At the age of seventeen, Alick Crowley is impatient to begin life on his own terms. He bursts with energy but his strict religious education crushes every original impulse. He would do anything to have a real adventure. When he visits the Lake District in the summer of 1893, he attempts to climb the crags of Scawfell. He has no climbing experience and no gear, but fortunately he meets some of the extraordinary men who have made a sport out of climbing these cliffs. One of them is O.G. Jones, the self-proclaimed best climber in England ... but Crowley believes that Jones is a liar after being humiliated and criticised by the more experienced man. He wants to prove that Jones is not what he claims to be, but who would believe him? He vows to escape from his overbearing parents, live the life of adventure he has dreamed about, and return to challenge Jones on his own turf. Crowley's Rival is the direct prequel to The Only Genuine Jones: adventurous historical fiction with a grounding in true events.