Brought up in the South West on a diet of simultaneously loose and polished limestone under the wing of trad legend Tony "Big Hair" Penning gave Simon a taste for adventure with some staunch old-fashioned values regarding bolts. It took many years and a re-location to Yorkshire for him to realise that, actually, sport climbing wasn't the enemy, and was pretty much a necessity for improving your game.
Besides climbing, Simon enjoys pottery and stupid dance music, and also holds the Mountain Leader Award.