About John
John Roberts
Disruptor, innovator and entrepreneur working mainly in education, industrial relations and technology. Expect blogs on climbing, edtech and trade unions.
Read my profile in Schools Week.
Latest Posts
A six part yoga for climbers video series in partnership with Epic TV, Prana and the Depot Climbing Centre Manchester.
Each episode is 10 minutes, so you can do the standalone sessions as a great pre-climb warm up, or post climb cool down, mix and match sessions to create a climber specific workout, or complete the full series as an hour long challenging yoga session specifically tailored to climber’s needs. Enjoy! Read more
In the last year the BMC has faced a torrid time; the Climb Britain u-turn, and now a potential 40% Sport England funding cut, a proposed Alpine Club Special General Meeting and a guerilla ‘vote of no confidence’. Is this a storm in a teacup, is the board “betraying” the members, or are these all just red herrings? Read more
There was a list of four routes on Heather’s fridge (the fridge list). Three weren’t in condition after the recent storms in Chamonix, so that left one: Etat du Choc on the Petit Clocher du Portalet. My french brain didn’t seem to be on form after a long week of work and I’d forgotten that this route translates as State of Shock, and not some sweeter alternative. That said the line, after a good few hours of upward fighting up a 9 pitch off-width was definitely worthy of being on the fridge list, and the north face of the Portalet is quite possibly the best face of granite in region. Read more
Like many friends and colleagues I awoke on Friday feeling alienated in my own country. I appreciate those who voted leave saying that for them this is the feeling that has built up over many years, but the intensity with which such a feeling was brought upon was devastating. I don’t… Read more
There’s not much left to say about the quality of climbing at Fairhead festival that hasn’t already been said. Perfect weather, perfect rock and perfect company from 500 friends from across the climbing community who came together for a weekend on one of the best crags in the world. After crushing most of the crag, including a flash of The Dark Side (E8 6c), Alex Honnold delivered a sold-out lecture in a cow-shed on the Saturday night. Read more
I’d recommended the line of The Dark Side to Jordan Buys the previous day, and eager to take up the recommendation Jordan threw a rope down the huge 55m pitch as I climbed Jolly Roger on the perpendicular wall. As I was topping out, having plugged my entire rack into the route, I could see my belayer 55m below, slightly distracted by Alex Honnold who was heckling the amount of gear I’d placed and clearly engaging my belayer more than my bumbling about on an E3! Read more