The Scottish Climbing Year that was: 2006

2006 was the year of MacLeod, hardly a month seemed to pass when Dave wasn't up to something. However lots of other things, good and bad, happened in 2006 as well. Below is some of the highlights that made it, either on to the forums or into the News on SC. There are bound to be some obvious omissions (Some of these maybe?) , but this is a wiki, so why not add them or anything else that's missing yourself?

January

• The New Year gets of to a good start for Oliver Metherell and Ian Parnell, who on January the 1st make the first winter ascent of Sioux Wall (VIII, 8) on Ben Nevis. The route takes a variation of the 1972 summer route (HVS), following a line of steep cracks. (Source UKC)

• A Climber is killed and two others injured when their abseil collapses as they descend Tower Ridge on Ben Nevis

February

• Comp season draws to a close, and in the Alien Rock bouldering league new comer Reuben Bennet-Daly scoops the honners in the mens category with the womens league being won by Aline Kirkland. In the juniors Janey Kennedy and Robbie Philips win their repective catagories. The Dave Cassidy Memorial Cup was awarded to Dave Bryson for winning the Veterans league.

(We did try to find out who won the Glasgow league, but GCC didn’t seem to know)

• Dave Macleod and Fiona Murray climb a new mixed line on Creag an Sonach, to give Defenders of the Faith IX,9

March

• Dave Macleod gains the second ascent of Super Size Me, Font 8b at Dumbarton Rock

• Tim Rankin climbs the hardest confirmed boulder problem in the North East, and Portlethen’s gnarliest creation so far, at V11

April

• Dave MacLeod Climbs Rhapsody E11 7a at Dumbarton Rock, to give the World's first E11

May

• The Scottish Climbs Wiki is launched on the 4th of May

June

July

• Dave Macleod makes the third repeat of Divided Years in the Mourne Mountains, Ireland. Originally give E10 7a (F8c) Macleod proposes a revised grade of E8 6c (F8a).

• Scottish Climbs 5th Birthday passes without fanfare. There was talk of a party, but no one got round to organising it.

August

• Craig Stirling in Aberdeenshire plays host to a weekend of DWS action

• Natalie Berry takes 4th place in the World Youth Championships (Youth B Female Category) in Imst, Austria.

• The Adventure Centre at Ratho closes for major renovation, just 3 years after it first opened

September

• Mike Tweedly bags his long-running roof project at Tighnabruaich Viewpoint to create Elysium 8a. The line featured in Chains (Film about Scottish Sport climbing) back in 2005 Where Mike voiced his fears about the climbs difficulty and that someone else might beat him to it. Nice to see a happy ending.

• The other Dave (Birkett) makes a border raid to repeat Dave MacLeods route Holdfast E9 6c in Glen Nevis.

October

• The Hot Aches film E11 premiers at the EMFF and Scoops the top gongs in the 3 following categories:

-The Tiso Best Film Award

-The Alien Rock Best Climbing Film

-The People's Choice Award

• Dave MacLeod climbs Bodyswerve 8c at The Anvil

• Tony Stone and Dan McManus climb the North Face of the Eiger (1938 route) - youngest Scottish team ever?

November

• The Winter season starts, but tragedy strikes as 2 young climbers are lost in Coire an t-Sneachda. Optimism is generated as reports filter through that the climbers have been found, however this turns to sadness as reports confirm the loss of life.

• E11 wins the Special Judges Prize at the Kendal Mountain Film Festival

December