Dave MacLeod has a string of outstanding ascents to his name. Perhaps best known for trad and Scottish winter climbing, Dave is also an outstanding boulderer and has more recently has begun to repeat some of the hardest routes in the Alps including Bellavista (8c) in the Dolomites and Paciencia (8a) on the Eiger. He has bouldered 8C and has put up numerous ground-breaking problems in his native Scotland that remain unrepeated.

Dave has pushed Scottish winter climbing into previously unknown territory, climbing numerous new routes of grade XI (Don’t Die of Ignorance, The Hurting, Castle in the Sky, Anubis (which may be Scottish XII)) and dozens of new routes above the old leading benchmark of grade VIII.

Traditional rock climbing has been an avenue for him climbing the hardest sea cliff route in the world (the Long Hope Route, E10), the hardest trad route in the UK and one of the hardest in the world (Echo Wall), and the first E11 in the UK with Rhapsody. He’s no slouch at sport climbing either, having climbed 9a. In short, Dave’s climbing CV is phenomenal.

Dave’s background in Sports Science allied to his own ability has helped establish him as one of the most respected climbing coaches in the world. He has written two books, 9 Out of 10 Climbers being a widely-read and much-quoted guide to improving your climbing; and Make or Break being perhaps the most comprehensive book ever written on climbing injuries, their causes, and ways to deal with them.

Dave has a very keen eye for detail and has input in numerous design projects with Mountain Equipment. In particular, his obsession for winter climbing gloves has led to us developing products such as the Direkt Glove to match some of his specifications.

Visit davemacleod.com for Dave's blog, training tips and his online shop.