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Born:

1965, Bristol, England

Biggest achievement:

Opening crags and hundreds of routes worldwide.

DMM athlete since:

2017

Trevor Massiah is a Bristol-born climber, mountain instructor and coach with over four decades of experience in the sport. Trevor came to climbing almost by accident, finding the sport through a Youth Training Scheme placement at an outdoor centre in Pembrokeshire in 1984. What started as a reluctant introduction on a cold, wave-lashed sea cliff quickly grew into a lifelong passion. Over the years he has onsighted E5 trad routes around the world, developed new routes across the UK, Thailand, Australia, China and India, and climbed The Nose on El Capitan. He is widely regarded as the first British Black climber to climb at the highest levels of the sport and has spoken openly and powerfully about diversity and representation within the climbing community. Now co-director of Rock and Sun, Trevor continues to coach, develop new routes and improve as a climber, driven by the belief that there is always more to learn.

"Climbing serves no useful purpose other than the selfish personal enjoyment we might get from it. But it gives people a huge amount of joy, physical fitness and camaraderie, which is a privilege to be a part of."

Get to know Trevor

Did you always know you were going to be a climber?

I had no idea rock climbing existed before I was 18. My first time was cold, wet and above a raging sea and I really didn't see the point of it. I didn't get it until I started leading. I fell into climbing through a YTS placement in Wales and it slowly became my main focus. By the early 90s I was travelling the world climbing and developing new routes in Australia, China and Thailand.

What do you consider your most significant climbing achievement to date?

Probably having onsighted many E5 trad routes around the world, ground-up new routed many E6s, climbing The Nose and Summiting Ama Dablam. And the sheer volume of new routes trad and sport that I have created around the world.

What is the primary objective remaining on your bucket list?

To remain fit and healthy. I would like to climb at least one E7 before I go into decline and I would also like to climb 8B. I don't have a particular route in mind. It just has to be something I enjoy.

What is the most valuable piece of climbing advice you have received?

Safety is an awareness of danger. And one other piece that often comes into my mind when climbing hard: if you can't pull on the hold, go to the next one. These days I think of it slightly differently. I try to push past the hold with my feet rather than pull with my hands, but the advice is still accurate.

What has climbing taught you?

That life is very much about what you make of it. You need to have some direction and keep moving towards it. And that a lot of things we worry about really are not important. Climbing is just as worthwhile a waste of time as anything else.

Which crag or mountain is your favourite and which do you consider the most beautiful in the world?

My favourite will always be South Pembrokeshire, particularly St Govans. And the most beautiful, two crags: Taipan Wall in the Grampians and Ko Lao Liang in southern Thailand.

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