Dave MacLeod

Highest gradeKnown forSecond-ever person to free solo at 8b+ (5.14a)First ascents Updated on 6 November 2017

Dave MacLeod (born 17 July 1978) is a Scottish rock climber, ice climber, mixed climber, and climbing author. MacLeod was the second-ever person free solo a 8b+ (5.14a) graded route (Darwin Dixit in Margalef, in 2008),^[1][2] and for climbing one of the hardest traditional climbing routes in the world (Rhapsody on Dumbarton Rock, graded E11 7a, in 2006).^[3][4]

Climbing career

Rock climbing

In April 2006, MacLeod established the climb Rhapsody on Dumbarton Rock which, at a grade of E11 7a, was the hardest traditional climbing route in the world at the time.^[3][4] The ascent of Rhapsody is the subject of the movie E11 (2006) directed by Paul Diffley and produced by Hot Aches Productions.^[5]

In 2008, MacLeod became the second-ever person free solo an 8b+ (5.14a) graded route (Darwin Dixit in Margalef).^[1][2]

In 2008, MacLeod completed the traditional rock climb Echo Wall, an extreme and as-yet ungraded rock climb on Ben Nevis, which took two years of preparation.^[6] MacLeod left the route ungraded but in 2024, suggested a grade of E10 7a for the route.^[7]

In addition to his achievements in traditional rock climbing, MacLeod has also successfully created and completed sport climbing routes and projects up to the grade of 9a (5.14d) (A Muerte at Siurana, in 2007)^[8] and has established bouldering problems up to the grade of 8B+ (V14) (Natural Method on the Skeleton Boulder at Glen Nevis in 2012).^[9]

On 28 August 2010, MacLeod and Tim Emmett established the route The Usual Suspects on Sron Uladail on Harris, provisionally graded E9 7a, in an ascent broadcast live on BBC Two Scotland.^[10] As part of their preparation, MacLeod and Emmett successfully established five new routes on five Hebridean islands (counting Lewis with Harris as two separate islands) in five days, an achievement documented in the BBC Scotland series 5 Climbs, 5 Islands (later released on DVD as Triple 5).^[11] MacLeod has continued his association with BBC Scotland, filming The First Great Climb (broadcast on 22 November 2011), in which he replicated a successful 1876 attempt on the Stack of Handa using the type of equipment that would have been available at the time, and Climbing – No Limits! (broadcast on 12 April 2012), establishing new routes in the Yorkshire Dales and the Peak District.

Mixed climbing

MacLeod has also established hard routes in mixed climbing with ice axes and crampons, climbing Good Training for Something with Canadian climber Will Gadd at a grade of M12. In 2005, he established the hardest traditional mixed climbing route in the world at the time, The Hurting in Coire an t-Sneachda, Cairngorms.^[12] The route has been repeated a few times^[13][14][15] and has a Scottish winter grade of XI,11 (M9+/M10)^[16] with hard, technical climbing over very poor protection.

Writing

In December 2009, Macleod's book 9 Out of 10 Climbers Make the Same Mistakes: Navigation Through the Maze of Advice for the Self-coached Climber was published. In 2015, Macleod's book Make or Break: Don't Let Climbing Injuries Dictate Your Success was published.

Bibliography

• MacLeod, Dave (2009). 9 Out of 10 Climbers Make the Same Mistakes. Rare Breed Productions. ISBN 978-0956428103.
• MacLeod, Dave (2015). Make or Break: Don't Let Climbing Injuries Dictate Your Success. Rare Breed Productions. ISBN 978-0956428134.

See also

• History of rock climbing
• List of first ascents (sport climbing)
• Johnny Dawes, British traditional climber
• Sonnie Trotter, Canadian traditional climber

References

External links

• Dave MacLeod MacLeod's official website
• Blog MacLeod's official blog
• Online Climbing Coach Blog MacLeod's coaching blog
• E11 – the movie
• Profile on climbing.com
• Profile on blackdiamondequipment.com