Nick Bradley ticks Railway (8C)

Nick Bradley, who sent his third and last 8C almost three years ago, has ticked Railway (8C) in Wild Basin. The 27-year-old is working full time as a software engineer.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
Railway looks like a pretty simple crimp line, and for the most part it is, but what I really enjoyed about it is how surprisingly technical it is. A lot of the difficulty comes down to how well you’re keeping tension through your feet. That combination of crimps and tension fits me pretty well, so I was able to do all the moves pretty quickly on my first session, but it’s one of those climbs where every move adds a lot. The first move is definitely the most difficult, but it makes the “easier” moves feel way harder. By the time I had finally done it I’d probably fallen at the last move around 15-20 times. Huge props to Aidan for adding this gem to an already stacked zone.

How come it is almost three years since you sent anything harder than 8B?
I’ve been preoccupied with finding a career that fits me and the lifestyle that I want. I’m in a much better place now and headed in the right direction, but for a while I felt like I had to choose between performing at a high level and having a stable career. Climbing Railway helped reassure me that I’m on the right path, and that I can do both.

What have you studied and what is your job now?
So I spent 6 years of school studying finance. I never really loved it but wanted to be successful so I spent a lot of time setting myself up for a good career in it. I got a 4-yr degree, passed the CFA exams, and landed a job as an investment analyst. I hated it. In school I liked doing math and figuring out difficult problems, but in practice I just did not at all enjoy finance. At that job I automated some stuff in Python which kicked off my switch to software engineering. I got another 4-yr degree in that and am working as a software engineer now, and I absolutely love it. It’s a bit cliche for a climber, but if the shoe fits!

For how long time have you had a full time job?
I’ve worked 40hr weeks since I was 18 but they were part-time jobs like working at a restaurant or routesetting/coaching at a gym. But 2-3 years at a “corporate” full-time desk job.

So full time also when you were studying?
Yeah, in college I’d work “doubles” at the restaurant Friday-Sunday and get close to 40hrs. Once I graduated and was working on the CFA exams I’d just study after work. When I went back to school to switch careers, it was online so I had the flexibility to study whenever I had time.