Unplugged

Kenny Stocker

Staff, athletic super hero (and website editor)

I tend to spend most of my days breaking this website and then fixing it again thus ensuring I look busy and indispensable to the company.

When not pushing pixels around a screen I like to climb, run, snowboard and shoot a trail on my 15yr old Rock Hopper. Kayaking has fallen out of favour the last few years, but Jims PFAKS series might draw me back in. I have also spent half a day skiing.. just for curiosities sake!

Favourite places include Sardinia, the Ecrins National Park, Val di Mello and I have a particularly special attachment to Lecco, Italy!

Places I would like to go include Smiths Rocks; I totally blame that on the picture of Stefan Glowacz on Chain Reaction!, Patagonia just to cruise around some and see what is going on, but to be honest I like Europe.. it just seems more homely somehow.

Recent Daring Deeds

Ignoring the bank holiday forecast

If the forecast was to be believed we would have been better staying at home doing DIY, however it had been a busy week and we just needed some outdoors time, we decided to risk the bank holiday in North Wales.

Leaving Nottingham Saturday morning we arrived in Llangollen for lunch. It had been a while since we had climbed in this area and with Nicks original Stuart Cathcart guidebook looking very dated we ‘upgraded’ to the latest Clwyd Limestone Rockfax.

It was a really nice surprise to find some well equipped low and mid grade sport climbs. The previous weekend we had been to Rubicon in the Peak District, 15 years after our last visit, and were dissapointed that things were exactly ..

Posted on 07 May, 2008 by Kenny

Slacking off

Spring has finally come to Alpkit HQ, regenerating Alpkit staff morale and stimulating early season training on the makeshift AlpLine. We are kind of learning with every fall but You Tube has a great selection of slacklining videos, one of our favourites is Dean Potter on the Lost Arrow Spire.

Posted on 06 May, 2008 by Kenny

Climbing Works International Festival

An under strength Alpkit team arrived at the doors of the Climbing Works. Beth had deserted us for a team that actually stood a chance of winning, Ashleigh was poorly and couldn’t join us, Dan.. well Dan had had a hard night.

Not to be perturbed we downed a coffee and got stuck in. We had 5 hours to try and climb the 30 qualifying problems. Percy and his team and set something for everyone, a good mixture of hard and easy routes.. not an easy task when you have everyone from punters like us to world class rockhuggers like Gaz Parry and Steve MacClure climbing on the same blocs.

Time drained away and problems got ticked off. Beth was keeping a check on us, checking out the old school ..

Posted on 16 April, 2008 by Kenny