Dave MacLeod
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Born | 17 July 1978 |
| Website | www |
| Climbing career | |
| Type of climber | Trad climbing, sport climbing, bouldering, mixed climbing |
| Updated on 24 May 2013. | |
Dave MacLeod (born 17 July 1978) is a Scottish rock climber. In April 2006, he established the climb Rhapsody on Dumbarton Rock which, at a grade of E11 7a, was possibly the hardest traditional climbing route in the world at the time, and looks set to be confirmed as the most difficult in Scotland.
Rhapsody is the true finish to the line of Requiem, graded E8 6b. Requiem was climbed in 1983 by Dave Cuthbertson and was one of the hardest rock climbs in the world at the time. It follows a crackline which fades out to a seam at half height. Requiem follows a flake heading rightwards to finish, while Rhapsody climbs the line of the crack all the way to the top. The top half of the crack gives 8c+ climbing and takes no more protection. MacLeod took many long falls from this runout, three from the last move in which he fell 70 feet and injured himself by hitting the rock at the end of the fall. In 2008 Steve McClure made the third ascent of Rhapsody and confirmed the grade. The ascent of Rhapsody is the subject of the movie E11 (2006) directed by Paul Diffley and produced by Hot Aches Productions. MacLeod has since featured in several more climbing films by Hot Aches Productions.
In addition to his achievements in traditional 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) and has created bouldering problems up to the grade of 8B (V13) (Pressure at Dumbarton Rock in 2005). While he rarely free solo climbs, MacLeod has completed solo climbs up to grade 8c (Darwin Dixit in Margalef in 2008).
MacLeod has also established impressive credentials 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 has also established the hardest traditional mixed climbing route in the world at the time, The Hurting in Coire an t-Sneachda, Cairngorms. The route has been repeated a few times and has a Scottish winter grade of XI,11 (M9+/M10) with hard, technical climbing over very poor protection.
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