Chris Webb Parsons

Australia

I was born in England in 1985 and moved to Australia when I was three years old. I grew up in Canberra where I lived until 2005. In Canberra I participated in many sports but in 1999 I found climbing. It was the one sport that really grabbed my attention and I have been at it ever since. I have travelled to many climbing destinations around the world and I'm happy to be part of a sport that allows me to meet so many great people and see so many fantastic places. Although I love tying into a rope, at the moment I’m putting a lot of focus into bouldering and I'm having a great time.

Birthday? 04/02/1985

Year you first started climbing? End of 1999

Three climbing achievements you are most proud of? The Wheel Of Life (V16/8C+), Never Ending Story (V14/8B+), White Ladder (34/8c+) first accent

Memory/story of the first time you ever went climbing? The first time I climbed on rock was at a place called Nowra.  I was almost at the top of a grade 16 sport route, already scared from the run out and the fall I could take. I reached up for a ledge and as I pulled myself up my hand was sitting just next to a big snake, the snake turned and looked me in the eyes and I was out of there.  I took a nasty fall and was lowered back to the ground, my mate did not believe me about the snake, he went up after me and found I wasn’t lying about the snake.  

Favorite climbing area and why? So many that comes to mind.  The Grampians in Australia would have to be at the top of my list.  The quality of the rock is outstanding whether your there to boulder or climb routes. 

Best climbing experience? Topping out on the Wheel Of Life. The Wheel Of Life means a lot to me, it was one of the first pieces of rock to really inspire me and also because it’s in my home country.  Climbing the Wheel was such a long process and I was never sure when or if the time came for me to climb it, so the feeling when I topped out and was standing on top of the cave was very surreal.

Worst climbing experience? When I was younger I went on a climbing trip to Mt. Arapiles with my mate.  We decided to try trad climbing for the first time.  My mate asked me if I knew how to place trad gear, and being young and keen to just climb I told him of coarse I know.  We headed up a pretty hard line, I thought I was doing ok with the gear until my mate met me at the hanging belay I had set up to find not one piece of gear was placed correctly.  He freaked out and never came trad climbing with me again. 

What's your dream trip? Where? With who? I would head to New Zealand to boulder at Castle Hill, over to the States, then off to Europe starting in Germany, working my way through Austria, Switzerland, France, then Spain, then off to South Africa for The Rocklands.  With a stop in Thailand on my way back home to Australia.  All this done with endless pockets of money (of course) and my wife Teegan. 

Guilty pleasure? I’m a sucker for shoes.  Street shoes, climbing shoes, any type of shoes.  If I didn’t spend all my money on climbing trips I would have a room just for all my shoes.

BD gear you use every time you go climbing? If I’m going bouldering, I’ve always got my Mondo with me.

Something that annoys you while climbing? I get frustrated by always having to rely on weather conditions.  Although I love being outdoors, it can be frustrating when a day out at the crag is planned and it’s either too hot to send or too wet to climb at all.

What/who inspires you in climbing? I get inspired by both great looking lines in amazing areas as well as crappy looking lines in urban areas.  To me the movement of climbing is the most inspiring aspect. 

Favorite pre-climb meal? Before a big day out at the crag I like to start the day off with bacon and egg roll and a hot chocolate.

Favorite climbing flick? I love the classic Australian climbing video Comin At Ya Hyper.  It was one of the first climbing movies I saw and was a big influence on me when I first started climbing.

What's in your iPod? Last thing I listened to on my iPod was Tracey Chapman.

Three things you'd never roadtrip without? Boulder mat, climbing shoes, chalk.

Superstitions? None right now.

What's your dream job? Professional climber.

How are you training when you are not climbing? Road riding for fitness and I think hang boarding gives me massive gain for climbing.

If you could steal one thing and not get caught, what would it be? One million dollars would be nice.

If you could have dinner with three people (dead or alive) who would they be?

• Richard Kuklinski – he was a well-known hit man hired by the mafia back in the 1980’s.  He would make it a very interesting dinner.


• Lance Armstrong – very inspirational.


• Bruce Lee – He believed in his own methods and style for his sport.

Which would you prefer: power of flight or invisibility? Invisibility.  Maybe I could get that million dollars to fund my dream trip.

Do you have any tattoos or piercings? Ears, nose, stomach pierced. I have a tattooed half sleeve on my left arm of Tara the Tibetan goddess.