affair, also onsighting up to E6, and having a very close call falling 35 feet and hitting the ground of the Dave Pegg ‘death route’ Heartbeat city’ several miles from the road on Rylstone, N. Yorkshire. He starred in the cult climbing movie, ‘Consumed’ which was released in Britain in 2004, following him and some of his friends on their quest to tick the hardest of gritstone lines, having filmed between them over 100 routes of E6 to E9, with some gripping footage and some BIG falls. In October 2003 he said goodbye to gritstone headpointing (for a while) with the first ascent of ‘French Kiss’ (E8 6b/c) in the Burbage South quarries.

Periodically visiting his homeland, a place he doesn’t get to nearly enough Si made the only repeat of John Dunne’s ‘Tolerance’ (E8 6c - the second hardest route in Ireland). He also added several new lines of his own including the neo classic ‘The Mushroom Boyz,’ (E7 6c) high up the Mountains of Mourne.

Si is keen to focus on the greater ranges, climbing big walls and larger mountains, although he also has maintained an interest in Bouldering and Sports climbing struggling to specialise in one aspect of climbing, essentially wanting to do it all! He has already made fast free first ascents of a 3000ft wall in Greenland, and repeats in Yosemite including an ‘afternoon’ ascent of the ‘Prow’ on Washington Column.

First Ascent of French Kiss - E8 6b/c Burbage South - Tim Gasby Coll.

First Ascent of Mushroom Boyz - E7 6c, Mourne Mtns, Ireland - Si's Dad's Coll!

Shows:

Si is keen to give multimedia shows on a selection of topics including…

• The Emerald Isle – Climbing in Ireland, the land that’s so close yet seems to be so far away for the majority of British climbers.
• Gritstone – ‘Consumed,’ fuelling the fear addiction.
• Bigwalls free (...and not so free) – From Greenland to the Valley