This much-anticipated new anthology showcases evocative essays and breathtaking photography that captures the spirit, history and community of hard Scottish mixed winter climbing.
The Great Mixed Climbs of Scotland focuses foremost on the climbs and their protagonists. It draws deeply from the great history and characters that run as the blood of Scottish mixed climbing – Dave Cuthbertson gets into white-knuckle mode recounting the near-mythical first ascent of Guerdon Grooves; Graeme Ettle recalls his blistering tour de force on The Vicar; Wilson Moir remembers an accidental first ascent with Nose Direct on Sgùrr an Fhidhleir; while Leanne Callaghan reminds us that her particular Neanderthal was female.
The essays are complemented by breath-taking photography that captures the places where these stories unfold, and the rugged beauty of the winter environment. From long, daylight-chasing adventures tackling sandstone monoliths in the far North-West, to calf-bursting crack lines piercing snowed-up walls in the Cairngorms – there’s something here for everyone.
Winter climbing has changed dramatically over the past two decades. Improvements in protection and more specific training have made steeper, bolder terrain more accessible. Techniques developed for continental-style sport mixed climbing have been transferred to the Scottish mountains, paving the way for a new era in Scottish mixed climbing. But although these technical changes have helped push boundaries, it’s the steadfast, stubborn ethical standpoint that has made its progression so unique.
Full colour throughout.
By Guy Robertson and Hamish Frost.
Hardback, 24cm x 31cm, 344 pages
Published 2025 by Scottish Mountaineering Press.
ISBN: 978-1-907233-56-2.