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Rock Odyssey: Simon Carter's new book & slide show 14-Dec-2011 At 9:14:08 AM daviesdan

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There are so many pictures that have inspired me to climb, but the one that came to mind most is of Stefan Glowacz soloing Kachoong. I was still living in the UK back then, but that one shot, more than any other, cemented in me the desire to travel around the world and climb. After all, it seemed so alien and so exotic to my local limestone in Bristol...

So it was that seven years later (1998) I was finally able to realise that dream, and set off for an Odyssey of my own. I'd saved for a year and had planned to climb in every country I visited. It was my first big trip overseas, and saw me travelling and climbing in South Africa (including an onsight solo of a multi pitch waterfall in the Drakensburg), Malaysia (Batu caves and Tioman), Thailand (two trips to Krabi that changed me so much I keep going back!), Sumatra (an awesome time at Harau, Bukittingi onsighting some fierce crack and face climbs described by the guide as 'easy' but at F6c+/F7a were totally at my limit!) and then finally, after four and a half months travel, I made it to Oz.

Needless to say I bee-lined for Victoria, with only a brief interest in Darwin and Cairns en route, to take in the awesome majesty of Kakadu and the Barrier reef first. Now this is where the adventure truly began, for after a few days at the Grey st backpackers in St Kilda, I joined a young Aussie who was looking for a buddy to travel around the state with for a month in his old Toyota Landcruiser. A perfect opportunity to see Vic and climb I thought, unaware of how soon my life was going to change beyond imagination.

We started off at Hanging rocks, and then made our way to Wilson's Prom via Ben Cairn and Tarra Bulga park ( where we managed to roll the car at one point to avoid an echidna, but thankfully were able to use the tow cable to sort ourselves out!). By the time we got to the prom, that picture of Glowacz was burning in my mind, and I was keen to get to the Raps soon, however, a chance encounter with a girl by a camp fire one evening changed everything.

By the time we did finally make it to the amazing Arapilies, via the Grampians, I had changed, something inside me was different, I found it hard to focus, and climbing was no longer my obsession. Although I did manage to climb some 18s and 19s, and loved an early morning on sight solo of the Bard, I never stayed long enough to realise my dream and climb Kachoong. I was love sick, and hightailed it back to Melbourne.

Even a planned trip to Castle Hill and Arthur's Pass in New Zealand couldn't distract me, and six months later, much to the surprise of my long suffering family, I arrived back in the UK with a new bride, to whom I was married for ten years, and to whom I owe eternal thanks for my two beautiful daughters.

Since then I have found myself living on both hemispheres, and I am still a passionate climber whenever I get the chance, as are my girls (now aged 9 & 12). Although the marriage sadly didn't last, and I have still never climbed Kachoong (but still dream of it occasionally), if it wasn't for that picture, I may never have come to Oz, or met a guy in a backpackers who took me to see the real Victoria, or gone to the Prom at that exact weekend, or met the lady I would marry, or even had my children; and that, without a doubt, has been, and still is, the greatest adventure of my life.