Paul Seddon OBE
20th October 1940 – 3rd November 2022

By Chris Fildes

Those of you who have been on the Club’s Val d’Isere holidays will probably have met Paul, but you may not be aware of his achievements.

Throughout his career Paul was involved in a plethora of assessments by IRATA (Industrial Rope Access Trade Association), which help to provide a safer environment for climbers, cavers and workers at height. He was awarded an OBE in 2004 for his services.

Paul had led an active and adventurous life. He was a competent climber, caver and skier.

In 1967 he started his own company ‘Parba’ producing an innovative range of climbing equipment. Parba H and the Big H is the name Paul gave to his devices known as ‘CHOCKS’ for placing into rock cracks to protect a lead climber. (These devices were was still going strong in 2010).

He soon merged with Troll, joining two climbing associates and with Paul’s input, Troll continued to revolutionise climbing equipment, adding hexagonal chocks. Troll were pioneers of the first sit harness used on the British ascent of Norway’s infamous Troll Wall in Norway in 1965. In 1970, Paul was very much involved with the creation of the ‘Whillans Harness’ for the successful British Annapurna Expedition — The first-ever climber’s sit harness.

By 1975, Paul was on the committees of the BMC (British Mountaineering Council) and the UIAA (Union Internationale des Association d’Alpenisme).

Troll designed the first British Body Harness. Soon after, Paul became the Quality Director at Troll and as such was involved in the design of the Troll Mk5 sit harness, which became the template for virtually every climbing sit harness ever since. (Troll was bought out in 1997).

Paul began skiing in 1978, aged 38 and was soon given the nickname “Sylvain Seddon”. Being a climber Paul was confident in steep and tricky situations even if his skiing ability at the time did not match the terrain he often found himself in. Always adventurous he would often quote Bilbo Baggins adventures making you late for dinner!

He qualified as a BASI grade 3 ski instructor in 1987 and 1988 as an ESC ASSI English Ski Council Artificial Ski Slope Instructor.

After qualifying, and until around 2000, he spent time in the winter season working for Interski in the Aosta Valley in Italy; this mostly involved coaching school and adult groups. He had a passion for introducing others to the sport he loved and this always continued. He became a BASI Life Member in 2012. From 2000 to 2022 skiing continued to be Paul’s main passion and, now re-married, he shared it with his wife Alison.

Since retiring in 2018 Paul aimed to have up to 12 weeks of skiing in the winter season. In the summer months, he skied indoors at the Chill Factore, where he particularly enjoyed the challenge of the mogul sessions.

Paul’s last day skiing was on 20th April 2022 in Les Arcs, the resort where his skiing started some 44 years previously.

Paul died in November 2022 from MND which had been diagnosed only 11 weeks prior.

He continued to lead an active life up until April 2022. Paul was married twice; to Barbara in 1967, by whom he has two daughters; and to Alison in 2013, who had been his partner since 1995.

Paul leaves behind his wife Alison, his two children Gretta and Diane, two grandsons Ryan and Jack and his brother Philip — and a lot of good friends who have great memories of him.