I wrote this to say before my video was shown at LAFF, but due to microphone problems, I successfully got away without ever having to deliver it! However, I still stand by it and it’s a useful explaination of how I ended up making the film.

Hi, I’m Alex.

I’m going to start this presentation with something all really good presentations start with: the reading of some technical details from a phone.

26 climbs, 14 minutes, 3 songs, 1 sack of shit doing the climbing.

And 1 QR code at the end. Most of you won’t want to visit that. I like to give credit where it’s due, so I’ve written about the climbs I’ve done, mentioned the people I copied off, and linked the videos that inspired me to climb. My video will also be linked on there.

The names and grades are in the video, grades are from the 2014 guidebook, and I’ve included UKC vote ranges where the votes differ.

Four years ago, I submitted £25 to a paypal account, and in return, I got a guidebook, and this little flyer. On the back, it says, in handwriting “Hi Alex, Thanks for your order. Happy Bouldering! Robin.”

That was my introduction to the outdoor climbing community, and I was really pleased to receive that note.

I’m someone who climbs outside on their own 95% of the time, and although I’m not very good, and I’m overly cautious and I’m scared of heights, I’ve managed to make some real progress.

That’s not because of talent. It’s because of the crags. The crags in this film, Blackstone Edge, Cow’s Mouth, and Stony Edge, are what I would describe as a lowball bouldering paradise. And I’ve been able to safely learn some skills up there alone, without anyone watching.

Another key part of that, are the videos people have made of the area. There are a few that I’m really fond of, and if I look at the other side of this flyer, I recognise the person on it. It’s Andy Emery, and the line he’s on there is Blackstone Best, it gets 6B.

Andy made a video over 10 years ago, “The wild, wild moors: Blackstone Edge”. And that’s the climb it opens with.

When you’re on your own, you don’t have people to show you how to do some of the harder, or even easier problems. That’s good for your ability to work things out on your own, but sometimes having someone show you what to do can help. You need a leg-up. And the level of the climbs Andy showcased was just about perfect for me – other videos tend to go harder.

It’s a combination of the crags themselves, and the videos people have made there, and my experience with them that are the inspiration behind my film I’m about to show.

I’m not a film-maker, I’m barely even a climber, and the only reason I’m here is because I posted on Instagram that I’m sick of social media, and Robin said make something for LAFF. At the time I didn’t even know what LAFF was, but I decided to try anyway, and here I am.

I could say “oh, it’s met some kind of minimum bar then”, or “I’m sure Robin takes anything that’s sent to him” but the truth is that I’d just be hiding behind self-deprecation.

I’m happy to be up here. I made a film. I put loads of effort into it over the past year, and I think it’s the best I could have done. I love some of the other videos that have been made at these crags over the years, and I think my film can stand alongside them. I’m proud of what I’ve made. And I’m really happy I could use some of my cousin’s lovely music, she’s called Freyja Evelyn, and I think the music fits really well.

Thanks everyone, I hope you enjoy it. It’s called Moorland Shuffles & Gritstone Scuffles.