Mick Fowlers new book, No Easy Way, review by Stevie Haston.

Do people have climbing legends today, or do they seem just like adverts for product? Mick Fowler was voted climbers climber (what ever that means) years ago, but increasingly do we even have people who know what kinda climbing Mick is into? Here's his latest book and it is worth looking into as its a glimpse into the mind of latter day illuminators of climbing like Tillman, more than the new redbullshit grimpeur of today.

 Mick was very famous at one stage for leading the chalk climbing re-revolution, a mighty and very unscotish affair, which I amoung others thought was fantastic.

 Greeting Mick, Stevie here with some health food waiting to see you.

 In the book you will read about Micks last few climbs with some outstanding climbers, they often get forgotten in Mick's shadow, read the book and do them some honour. If I have a grumble about  the book, it is the lack of Maps, Vertebrate Publishing take note. It might not be the publishers fault as Mick often guards his next project well. He was always a very canny lad in seeing climbing lines, and ruthlessly pushing them through.
  

 Mick holding up some visa photos which clearly make him look like a right wing Cabinet member.
Is the book any good I hear you ask. Well yes, but because it is written by Mick it might be hard to understand how committing some of these routes are. Hyperbole is not Micks best suit. Sly humour, understatement, and the odd Fowlerism might have to do, there are no topos!

Photo Ramsden one of Micks mountain climbing buds.

I have to say when Mick takes time to come an see me an the trade shows, it takes me back to the Hairy Heart House in Sheffield! Probably no one remembers this seedy residence anymore, but now that Mick is safely retired from the Taxmans job which he went to sleep in, we can now talk about it. It wasn't quite the House of the Rising sun, but it was on the east of the Peak and debauched. Londoners like me could safely come and doss, care of Fowler and Stevenson, two London boys gone bad on the Grit. Early assents of many routes around the UK, and Scotland, repeats in the Alps, and then a bit later, the Golden Pillar of Spantek. He even became president of the Alpine club, nice to think the Lord of the Hairy Heart was in charge of Establishment climbing for a while, and by all accounts left it better! Anyway, I loved the book.