Book Review: Tides: A Climber’s Voyage by Nick Bullock
Do you ever dream about quitting the 9 to 5 grind to pursue your true passion? Nick Bullock did exactly that.
In 2003, after 16 years on the job at a high security-prison in the UK, Nick Bullock called it quits. Since that pivotal moment, Bullock has dedicated his life to climbing and it’s been a wild ride. His latest book, Tides, gives an honest portrayal of the highs and lows of the climbing lifestyle.
Tides: A Climber’s Voyage is the follow up to Bullock’s 1st book – Echoes: One Climber’s Hard Road To Freedom. Tides shines the spotlight on Bullock’s climbing adventures from 2003 to 2016. During that time, Bullock was a full time climber and he sent impressive routes in places like Chamonix, Peru, Nepal, Wales, Canada, Alaska, and beyond.
Bullock has seen both success and failure in the world of climbing. He’s ticked off numerous first ascents, bagged major expeditions to the greater ranges, and sent plenty of classic routes. But a life truly dedicated to climbing isn’t all fun and games like social media, publications, and sponsors will have you believe.
In Tides, Bullock provides insight into the true struggles of a full time climber and explores “what it means to dedicate one’s life to climbing.” Throughout the 36 chapters in the book, Bullock takes you on far flung adventures, but he also honestly explores both the good times and the not-so-good times. Much like the tide, the life of a climber constantly ebbs and flows.
As one of the UK’s leading climbers, Bullock has put up impressive climbs all over the world. In 2017, he won the Piolet d’Or for his climb of Nyainqentangla South East via the North Buttress with Paul Ramsden. His climbing resume is impressive, but so is his writing resume.
Bullock’s writings have been published in major publications like Alpinist, Rock and Ice, Climb, American Alpine Journal, and many more. In 2017, he won the Best Mountaineering Article of the Year at the Banff Mountain Book Festival. Let’s just say the man is quite the wordsmith and his book is hard to put down.
Tides is a revealing memoir. Bullock’s natural talent for writing paints a vivid picture of the realities of the climbing life. Whether you’re thinking of dropping it all to become a full time climber or you just love the world of climbing, this is the book that you need to read.
Learn more about Nick Bullock at NickBullock-Climber.co.uk.
Tides: A Climber’s Voyage by Nick Bullock was originally published on 17 May 2018 by Vertebrate Publishing. Vertebrate Publishing sent a pre-publication edition of Tides: A Climber’s Voyage by Nick Bullock to Mountain Journey to read and review. If you love climbing, we think you’ll enjoy this one.
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