Wild Country UK 2014

Martin Atkinson – Managing Director / Product Design

Martin was one of the first professional climbers and was a ubiquitous figure on the UK and world scene from the early to late 1980’s with many important first ascents and repeats to his name. These included the first 8B+ in the UK, ‘Mecca’ in 1986, the fifth ascent of ‘Chouca 8B Buoux, France, in 1985, and an incredible flashed ascent of To Bolt or Not To Be 5.14A, at Smith Rock in 1987.

Martin, a very happy man after his one day ascent of 'The Nose' in 2004....

All this experience led to work and sponsorship with many of the larger emerging outdoor companies including Scarpa, Berghaus and Mammut, and meant ‘Basher’ – his nickname, gained from his forceful climbing style and large muscles - got an early lead into the world of business. This led to him laying down his ‘pro-climber’ status and joining Mammut in 1988.
Eight years at the Swiss giant as Salesman then International Product Manager gave Martin the experience he needed and in 1995 he moved back to the UK with his young family to take over Wild Country and revitalise it with a new dynamic approach.

Injuries have restricted Martins climbing in recent years to bigger goals rather than the hardest routes and now he’s more likely to be found in ‘the Valley’ than in the nearby ‘dale’!

Steve Foster – Marketing Director / Product Design

Another long serving figure on the UK climbing scene, with over 35 years experience, and well versed in both the trade and retail sides of the outdoor business, Steve cut his teeth in the previous era to Martin. Renowned for his steely fingers and tenacity Steve ‘Snakehips’ Foster was most closely associated to the developments of the late 70’s 80’s which saw grades rocket and this climbing game spread to a wider audience. Steve climbed with the likes of Ron Fawcett and the other ‘senior’ pro’s of the time.  

Steve 'snakehips' Foster seen here in 1565 on the first ascent of a route in Cornwall (not fallen down) the route not Steve... 

On the business side, Steve successfully managed one of the most renowned independent outdoor retailers in the UK in the mid 80’s then had his first spell as a Sales Rep at WC.

He then moved on to work with several rope companies and established his own distribution company before being tempted back in to the fold when Martin took over in 1995.

Steve has climbed extensively in the UK and Europe, and while we say in the office he’s ‘over the hill’, he is still trying to push his grade - and be found on the walls in winter and redpointing his way round Europe in summer.

Jason Myers - Sales Director

The Wild Country Sales Director is another example of Wild Country attracting and employing those who shine both on and off the crag, to keep up the company pedigree.

Jason Myers as was, on his awesome 7c+ problem at Crookrise, Jason's Roof...

Jason, has a wealth of experience in the trade, cutting his teeth heading up the climbing department during the early days of the famous Outside shop in the heart of the UKs Peak District. A break to complete a degree in business and marketing from Sheffield Hallam University was followed by more 'hands on' experience with a move to the supply side of the trade, with a high level of commitment and success.

However, Jason is a possibly an even more well known figure on the crag. A very talented climber, and one of the leaders of the bouldering upsurge in the mid nineties, many of his boulder problems have attained "must try" status across the Peak and Yorkshire. These include the infamous Brad Pit 7C+ and the awesome Crookside Roof 7C+.

Less well known is Jasons roped heritage and the fact that after spending many months living with the Moons and Moffats at Buoux he was one of the first Brit's to climb F8b+ way back in 1987. A time when 8B+ was more than a tick, it was an event….A real all rounder Jason is certainly not afraid to put on big boots and a rope, and consequently has many Scottish and Alpine classics under his belt.

Mark Bridgman-Smith - UK Sales Manager

Mark ‘Skeletor’ Bridgman Smith - as he became known after an early nineties dieting phase – hails from nearby Chesterfield and is another fixture on the Peak District climbing scene. A strong climber on both limestone and grit, trad, bolts and bouldering, Mark has done a number of first ascents as well as building the most impressive training venues ever seen in Chesterfield.

Mark seen here in 1993 on the hard little number Hot Fun Closing 8a, at Rubicon in the heart of the Peak

Mark is a well known and well respected climber who also commented on the scene for a few years as Peak correspondent for the now defunct OTE magazine.

Neil Preston - Product Manager

Neil was a late starter who only took up climbing at the age of 23. Deciding 'I can do that' after seeing people climbing whilst out walking, he and his mates bought shoes and took up soloing...(!). After a year or so of soloing - including a memerable day when he fell from 25ft onto his mate and they both decked - he decided to teach himself to use gear and to lead climb,

After the bug had fully ensnared him he left his job in Manchester to travel to alone to California. One of the most memorable events of this trip was doing Lost Arrow Spire in Yosemite. Several years and several trips to Europe followed this initial phase and has enjoyed some really fun trips away and tries to make the most of his weekend’s cragging time.

Over recent years, he's done some remote waterfall ice climbing and Alpine rock climbing in China and would like to explore these areas further. But right now his grade is improving on sports and trad to a healthy level and he's currently enjoying the varied climbing in the UK - on a rope.

James Blay - International Sales

James joined Wild Country after completing a Foundation in Engineering and a degree in Sports Equipment Development at Sheffield Hallam University. Prior to his degree he spent a couple of years at one of the UK's leading independent ski and outdoor shops, Lockwoods of Leamington Spa.He is a keen climber and recently turned his focus to bouldering with a list of pretty hard ascents under his belt so far, including 'the big four' at Cuvier Rempart Fontainbleau - you can see James doing these on a video here.

James seen here on the classic 7c boulder Rockatrocity, Parisellas Cave, North Wales.

James is 25 and has been climbing on and off for about 10 years having been distracted by thai boxing and mixed martial arts for a couple of years along the way. More recently he has started road biking and running to improve his fitness for climbing and completed a sprint triathlon in Warwick in aid of The Motor Neurone Disease Association.

His most comical climbing experience was arriving at a night club with a friend to find the doors closed only to notice that one of the windows on the first floor of the club was open. After climbing the side of the building they entered the club through the window which turned out to lead straight out into a crowd of people on the dance floor!

You can see James in action bouldering here...

Ian Hodgson - Northern Sales Representative

Ian graduated from Bicton College in 1998 and became an instructor for a company in the south of England. Climbing on Southern Sandstone in his spare time but dreaming of the Alps. Lucky enough to scrape some money together, the love affair was confirmed when his eye’s fell upon Ailefroide in the Ecrins. Back in the UK work moved to Outward Bound in Aberdovey, mid Wales, where the Meirionnydd guide book got a good thumbing. Attitudes changed to a more stable income and a job at Tiso. Scotland’s crags and high points in the summer and winter were thoroughly explored.
Chamonix and surrounding crags were calling and holidays were spent doing the classic high routes and mountains in the Alps. He then worked for the British Army with a job description that was to ‘scare full time soldiers through the medium of multi pitch climbing’ which often took him to the crags of Cornwall and North Wales. Up until recently he was freelancing teaching multi pitch climbing, assessing staff for high rope courses and assessing D of E mountain bike expeditions from London to Paris.
He now has the best job in the world selling and talking about Wild Country gear.

Richie Patterson – Marketing Consultant

An ebullient climber Richie has over 25 years of rock climbing experience under his belt. Starting climbing in the northeast of England and serving a traditional apprenticeship, his grade started improving at college in Leeds in the late 80's and then a move to Sheffield saw a big leap in standards. With his grade improving, he became a bit of a fixture on the scene and started contributed to it by repeating and establishing a number of hard gritstone and limestone routes: perhaps the most famous being Born Slippy, a bold E8/6C 5.13RX at Curbar in the Peak District. Richie has climbed extensively throughout Europe and the USA, as well as all around the UK and is happy on sports and trad on most rock types.

Richie on his only ever front cover, in 1996 on his route Born Slippy, E8 6c, Curbar UK

On the business side Richie got into 'the outdoor world' proper when he moved to Sheffield in the early 90’s and started working in 'Outside' in Hathersage - mainly because it was so close to the crags to go climbing after work.
Richie started with Wild Country in 1997 as a Sales Rep and worked his way up to Sales Manager over the next few years. In between he was also active on the design side of the business and is most proud of the Matrix Harness concept, Superlight Rocks and the Xenon biner - three products which were his design and development projects. Richie mainly now works as a consultant on the advertising and marketing side of the Wild Country operation, through his own company, RP Outdoor.

You can see Richie in action here..

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