Nick Bullock on the first ascent of Feckless (VI,7) on The Douglas Boulder, Ben Nevis. This evocative photo, taken by Pete Benson in November 2010, captures the very essence of Scottish winter - absorbing climbing in a beautiful and inspiring place.
It is something of a tradition for bloggers to mark their hundredth post, so I thought I would use this opportunity to say a few words about Scottishwinter.com
Firstly, I would like to thank everyone who has contributed material, photos, comments and news to this site. I’ve been overwhelmed by the response I have received together with the many encouraging emails and phone calls. They are all very much appreciated – Thank You!
Several people have asked my about my motivation for launching Scottishwinter.com. The answer is very simple – I’ve been passionate about Scottish winter climbing ever since I climbed Green Gully on Ben Nevis as a teenager over 30 years ago. Since then, I have climbed all over the world, but the challenge of climbing in the Scottish Highlands in winter has always given me the most fulfilment. I am very fortunate to live in Aberdeen and be able to combine my passion for the Scottish hills with my family and a full time job. Over the years I have tried to share some of my hard-won experience and demystify the ‘black art’ of Scottish winter climbing. I introduced the two-tier grading system in the 1990s (yes, I’m the man to blame!) and have authored several guidebooks. I also write a column for Climb magazine which has been running for over 18 years. The Internet is the perfect medium for reporting the transitory and delightfully elusive nature of Scottish winter climbing, so it makes absolute sense to use this as a platform to share information with as wide an audience as possible.
The intention of Scottishwinter.com is to report news about interesting Scottish winter climbs in a consistent, accurate and informative manner and in an attractive format. From the feedback I’ve received, and the ever-increasing number of visitors to the site, I think I am succeeding, but please email me (simon@scottishwinter.com), or leave a comment to let me know how this blog can be improved.
And don’t forget to contact me with news of your latest Scottish winter adventure!
Hi Simon
Great effort on the blog! Very entertaining and informative.