John Bull

Biography

I did my first canyon in the Sierra de Guara in 1992, on an exploratory visit that also took in some climbing in the Mascun Gorge and nearby Vadiello, a trip inspired by Cicerone's guide Rock Climbs/Pyrenees. As the canyoning seemed at least as much fun as the climbing, so an interest was born. Since then, I have visited all the areas in this book either in dedicated canyoning trips, or in combination with days spent climbing or walking.

Growing up in the Lake District, I spent my teenage years in the 1970's as much in the hills as in the Youth Club, and soon began travelling to Snowdonia and Scotland for bigger things. Rock climbing became my consuming obsession in my 20's, and climbing trips to the Mediterranean limestone areas became a regular feature of the year. Somehow I managed a parallel life as a research geneticist, and spent several years living in Switzerland and France, where it seemed only natural to try my hand at alpinism and ski-mountaineering. This seemed hard graft, and I realised I had a preference for the relatively hedonistic cocktail offered by rock climbing, consisting of less donkey-work and more pazzaz. After an overland climbing trip to Africa, I became entranced by American rock climbing, and made several trips to Yosemite, Joshua Tree, Boulder and the USA's other major climbing areas.

My climbing became more relaxed as age progressed and injuries amassed, and canyoning came like a breath of fresh air to revitalise trips abroad. However, all said and done, in the UK we have the most varied climbing, the handiest walking, and the best beer. Now based in Macclesfield, half an hour from Kinder Scout or the Roaches, I work as a medical writer specialising in cancer. Which is why I still like to live every day as if it's my last. And I don't mean hooked up to a drip in an intensive care bed!