How Hard Can It Be?

Nick Wharton is considered by many to be one of the boldest climbers in the UK
-This book recounts many tales from his climbing and other adventures over the past 4 decades
– There is an irony in that Wharton’s professional life was as a Health & Safety Manager and Consultant – something that appears to many to be at odds with his approach to climbing.

How hard can it be? Not a bad question for anyone to ask when faced with a challenging situation whether that is at work, in the home, or in a chosen pursuit. This book describes that positive, self-confident approach by Nick Wharton during his many and varied adventures.

The book takes the reader on a journey through a wide collection of stories and insights into his own escapades and how he has faced them over the past 40 years starting with learning to climb at boarding school by climbing the buildings in the middle of the night. We get an insight into his time in the army: holding back the Russians in Germany; patrolling the streets of Northern Ireland at the height of the troubles; training Mozambique forces in Zimbabwe; and, back home in the UK. Living in the Lake District, Wharton retrained as an Environmental Health Officer which started his unlikely choice of career in health and safety. We get an insight into his perspective of risk and how he has used his climbing to help get the H&S message across to colleagues and clients with great effect.

He gives us an insight into his own, distinctive approach to climbing. His insight into the world of hazards and risk management helps us to understand, what has been described by many as one of the most bold approaches to climbing in recent years.

The book is a fabulous collection of stories and anecdotes with contributions from many others – colleagues, friends, climbing partners and well-known characters from the climbing world. Illustrated throughout with a range of full-colour photos. The book will appeal to climbers and other outdoor activity enthusiasts but also to anyone with a sense of adventure and fun. It is introduced with a foreword by Leo Houlding – one of the best-known adventurers of our time.