Dave MacLeod Brings Hardest Sport Climb to Scotland

Scotland saw the ascent of its hardest sport route, on October 10, as Dave MacLeod made a first ascent of Body Swerve (5.14b). The route climbs out a 45-degree overhanging roof in The Anvil, a mica schist crag near Scotland's west coast, close to the town Argyll. 

Body Swerve begins with 5.13b climbing to a positive edge to a powerful V10/11 crux involving extended movement on sloping holds. MacLeod, a Scottish native, claims he owes his success on Body Swerve to a “superb new foot sequence.” 

MacLeod has been climbing since 1993 and has put up a host of difficult routes in the UK, from ice and mixed climbing to trad, sport and bouldering, including Rhapsody, the world’s first E11 7a trad route. He also did Scotland’s first 5.14b, Devastation at Dumbuck. 

A video of the ascent can be seen at: http://www.hotaches.com/Scarpa.htm. 

Date of Ascent: October 10, 2006

Sources: Dave MacLeod; hotaches.com; freakclimbing.com
Comment on this story