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Fellsman by Billy Barraclough

003 Fellsman by Billy Barraclough

Crafted for Life

Freedom is Found in the Fells

‘Fellsman’ is a portrait of young fell runner Sonny Ashton-Fitch, filmed across the North Yorkshire Dales by photographer and director Billy Barraclough. Defined by steep climbs and fast, instinctive descents, fell running is a uniquely British sport — practiced in the humblest of scales across Northern England. Both spiritual and sporting, it’s characterised by the freedom to traverse whole mountain ranges, the rhythm you build with the land, and the close-knit communities of farmers, builders, and tradespeople who make up its athletes.


Released as the third chapter in Klättermusen’s Crafted for Life series, ‘Fellsman’ captures a way of living shaped by land, instinct, and a lifelong relationship with place. Shot on 16mm, the film captures running at its most raw, humble, and deeply connected to place.

Raised in a small village at the foot of the Dales, Sonny has grown up with the fells in his back garden. Ingleborough, Pen-y-ghent and Whernside have shaped his days since childhood. The film follows him through the spring season as he trains for the Three Peaks Fell Race — reflecting on what it means to be a fell runner, how it feels to push the body to its limit, and the quiet freedom found in running all over the Dales.

Billy Barraclough
Billy Barraclough

Billy Barraclough

Billy Barraclough is a director and photographer based in London. He is continuously fascinated by the natural world and our place within it. Through image making, Billy both explores and learns about the world. Approaching personal projects and commissioned works with a unique sensitivity and tenderness that spans portraiture, landscape, and still life. A graduate of the MA Photography programme at Bristol UWE, he was also selected by the British Journal of Photography as one of their 'Ones to Watch' and is a FUTURES Photography talent of 2021

Sonny Fellsman
Sonny Fellsman
Sonny Fellsman
The bog squelches back underfoot. The stonechat taps away. Wind whips over dry stone walls as the climb steepens and your heart beats hard against your chest. You crest the fell, touch the trig, pause for a breath — then turn and let your legs go loose, choosing a line and trusting the ground to carry you home.

Sonny Fellsman
Sonny Fellsman

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Crafted for Life

The Klättermusen Crafted for Life series tells the stories of people whose lives are shaped by long-term relationships with land, craft, and purpose — reflecting the same durability, care, and values that define Klättermusen.


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Fellsman by Billy Barraclough

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