Fast and Free – Pete Livesey

Stories of a rock climbing legend

Collected biography of Pete Livesey with contributions from: Geoff Birtles,
Martin Berzins, John Cleare, Jean Claude Droyer, Jim Eyre, Peter Gomersall,
Dennis Gray, Ron Fawcett, Peter Livesey, John Long, Nicho Mailander, Mark
Radtke, John Sheard and many more. This compilation of inspirational and at
times downright funny tales forms a loose climbing biography that charts his
journey from cave explorer to one of the world’s leading rock-climbers.
Written by those who shared in his journey, this fascinating collection of
stories and observations gives unique insight into what he achieved, what he
stood for and ultimately why he deserves a place in the pantheon of world
climbing Greats. Includes plated sections of colour and black and white
photographs.

John Sheard Climbed with Livesey during the late 60’s and throughout the 70’s,
sharing the pursuit of new routes and the overdue escalation of grades,
particularly in Yorkshire. He followed the Livesey example of seeking out new
destinations with several visits to Yosemite and to European Limestone making
the first tentative explorations of the Verdon Gorge by UK climbers. His
interests in alpinism took him on an overland journey to climb in the Himalaya
followed by a more comfortable one to Latok 2 in the Karakorum with Paul Nunn
in 1978.

Mark Radtke Started rock-climbing in the late 1970’s and by the mid 1980’s was
pioneering new routes to a high standard throughout Yorkshire and the Lake
District. He has climbed extensively throughout Europe, Australia and North
America and embraces climbing in all its forms. He was area correspondent for
On The Edge Magazine for five years where he reported on the latest rock-
climbing developments in Yorkshire and was Yorkshire area chair for the BMC
for four years. He has contributed to numerous climbing guidebooks and his
photographs and articles have appeared periodically in climbing magazines
since 1984. His climbing autobiography A Canvas of Rock was published in 2012
to good acclaim.