Dave and Joe make climbing history
Fort William-based Scottish climber Dave MacLeod has become the first man to climb the scarily named "Don't Die of Ignorance" traverse on Ben Nevis without the use of aids, more than 20 years after the route (thought to be the hardest in the UK) was last conquered.
MacLeod's successful bid last Sunday was caught on camera for a climbing documentary that is to be released later this year by local film-making company Heatherhat productions.
Film-maker and amateur climber Joe French also completed the climb with MacLeod, who used a method called free climbing. This entails the climber relying solely on his body strength and skill to scale the entire route.
Until last weekend, the route had only been completed once, in 1987, by climber Andy Cave, and his partner Simon Yates, who featured in the famous climbing film 'Touching The Void'.
The terrain on Ben Nevis is considered perfect for climbing and thousands flock to the mountains in Lochaber every year - a fact that partly led to the area being named Outdoor Capital of the UK three years ago.
Congratulations to Dave and Joe from the Outdoor Capital of the UK team!
Read more about the epic climb and see great pics on Dave's blog at www.davemacleod.blogspot.com
This is an abridged version of an article by Catriona MacPhee in the Sunday Herald on Sunday 23rd March - read the full story here:
Photo credit: Joe French
