I am a Cape Town local, having been born on the lower slopes of Table Mountain. I come from a family of climbers. My brother John, and my late-brother David, are climbers. My late uncle Gwilym and my cousin Christopher were climbers. My sons Kieren and Bradley are climbers.

I have climbed extensively in Africa, Europe, North America, South America and Antarctica. My genres include trad climbing, sport climbing, gym climbing, alpine climbing and ski-mountaineering. My main focus is doing big, scary trad routes and in particular, opening big, scary trad routes on previously unclimbed walls.

In addition to climbing I have also had a 'career' in hang-gliding and was on the competition circuit from 1980 to 1993. I have won most of the major competitions in South Africa and set several Open Cross-Country records, some of which still stand. I represented South Africa in the 1989 World Championships in Switzerland.