I broke up with my first love, Michelle, in early 1992. I really needed to get out of town (Melbourne). As luck would have it the mountaineering club president, Len, a quantum physics PhD candidate, came through the University sports centre where I worked and mentioned he was collecting the gear for a beginners climbing weekend, leaving the following day. BOOOM! Exit stage left. Destination: the Grampians, home of Taipan Wall, arguably the most beautiful sweep of rock ever.

I spent the weekend with a bunch of nerds so smart that, in the years that followed, I was the only one whose ensuing “Dr” title was really just a pretend one. As fun as they were, I told my friend, Darren, the following week that climbing was interesting but I really wanted to do something competitive (no such thing as climbing gyms in Australia till the following year, and long before competitions became a thing). 

A week or two passed and, as happens, the hook that is ‘good looks’ was re-seated and, once again, I needed to get out of town. If the first trip planted a seed the second started a germination that would grow for decades to come. The legitimacy I needed was with myself, which is fortunate because I later tried indoor competitions and came to realise that I was f#$@ng terrible at them; couldn’t win one to save my life.

And so began a love affair that doesn’t require breaking up. I climbed my first 5.13a 18 months later and bolted my first route, Narcosis (5.13c), soon thereafter. If I had to identify the driving force behind much of my climbing, it is the discovery of rock unclimbed. 

Most of my first ascents have been in the Grampians and the Blue Mountains. Highlights would be Breathing Gasoline and Lifestyling, both 13d. Chicane, pictured, and Shattering Reflections both featured on the front of books and calendars the world over, such was their beauty.

Stiletto, a multipitch in the Blue Mountains, perched high over the Grose Valley, is perhaps my magnum opus. Pitches of 12c, 12c, 12c, 12c, 12d and 12d (or 11d) will have you squealing to the end. 

More recently I bolted the instant classic, Captain My Captain (13c), on the outskirts of my hometown, Blackheath. My partner, Corinne, and went head-to-head for the first ascent, alternating highpoints, neck and neck to the end. I got the second ascent of that one; apparently Corinne is still getting stronger. Who knew?

My current main squeeze is a project with a secret name at a secret crag that will remain secret for some time to come, because I am a weak puppy and need to get much much stronger. Stay tuned; I will update all my followers on Twittergram with very very important news.

–Julian Saunders

Dr Julian Saunders has been treating climbers for 25 years, and specialises in upper limb injuries; fingers, wrists, elbows and shoulders.

In the early 2000’s Dr Saunders created the the now much referenced”Dodgy Elbows” program that is now universally used for elbow tendonosis rehabilitation. Many thousands of climbers have used this program to recover from elbow pain related to climbing. The article and its update, ” Dodgy Elbows Revisted”, were originally published in Rock and Ice Magazine and is the most read article in the history of climbing literature, downloaded hundreds of time each week.

Dr Saunders has degrees in Medical science (majors in functional anatomy and exercise physiology), Clinical Science, and a masters in Osteopathy. Julian is a registered Doctor of Osteopaths with the Australian Practitioners Registration Agency (APRA).

With 25 years of climbing at an elite level and 15 years of diagnosing climber’s injuries and managing their rehabilitation, Julian’s experience and understanding in the field is unparalleled.

Dr Julian Saunders is also a Senior Contributing Editor for Rock And Ice since 2005, and penned the humorous medical column Ask Dr J.

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About The Clinic

The vast majority of the climbers do not have access to practitioners who understand and empathise with climbing injuries. Diagnosis is key to managing any injury, and I offer an unparrelled level of expertise and experience in the area of climbing related injuries and their management. Not every injured climber is willing to loose valuable training and climbing time.

Julian can offer expertise around diagnosis and the rehabilitation process, meaning that at the very least you’ll know what you’ve damaged and how to best move forward in terms of climbing. If you’d like to schedule a consultation, in person or internationally, inquire below.

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