So, in the meantime, and in response to popular demand, we’ve just released the full, unedited Grampians Climbing in digital format. You can download it from my website for $15 → here. It directly supports the ongoing guidebook work that Neil Monteith and I do. Thank you!

I’m excited to announce that my first video is now live on my new YouTube channel! 🎉🎉🎉

My first video, “30 years of climbing photography: my craziest shoot ever!” is a wild ride.

View the 16-minute video –> HERE.

I’ve spent the last year developing remote-control camera rigs for climbing photography, and this video reveals and puts one of my setups to the test for the first time.

The video is on my new YouTube channel, Simon Carter No Filter! I set up this channel as a way of sharing what I’ve learned over the years, from basic climbing photography techniques to these advanced remote camera setups. So if you’re interested in photography and especially climbing photography, then this will be the place for you. I’ll share all my tips and “secrets” and there will be a lot of behind-the-scenes as well. But I want the channel to be more than simply that, and I’m sure there’ll be a lot of interesting things, places, and people along the way as well. I want this to be fun. I hope you’ll join me – and the best way to ensure you don’t miss and episode is to subscribe to the channel –> here. And if you are interested in climbing photography, then be sure you’re also subscribed to my email newsletter –> here.

So yes, this is a couple of big projects coming together, and that’s why I am so excited to get it all started. 

I sure would love your help to produce more videos. You can:

— Order a print of the image from the video.
— Buy the book, The Art of Climbing.
— Join my new Patreon (which gives you 10% off purchases from this website, which includes the above items).

I hope you enjoy the video. Thanks for your support!

~ Simon

Presenting… The Art of Climbing!

The Art of Climbing is published by Thames and Hudson (UK) and, in my humble opinion, they have done an incredible job. I don’t mean with just the design and reproduction, but with the way they’ve created a book that is interesting at so many levels. In particular, I love the themes that we’ve come up with to make sense of my “body of work” and are also a fresh and inspiring way to look at climbing itself. These themes (chapters) connect to the fundamentals of what makes climbing so incredible and unique. Some themes focus on the intensity of the experience, others on the spectacular landscapes we get to know and love, and many celebrate the incredible rock architecture — the Formations, Lines, Walls, Aretes and Overhangs — that inspires us as climbers (and photographers) and which we make our playgrounds. Some of the world’s most inspirational climbers joined with me to write short stories to introduce and develop these themes. I think this is an original and fascinating way to look at climbing, which will resonate with many of you. For photographers, there is a bunch of “behind the scenes” beta at the back of the book. And for the icing on the cake, the Foreward is by Adam Ondra, the legend of legends.

There is much I’d love to say but right now, since I’m sure you’ll love this book, please check it out and see for yourself.

This link — www.onsight.com.au/art — should give you everything you need.

You can order the book directly from me there — and I sure appreciate that (copies will be “signed by the author” at this stage) and there is information on where else it is available too. Basically, the book is now available in Australia and the UK, North America, and is now finding its way into some EU countries.

Reviews! Reviews! Reviews!

Don’t just take my word for it. The Art of Climbing has already been getting some incredible reviews, including one in The Conversation, one in Digital Camera World, and one in Common Climber. But if you’ve already seen the book, I’d love it if you would please take a moment to spread the word by writing a review of your own on my website. To do that, just go to that link above and click the “Reviews” tab.

Thank you so much to all of you who have followed and supported my work, and shared in this incredible journey along the way. ❤️❤️❤️
What a ride! Hopefully, it’s not over yet.

The following pics are some of my favourites from the book… but first, THE BOOK!

More soon.

~ Simon

Lynn Hill leading pitch two (25, 5.12b) of The Free Route on The Totem Pole.

Ben Heason, Slipstream (E6, 6b), Rainbow Slab, Llanberis Slate Quarries, Wales, UK.

John Smoothy making the most of an early start for Checkpoint Charlie (21) in the Blue Mountains.

Amazing icicle formations set the scene for Will Gadd to attempt Phyllis Diller (M10), a hard mixed route, in a cave on the Stanley Headwall, British Columbia, Canada.

Lee Cujes making the first ascent of License to Climb Harder (7c), on The Face in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam.

Mike Doyle, pitch two of The Backbone (13a), with Monique Forestier belaying, Monkey Face, Smith Rock, Oregon, USA.

Lee Cossey attempting his 55m project, which he climbed on his next attempt, and called Sneaky Snake (33) on Taipan Wall, Grampians.

Evan Stevens, Priapos (7c), Grande Grotta, Kalymnos, Greece.

Ben Cossey on his then project, which has now just become known as Light Weight Baby (35), as it features in The Art of Climbing as the “Overhangs” chapter opener, to introduce Adam Ondra’s awesome story that he wrote for the book. Get your copy here.

#Repost @bestofthered

📢The RED 2nd Edition 📢 Beyond psyched to announce we have finished a fresh edition of our comprehensive Red River Gorge sport climbing guidebook just in time for fall season! 💣💯 Order it here.
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Show some love for our amazing cover shot! Our featured climber is long-time local female crusher Leor Gold (@beeer_queeen) on the hands-down mega-classic route Golden Boy (5.13b) at Gold Coast. Shot by none other than our publisher and world-class photographer Simon Carter (📷@simoncarter_onsight).
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About the new edition: We have added 245 new climbs and 4 brand new crags for a total of 2586 routes and 106 crags all beautifully fit into a super reasonable 360 pages. Every detail has been finely tuned and updated to ensure our information is 100% accurate and easy to use. We have added even more topo photos and are psyched that we now have 90% of the total climbs pictured and drawn, that’s over 2250 routes!! Tons of fresh action shots to get climbers psyched. For this edition we have elected to add cover flaps by popular demand (thanks for your input, we care and listen!) so now you’ve got a built-in bookmark! Check out our website for more information including full contents and a selection of page excerpts.
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Over the coming days, we will be sharing some of the amazing new action shots for this edition, highlighting some of our favorite features and getting you flippin’ PSYCHED for fall season! Stay tuned.
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None of this would be possible without support from this amazing community. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! We have been making guidebooks for the Red for 6 years now and the outpouring of support and appreciation has blown us away. YOU ARE ALL AMAZING!

Order it here.

New pics. Jacques Beaudoin has just sent his mega trad route Mother Earth (31) — this time placing all gear on lead during the actual ascent!⁠
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I posted some pics of this route nearly 16 months ago when Jacques climbed it on in-situ gear. Since then the process involved many monster whippers before the stars and conditions aligned and he managed this better style ascent a few days ago. ⁠
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Despite all the extra effort, Jacques said he didn’t think the grade was significantly different placing gear “if your brain can cope”. 🤯
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The route is located out on the Newnes Plateau in the Blue Mtns. Stay tuned for the video being produced by Ben Sanford.⁠

📷 @ashleehendy and @lizz.chong climbing in the Grampians.

Louie Allen attempting God’s Own Stone (5.14a), Gold Coast, Red River Gorge, Kentucky, the other day.⁠
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So awesome to get overseas for the first time in several years! I’ve been in the Red RiverGorge for a couple of weeks now and have been working hard with the illustrious Brendan Leader on an update to our incredibly popular THE RED guidebook. ⁠Brendan has been meticulously working on the text, and physically checking for every single existing crag (and a few new ones) to ensure that the info in our next edition is thoroughly up-to-date and as good as can be. Meanwhile I’ve been taking lots of new cliff topo photos – and with that under control I’ve also done about 20 action photo shoots this last week. Loving the new Nikon Z9 as well as the vibe in the gorge and getting to hang out with so many psyched climbers. Even managed to climb a few routes myself. #goodtimes #exhausted 😅

I’m very sorry to hear of the passing of Bryden Allen yesterday, truly one of the great legends of Australian climbing.⁠
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I took this image of him in 1998, when he was at the age of 58, climbing as hard as – or harder than – ever on the route on Toyland (25), at Cosmic Country in Blue Mountains. Something I found super inspiring at the time – and still do!⁠
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Tim Allen, Bryden’s son, wrote a beautiful tribute which I’ve pasted below (with permission), as it touches on the diverse interests and achievements of this remarkable man.⁠
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Vale Bryden Allen ⁠
28/2/40 – 9/2/22⁠
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My father – a unique, almost unbelievably so, human.⁠
He was many things:⁠
Firstly, an individual of extreme eccentricity – that permeated everything else.⁠
Then, a rock climber – his greatest achievements and his legacy.⁠
Then, a mathematician – a PHD in pure mathematics with 3 original papers published by the age of 25.⁠
Also – a morris dancer…⁠
And – a solver of the the world’s problems who spent 30 years writing treatises on how the world should live – to which the world responded with complete indifference.⁠
An accordion player who played every day in the local mall and had to remind people that he wasn’t busking for money, he just liked doing it.⁠
And finally – his other greatest achievement – a paraplegic who lived fully and stubbornly independent for 22 years after breaking his back in a climbing accident. His strength of will and determination was utterly unique.⁠
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Tim Allen⁠
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Rest in Peace Bryden.

Maria Alejandra Garcia Villegas, Manic (18), Narrabeen Slabs, Sydney.⁠