Dave MacLeod
Quick Info ˅
| Nationality: | GB |
| Date of birth: | 17th July 1978 |
| Hardest Boulder (Worked): | 8B+ |
| Hardest Sport (Worked): | 9a |
| Hardest Trad (Worked): | E11 |
| Hardest Trad (Onsight): | E7 |
| Social Media |
|
Scottish lone wolf who has performed at a very high level across many disciplines. Dave has established or repeated almost all the hard climbing in Scotland, from 8B+ boulder problems to grade XI winter routes.
References
[1] https://twitter.com/davemacleod09
[2] Features in Cutting Loose.
Lists
Podcasts
- The Nugget, March 2021
- The Nugget, February 2021
- The Curious Climber, January 2021
- Lattice Training, April 2022
- Lattice Training, April 2022
- TrainingBeta, December 2015
- The Careless Talk Climbing Podcast, January 2023
- The Careless Talk Climbing Podcast, January 2023
Pics + Vids
Catalan Witness the Fitness (8B+)
Deathwatch (E7)
Hurley Burley (8b)
From Shallow Water to Riverbed (8B+)
Mnemosyne (E9, FA)
Breathless (E9)
Railrace (E6, FA)
Hold Fast, Hold True (E10)
Out for Blood (E9, FA)
Darwin Dixit (8b+)
Zero (8B, FA)
Practice of the Wild (8B+)
Gut Buster (8B+)
Mind Riot (E10, FA)
One Summer in Paradise (8B)
4th Wave (8B, FA)
Gimme that Swing (8B, FA)
Natural Method (8B+, FA)
Natural Method (8B+, FA)
Hunger (9a)
The Walk of Life (E9)
Rhapsody (E11, FA)
Indian Face (E9)
Below Zero (8B+)
Hyperborea (E7)
What we do in the Shadows (E10)
Return of the King (E9)
Pressure (8B, FA)
Craig's Wall (E7, FA)
Mission Impossible (E9)
Lexicon (E11)
Ascents
70 recorded ascents.
| Year | Climb | Grade | FA | Ascent Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Craig's Wall | E7 (Lead) | ✓ | 1997 |
|
Dave's first new route. |
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| 1998 | ||||
| 1999 | ||||
| 2000 | ||||
| 2001 | Deathwatch | E7 (Lead Onsight) | 2001 | |
References[1] A record of ground-up and on-sight climbing on Peak, Yorkshire and Lancashire gritstone https://www.thebmc.co.uk/Download.aspx?id=139 |
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| Impulse | E8 (Lead) | ✓ | August 2001 | |
| Achemine | E9 (Lead) | ✓ | 9th October 2001 | |
|
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2001/10/scotland_gets_first_e9-1452 |
||||
| 2002 | The Fugue | E9 (Lead) | ✓ | 16th October 2002 |
|
Scotland's second E9. |
||||
| Hold Fast | E9 (Lead) | ✓ | December 2002 | |
| 2003 | ||||
| 2004 | ||||
| 2005 | Breathless | E9 (Lead) | 2005 | |
| Perfect Crime | 8B (Boulder) | ✓ | March 2005 | |
| Pressure | 8B (Boulder) | ✓ | December 2005 | |
[1] The Climber's Complete Guide to Dumbarton Rock, J. S. Watson and John Hutchinson, 2020 |
||||
| 2006 | Sanction | 8B (Boulder) | ✓ | February 2006 |
| Rhapsody | E11 (Lead) | ✓ | April 2006 | |
| Body Blow | 8b+ (Lead) | ✓ | 22nd May 2006 | |
| Divided Years | E9 (Lead) | July 2006 | ||
|
Third ascent. |
||||
| Body Swerve | 8c (Lead) | ✓ | 8th October 2006 | |
| 2007 | Impact Day | E8 (Lead) | 2007 | |
|
The day after Dave's ascent of Caution. |
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| Caution | E8 (Lead) | 2007 | ||
| If 6 was 9 | E9 (Lead) | 2007 | ||
|
The long awaited second ascent. |
||||
| Blind Vision | E9 (Lead) | 2007 | ||
|
Second ascent. |
||||
| Metalcore | 8c+ (Lead) | ✓ | 2nd May 2007 | |
| Trauma | E9 (Lead) | June 2007 | ||
|
Third ascent. |
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| To Hell and Back | E10 (Lead) | ✓ | 24th July 2007 | |
| Ring of Steall | 8c+ (Lead) | ✓ | 1st August 2007 | |
|
https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/2007/08/ring-of-steall-project-sent.html |
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| A Muerte | 8c+ (Lead) | November 2007 | ||
|
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2007/11/dave_macleod_-_a_muerte_f9a-41388 |
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| 2008 | Darwin Dixit | 8b+ (Solo) | 15th March 2008 | |
| Echo Wall | E10 (approx) (Lead) | ✓ | July 2008 | |
|
On the grade:
[1] https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/2008/10/grade-of-echo-wall.html |
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| Big Long Now | 8B+ (Boulder) | ✓ | August 2008 | |
| 2009 | The Walk of Life | E9 (Lead) | 2009 | |
|
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2009/01/dave_macleods_tendon_therapy_the_walk_of_life-45540 |
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| Kolus | E8 (Lead) | ✓ | 20th June 2009 | |
|
https://www.instagram.com/p/CmHQg5TIh23/ http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=48026 https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/2009/06/cubbys-arete-went-down.html |
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| Present Tense | E9 (Lead) | ✓ | July 2009 | |
|
https://www.instagram.com/p/CmG1QLxorSM/ http://davemacleod.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/present-tense.html |
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| 2010 | L'espiadimonis | 8c (Lead) | 15th March 2010 | |
| At Eternity's Gate | 8B (Boulder) | ✓ | May 2010 | |
| Indian Face | E9 (Lead) | June 2010 | ||
|
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2010/06/dave_macleod_repeats_indian_face-56039 |
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| The Usual Suspects | E9 (Lead) | ✓ | 28th August 2010 | |
|
Dave led the meat of the route with Tim Emmett leading some of the easier pitches. |
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| Muy Caliente! | E9 (Lead) | 26th September 2010 | ||
|
Third ascent. https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,10607.msg278951.html#msg278951 |
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| Die by the Drop | E10 (Lead) | ✓ | November 2010 | |
[1] https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/2010/11/die-by-drop-e10-7a.html [2] https://www.ukclimbing.com/videos/categories/trad_climbing/dave_macleod_-die_by_the_drop-_e10-409 |
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| 2011 | Seven of Nine | 8B+ (Boulder) | ✓ | April 2011 |
| Longhope Route Direct | E9 (Lead) | ✓ | 21st June 2011 | |
|
First free ascent. https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/2011/06/longhope-direct.html |
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| 2012 | New Base Line | 8B+ (Boulder) | April 2012 | |
| Mystic Stylez | 8B+ (Boulder) | May 2012 | ||
|
Second ascent. |
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| Natural Method | 8B+ (Boulder) | ✓ | May 2012 | |
| 2013 | Bellavista | E10 (Alternate Leads) | September 2013 | |
|
With Alan Cassidy, Dave took the crux pitch. https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2013/09/bellavista_for_macleod_and_cassidy-68365 |
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| 2014 | ||||
| 2015 | 4th Wave | 8B (Boulder) | ✓ | 2015 |
| One Summer in Paradise | 8B (Boulder) | November 2015 | ||
|
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2015/11/two_magic_wood_8bs_in_one_night_for_dave_macleod-70072 |
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| 2016 | Gimme that Swing | 8B (Boulder) | ✓ | 24th March 2016 |
| Practice of the Wild | 8B+ (Boulder) | May 2016 | ||
|
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2016/05/dave_macleod_-_practice_of_the_wild_8c-70484 |
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| Return of the King | E9 (Lead) | June 2016 | ||
|
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2016/06/dave_macleod_repeats_return_of_the_king_e9_6c-70548 https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/2016/06/return-of-king.html?m=1 |
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| 2017 | Lithium | 8B+ (Boulder) | ✓ | March 2017 |
|
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2017/03/dave_macleod_completes_lithium_f8b+-71007 |
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| 2018 | Gut Buster | 8B+ (Boulder) | 1st March 2018 | |
| 2019 | Hunger | 9a (Lead) | 2019 | |
| The Golden Road | E9 (Lead) | ✓ | June 2019 | |
| Mind Riot | E10 (Lead) | ✓ | October 2019 | |
| 2020 | Nosferatu | E8 (Lead) | 2020 | |
|
Second ascent. |
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| 2021 | Zero | 8B (Boulder) | ✓ | 2021 |
| Mnemosyne | E9 (Lead) | ✓ | September 2021 | |
| What we do in the Shadows | E10 (Lead) | 5th October 2021 | ||
| Hyperborea | E7 (Lead) | 12th November 2021 | ||
| 2022 | Messiah | E7 (Lead) | 2022 | |
| Below Zero | 8B+ (Boulder) | Between 30th Jan. 2022 and 30th Jan. 2023 | ||
|
Second ascent. |
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| Lexicon | E11 (Lead) | 27th March 2022 | ||
|
Third ascent. Dave suggested it was easier than his route Mind Riot which he gave E10. [3] References[1] https://www.davemacleod.com/blog/lexicon [2] https://www.instagram.com/p/CbyDeR3KQlo/ [3] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2022/03/lexicon_e11_7a_repeated_by_dave_macleod-73022 |
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| Mission Impossible | E9 (Lead) | 15th September 2022 | ||
| Big Chief | 8B (Boulder) | November 2022 | ||
| Keen Roof | 8B (Boulder) | December 2022 | ||
| Belly of the Beast | 8B (Boulder) | December 2022 | ||
| 2023 | Railrace | E6 (Lead) | ✓ | Between 1st Jan. 2023 and 1st Jun. 2023 |
| Out for Blood | E9 (Lead) | ✓ | Between 1st May. 2023 and 14th May. 2023 | |
| Climb | Grade | FA | Ascent Date | Suggested Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunger | 9a (Lead) | 2019 | ||
| Metalcore | 8c+ (Lead) | ✓ | 2nd May 2007 | |
| Ring of Steall | 8c+ (Lead) | ✓ | 1st August 2007 | |
|
https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/2007/08/ring-of-steall-project-sent.html |
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| A Muerte | 8c+ (Lead) | November 2007 | ||
|
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2007/11/dave_macleod_-_a_muerte_f9a-41388 |
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| Body Swerve | 8c (Lead) | ✓ | 8th October 2006 | |
| L'espiadimonis | 8c (Lead) | 15th March 2010 | ||
| Body Blow | 8b+ (Lead) | ✓ | 22nd May 2006 | |
| Darwin Dixit | 8b+ (Solo) | 15th March 2008 | ||
| Hurley Burley | 8b (Solo) | |||
| Climb | Grade | FA | Ascent Date | Suggested Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Long Now | 8B+ (Boulder) | ✓ | August 2008 | |
| Seven of Nine | 8B+ (Boulder) | ✓ | April 2011 | |
| Natural Method | 8B+ (Boulder) | ✓ | May 2012 | |
| Lithium | 8B+ (Boulder) | ✓ | March 2017 | |
|
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2017/03/dave_macleod_completes_lithium_f8b+-71007 |
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| New Base Line | 8B+ (Boulder) | April 2012 | ||
| Mystic Stylez | 8B+ (Boulder) | May 2012 | ||
|
Second ascent. |
||||
| Practice of the Wild | 8B+ (Boulder) | May 2016 | ||
|
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2016/05/dave_macleod_-_practice_of_the_wild_8c-70484 |
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| Gut Buster | 8B+ (Boulder) | 1st March 2018 | ||
| Below Zero | 8B+ (Boulder) | Between 30th Jan. 2022 and 30th Jan. 2023 | ||
|
Second ascent. |
||||
| Catalan Witness the Fitness | 8B+ (Boulder) | |||
| From Shallow Water to Riverbed | 8B+ (Boulder) | |||
| Perfect Crime | 8B (Boulder) | ✓ | March 2005 | |
| Pressure | 8B (Boulder) | ✓ | December 2005 | |
[1] The Climber's Complete Guide to Dumbarton Rock, J. S. Watson and John Hutchinson, 2020 |
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| Sanction | 8B (Boulder) | ✓ | February 2006 | |
| At Eternity's Gate | 8B (Boulder) | ✓ | May 2010 | |
| 4th Wave | 8B (Boulder) | ✓ | 2015 | |
| Gimme that Swing | 8B (Boulder) | ✓ | 24th March 2016 | |
| Zero | 8B (Boulder) | ✓ | 2021 | |
| One Summer in Paradise | 8B (Boulder) | November 2015 | ||
|
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2015/11/two_magic_wood_8bs_in_one_night_for_dave_macleod-70072 |
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| Big Chief | 8B (Boulder) | November 2022 | ||
| Keen Roof | 8B (Boulder) | December 2022 | ||
| Belly of the Beast | 8B (Boulder) | December 2022 | ||
| Climb | Grade | FA | Ascent Date | Suggested Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhapsody | E11 (Lead) | ✓ | April 2006 | |
| Lexicon | E11 (Lead) | 27th March 2022 | ||
|
Third ascent. Dave suggested it was easier than his route Mind Riot which he gave E10. [3] References[1] https://www.davemacleod.com/blog/lexicon [2] https://www.instagram.com/p/CbyDeR3KQlo/ [3] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2022/03/lexicon_e11_7a_repeated_by_dave_macleod-73022 |
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| To Hell and Back | E10 (Lead) | ✓ | 24th July 2007 | |
| Echo Wall | E10 (approx) (Lead) | ✓ | July 2008 | |
|
On the grade:
[1] https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/2008/10/grade-of-echo-wall.html |
||||
| Die by the Drop | E10 (Lead) | ✓ | November 2010 | |
[1] https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/2010/11/die-by-drop-e10-7a.html [2] https://www.ukclimbing.com/videos/categories/trad_climbing/dave_macleod_-die_by_the_drop-_e10-409 |
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| Mind Riot | E10 (Lead) | ✓ | October 2019 | |
| Bellavista | E10 (Alternate Leads) | September 2013 | ||
|
With Alan Cassidy, Dave took the crux pitch. https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2013/09/bellavista_for_macleod_and_cassidy-68365 |
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| What we do in the Shadows | E10 (Lead) | 5th October 2021 | ||
| Hold Fast, Hold True | E10 (Lead Did not finish) | |||
| Achemine | E9 (Lead) | ✓ | 9th October 2001 | |
|
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2001/10/scotland_gets_first_e9-1452 |
||||
| The Fugue | E9 (Lead) | ✓ | 16th October 2002 | |
|
Scotland's second E9. |
||||
| Hold Fast | E9 (Lead) | ✓ | December 2002 | |
| Present Tense | E9 (Lead) | ✓ | July 2009 | E9 (hard) |
|
https://www.instagram.com/p/CmG1QLxorSM/ http://davemacleod.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/present-tense.html |
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| The Usual Suspects | E9 (Lead) | ✓ | 28th August 2010 | |
|
Dave led the meat of the route with Tim Emmett leading some of the easier pitches. |
||||
| Longhope Route Direct | E9 (Lead) | ✓ | 21st June 2011 | |
|
First free ascent. https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/2011/06/longhope-direct.html |
||||
| The Golden Road | E9 (Lead) | ✓ | June 2019 | |
| Mnemosyne | E9 (Lead) | ✓ | September 2021 | |
| Out for Blood | E9 (Lead) | ✓ | Between 1st May. 2023 and 14th May. 2023 | |
| Breathless | E9 (Lead) | 2005 | E9 (soft) | |
| Divided Years | E9 (Lead) | July 2006 | ||
|
Third ascent. |
||||
| If 6 was 9 | E9 (Lead) | 2007 | ||
|
The long awaited second ascent. |
||||
| Blind Vision | E9 (Lead) | 2007 | ||
|
Second ascent. |
||||
| Trauma | E9 (Lead) | June 2007 | ||
|
Third ascent. |
||||
| The Walk of Life | E9 (Lead) | 2009 | ||
|
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2009/01/dave_macleods_tendon_therapy_the_walk_of_life-45540 |
||||
| Indian Face | E9 (Lead) | June 2010 | ||
|
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2010/06/dave_macleod_repeats_indian_face-56039 |
||||
| Muy Caliente! | E9 (Lead) | 26th September 2010 | ||
|
Third ascent. https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,10607.msg278951.html#msg278951 |
||||
| Return of the King | E9 (Lead) | June 2016 | ||
|
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2016/06/dave_macleod_repeats_return_of_the_king_e9_6c-70548 https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/2016/06/return-of-king.html?m=1 |
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| Mission Impossible | E9 (Lead) | 15th September 2022 | ||
| Impulse | E8 (Lead) | ✓ | August 2001 | |
| Kolus | E8 (Lead) | ✓ | 20th June 2009 | |
|
https://www.instagram.com/p/CmHQg5TIh23/ http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=48026 https://davemacleod.blogspot.com/2009/06/cubbys-arete-went-down.html |
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| Caution | E8 (Lead) | 2007 | ||
| Impact Day | E8 (Lead) | 2007 | ||
|
The day after Dave's ascent of Caution. |
||||
| Nosferatu | E8 (Lead) | 2020 | ||
|
Second ascent. |
||||
| Doug | E8 (Solo Did not finish) | |||
|
Dave snapped a pebble and broke his ankle while going for a headpoint ascent. |
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| Craig's Wall | E7 (Lead) | ✓ | 1997 | |
|
Dave's first new route. |
||||
| Deathwatch | E7 (Lead Onsight) | 2001 | ||
References[1] A record of ground-up and on-sight climbing on Peak, Yorkshire and Lancashire gritstone https://www.thebmc.co.uk/Download.aspx?id=139 |
||||
| Hyperborea | E7 (Lead) | 12th November 2021 | ||
| Messiah | E7 (Lead) | 2022 | ||
| Railrace | E6 (Lead) | ✓ | Between 1st Jan. 2023 and 1st Jun. 2023 | |
| Climb | Grade | FA | Ascent Date | Suggested Grade |
|---|