So you're leaving England, to set up the S7 shop in Utah, can you tell us a bit about your current plans? (For world domination!).

Whilst I was over in the States this spring climbing I got into discussions with Boone Speed who runs Pusher and also distributes Cordless. It seemed like a really obvious match to let Pusher distribute S7 in the States and for S7 to distribute Pusher and Cordless in the UK. We are all like minded companies and we all have a similar outlook on climbing and in general the product range complement each other. Although both S7 and Cordless do crash pads S7's main focus in the future will be making really cool looking climbing clothing (with definitely no lycra!).

You are initially moving for 2 years, if everything goes well with the business could you see yourselfjoining other ex-pats and applying for citizenship?

Maybe but I am not really thinking about that, at the moment the main priority will be to sort out green cards for my girlfriend and I. However I do like America and have always had a really enjoyable time when I've been climbing there so you never know! I would like to think that I have been one of the biggest fans of the UK climbing scene over the years and still am. It's got a lot to offer even if the weather is a bit unreliable but I have climbed here for about the last 20 years and although I have far from done everything I have done quite a lot and really fancy a change. Hooking up with the guys at Pusher just made the decision to move more logical.

Even before S7 you had an influential role on British climbing fashions, particularly in the Barnet department, first the dreds, then the bone head, and later with the peroxide. What hair products should our American cousins get ready for your arrival, or will there be an extensive range of S7 head ware coming shortly?

It's funny you should mention this because I've been working on this S7 hair gel that's pretty cool. It's got the hold of that dax wax stuff but washes out really easily and doesn't leave a nasty mess on your pillow. Should be available from all decent hair saloons.

We thought it might be interesting to get your views on the general health of UK climbing. First can you tell us what you think about Neil's effort on Equilibrium, and if you have any thoughts on the other hard bold routes, which seem to be reported each month? (Palmer, Dunne, Birkett).

I would say that the British climbing scene at the moment is very healthy indeed. I think Neil's effort on Equilibrium was absolutely outstanding and just shows you what can be achieved with a whole lot of motivation and dedication. It's a lesson to us all that if you want something bad enough the chances are you'll get it. I top roped the route over 3 days back in '93 and thought it was 8b+/8c. Maybe I was a little out on the grade but technically it must be the hardest grit route out there or am I missing something? I can't really comment on the routes by Birkett and co but I've no doubt they re really hard and scary.

Neil went to great lengths to explain his choice of grade, as you are the only other person to have completed the sequence, what would you say to his critics?

Well firstly I don't know exactly what it is that they've said but I presume that they are saying that it couldn't be E10. I would say go and lead the thing then down grade it. That's just the classic British attitude isn't it? If someone does something good we slag them off and if they mess up they get slagged off! Either way you're going to lose. I guess you've just got to try and do your own thing and ignore what the others are saying which I know from experience is hard. I know that at the end of the day we all climb for ourselves but I also know that when you do something hard it is nice to get a bit of recognition. Personally, if things like 'End of the Affair' are E8 and 'Partheon Shot' are E9 then 'Equilibrium' must surely be E10 but the whole system seems messed up to me. If you compare the limestone routes of those grades like 'Liquid Amber E8, 'Hubble' E9 and presumably 'Big Bang' and 'Northern Lights' E10 I know which ones I would say are harder!