The Great Mixed Climbs of Scotland by Guy Robertson and Hamish Frost

The much-anticipated new anthology The Great Mixed Climbs of Scotland has recently seen the light of day. Written by the acclaimed climber and author Guy Robertson and featuring photography by leading mountain sports photographer Hamish Frost, this is a stunning coffee table book that contains evocative essays and breathtaking photography that celebrate the spirit, history and community of Scottish winter climbing. We checked in with Robertson to find out more.

This looks like a monumental book Guy. How long has it been in the making?
This is actually the third book I've compiled after The Great Mountain Crags of Scotland and then The Great Sea Cliffs of Scotland. This one took around three years to pull together, but there was more than three decades of winter climbing before that, which was just as important as the photographs and words. Having a '360 view' of the routes, the history, the conditions and the characters is really important to make it all hang together and ultimately stand the test of time (hopefully!).

Three years, three decades... where did the motivation to write it come from?
I've always been really interested in and taken a lot of inspiration from climbing literature and photography, and I guess I'm also keen to give something back to a sport that's given me so much. Big, solid and impactful books also somehow seem more important in a world where everyone spends most of their time looking at mobile devices.

How did you go about about selecting the climbs? How easy or painful was it?
Pretty easy really. I've done a lot of winter routes in Scotland, including almost all the routes in this book, so I have a pretty good appreciation of the subject matter. I also drafted an initial list and circulated it to get opinion from a wider group of experienced Scottish winter connoisseurs. There was then a bit of healthy discussion and debate to arrive at a final list that most people agreed on.

Can you tell us something about the photography? It looks stunning.
It's amazing isn't it? My approach for this book was slightly different to the previous two. The first one was a kind of self-reliant, single-handed affair - either going out and doing my best with amateur photographer pals, or just combing the internet and asking around for images to gather what I could. That took a lot of effort and I'm proud of the results, but it definitely lacks that consistent 'wow' factor. Dave Cuthbertson and Colin Threlfall's images were the obvious exception, but there's a lot of mileage in that book and it was challenging to fit the weather around their own personal circumstances. With the second book, Great Sea Cliffs, I'd become good friends and climbed a bit with Hamish Frost, who's extremely talented and very determined, so he got involved in quite a few shoots but not in any formal way.

For the current book, however, Hamish has been an equal partner from the start, so the vast majority of images in the book are his. He's a talented winter climber, as well as a brilliant photographer, and I think that combination really shines through. There's a variety in the photography that for me personally is really important - the grit and the detail, the textures, the weather, the runouts and, of course, the wonderful landscapes - it's all part of that heady Scottish mixed climbing cocktail. Hamish does a fantastic job of capturing all of that. Some other really outstanding contributors were also quick to help out when Hamish wasn't available - like Ryan Balharry, his images are generally outstanding too.

What struck you most while writing this book? And what are you most proud of?
Although I've written a couple of the climb sections, my writing is mainly just the glue to make it all stick together. What struck me most (and still does) is the level of enthusiasm, effort and commitment from everyone who contributed in some way. A real passion to make it happen and to really make it something special. There's always been a fantastic sense of community in the Scottish winter climbing scene; I'm proud and privileged to have curated the stories around these crazy adventures. I hope to have created a bit of legacy we can all be proud of.

INDEX OF FEATURED CLIMB
Central Highlands & Cairngorms
Taliballan Stob - Coire an Laoigh
Fallout Corner - Cairn Lochan
Vertigo Wall - Creag an Dubh-loch
White Magic - Stob Coire an t-Sneachda
The Link Direct - Lochnagar
Trail of Tears - Lochnagar
The Vicar Cairn - Lochan
The Needle - The Shelterstone (Càrn Etchachan)
Extasy - Creag Megaidh

North-West Highlands
Gully of the Gods - Beinn Bhàn
Skyscraper Buttress - Sgùrr nan Clach Geala
Tango in the Night - Sgorr Ruadh
Direct Nose Route - Sgùrr an Fhìdheir
The Great Game - A' Mhaighdean
Snoopy - Fuar Tholl
Blood, Sweat and Frozen Tears - Beinn Eighe
Ice Bomb Direct - Beinn Dearg
Pobble Direct - Foinaven
Sundance - Beinn Eighe
Hung, Drawn and Quartered - Am Bàsteir
The Wailing Wall - An Teallach
Godzilla - Beinn Bhàn

West Highlands
Dr Noe - Ben Cruachan
Messiah - Beinn Dorain
Agag’s Groove - Stob Dearg
Neanderthal - Stob Coire Sgreamhach
Un Poco Loco Direct - Bidean na Bian
The Screaming - Beinn an Dothaidh
Sioux Wall - Ben Nevis
Centurion - Ben Nevis
Unicorn - Stob Coire nan Lochan
Guerdon - Grooves Stob Dearg

Info: scottishmountaineeringpress.com

About the authors
Guy Robertson lives in Aberdeen, Scotland, where he works as a low carbon project manager. He has put up new rock and winter climbs in regions as diverse as Africa, the Middle East, the Alps, Peru, Norway and the Greater Himalaya. However, it is for his Scottish winter exploits he is best known, having been active at the forefront of Scottish winter climbing for many years. Guy has an enduring passion for writing and storytelling in mountaineering and, in addition to his books The Great Mountain Crags of Scotland (Vertebrate Publishing, 2014) and Banff award-winning The Great Sea Cliffs of Scotland (Scottish Mountaineering Press, 2020), has had a number of essays published in the Scottish Mountaineering Club Journal, the American Alpine Journal and UK-based climbing magazines.

Hamish Frost is one of Scotland’s foremost adventure and mountain sports photographers. He thrives in cold, wet and challenging conditions, capturing images of athletes pushing their limits in mountain environments. Adopting a fast and light approach to his photography, Hamish takes pride in his ability to move around the mountains quickly, keeping pace with his subjects whilst documenting the stories behind their endeavours.