Keystone E8 - The last Glen Nevis roof, in the last of the wee trees
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- Опубликовано: 23 ноя 2021
- Making first free ascent of Keystone E8 6c on Meall Cumhann in Glen Nevis and taking a wider journey through history and ecology to understand why Meall Cumhann looks so different to the surrounding hills. The wee trees clinging on to this part of the glen are a rare remnant of a past age in the Scottish Highlands.
I made this film in partnership with the John Muir Trust: / johnmuirtrust
You can find out a bit more about the mountain woodland in this film at: www.johnmuirtrust.org/mountai... 
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Did you folks think Andy Wightman's discussion of the recent history of the highlands was good? I did and it was hard to edit his thoughts down to fit in this film. So I thought I'd upload his whole interview uncut soon. He goes into a fair bit more depth on many aspects of the history of land ownership and what this has meant for what lives on our mountains here in Scotland.
Loved catching the premiere of this at KMF. Looking forward to watching the uncut interview with Andy Wightman when it's up!
It was garest video and an extremely important discussion! As always thank you for the insightful lovely video!
Very good discussion and well-made video. I don't think many people have much of an idea about what the landscape looked like before it was emptied of people and filled with sheep. It's in the interest of the landowners for the public to think the countryside has always looked like this! Great climb btw!
It's totally important to share with others the value of environmental sustainability Dave 🙂 If we have no knowledge about the fine lines of balance ! Then ultimately we all leave a universal compromise on our future generations & It's all reversible 👌 Are the people up for it 🤔
I really enjoyed the video and it was nice to see your true love of our environment coming through! So often climbers have the head down, get in there and get it done approach which should perhaps be left behind in the gym at times. Having said that I think most trad climbers have real appreciation for their surroundings when out in the hills. More videos like this would be welcome, certainly by me!
Dave, best video you’ve ever made mate, some excellent interviews and a deep meaningful message. Loved its sincerity too. As we get older the questions change and the focus becomes a little more all encompassing, to take in the greater surroundings rather than just the rock and the route. Scotland is a magnificent little country, one I’d love to see (at least try to) forge its own way in the world. This video shows that there are ways to help, that there are people that care. The route looks great too, a good way to acknowledge the efforts of Ian et al in the 70’s. Its been a good month for your videos. I’m still working my way through the epic diet film, and the Duntelchig video was also excellent (highlighting how the body can achieve things even when the mind thinks it cannot. The difference in celebrations of success was also striking lol). Many thanks for your efforts. Mike.
A Beautiful film, great work Dave!
Love this: hard first ascents interspersed with a naturalist’s social conscience. Thanks Dave!
integrating a wider story into the journey of the climb was a masterful choice!
We're getting spoilt this month!
As active 'users' of natural landscapes and wilderness, we climbers must openly discuss and propagate information and towards the recovery, conservation and sustainable use of these areas. This 'climbing' video is an example that should be followed.
Dave, your videos are great with the climbing alone but I think this video is pretty much the best I have seen so far in my climbing life, as it shows that us climbers should be involved in conservation and ecological discussions and activities to help protect and recover natural landscapes! Climbing/mountaineering is so much more than the pursuit of ascents and growth (physical, psychological) but also about respecting and protecting the natural landscape where we enjoy climbing so much.
Thanks for this!
That's brilliant. I came for the climbing and stayed for the history. Thanks for slipping some very interesting documentation and history in here. I really appreciate the quality of your content, and those videos are just getting better and better.
Thanks again
I'm so glad you've given light to Scotland's ecology Dave. As a hillwalker it can often be an incredibly depressing thought to know just how desolate our hills and glens are, and how magnificent they would have once looked.
Came for the climbing, stayed for the ecology. Great mix.
As a recreational visitor to the highlands, governance of ecosystems in Scotland is a subject that I have an interest in. I’m fascinated by how degraded these ecosystems are due to overgrazing. There are many tools we can use to improve the situation. Nationalisation of land, wide scale rewilding and reintroduction of wolves being radical and visionary examples. Ultimately the management and decision making processes should be made by local people but balancing the needs of all. I support the restoration of ecosystems of the highlands as a British man and will lobby my MP. Integrating these ideas in hard trad ascents is a fantastic way to stoke the conversation. Thank you
The production quality coming out of this channel is by far the highest in climbing, and tbh wouldn't look out of place on television.
Now, THAT was a climbing movie worth watching!
The mighty Yellowstone National Park in the USA was similarly suffering from habitat degradation and slow death of ageing forests.
Wolves had been exterminated by shooting and poisoning in the Park as they threatened adjacent ranches. Herbivore numbers skyrocketed and new replacement growth of trees and shrubs dropped to zero. The area was going into serious decline but the decision was made in 1995 to re-introduce Grey Wolf packs. Hunting of them was banned.
The immutable laws of Nature were re-established and a balance between numbers of predator and prey resumed. The forests regrew and the problem was solved.
I immediately thought of this as well. How far back in history would you have to go to see any sort of apex predators in Scotland?
What an interesting video, maybe the best on this channel and what a beautiful landscape .... thanks Dave!
This is a beautiful blend of climbing and nature, thanks for the insight Dave!
Was not expecting a great mini doc about Glen Nevis when I clicked on this video, loved it!
This is one of the best "climbing" videos out there. Thanks so much, Dave.
Thanks for such a beautiful, thoughtful short film.
Fantastic that you address the big issues behind our engagement with landscape, and articulate them so well.
Love this format! Your holistic attitude is really inspiring. Merging so many aspects from different disciplines to a great piece of sustainability marketing. The german alpine club wrote a year ago or so, that mountain sports unfortunately are amongst the most co2-emitting hobbies. So promoting local crags inspite of harsh weather, even being very chilled out about the snowfall - great style. I dont wanna say, climbers shouldn't choose distant destinations for their holidays and projects. Theres so much more to sustainability than just transport. Still, often no need to go far for a good adventure.
Didn't expect the interviews, but loved every second of it.
Trees and climbing! Two of my favourite things. Thanks dave. We also have the same issue with land managment in the Scottish borders where I am from. The land is barren, mostly due to sheep farming and the burning of grouse moors. There is a wild wood called Carrifran which aims to replicate the woodland as it would be 1000s of years ago. Is worth a visit. It has some winter climbing there too!
This may be the best environmental-climbing tie-in piece I've seen. Keep this up Dave, it's excellent stuff.
So refreshing to see land advocacy mixed with incredible climbing performance! Very impressive all the way through!
I came for the climbing, stayed for the Andy Wightmans chat. Inspirational video! Thank you so much. Its a peice of art.
Andy Wightman's piece was a great addition to the filming of great climb. If people think the negative changes to our land are bad even though they are there for all to see, they would be shocked at what has happened to the seas around our coast in the last 40 years or so. Sadly 200 years ago protection of our inshore waters was greater than it is today.
Brilliant vid, and I dont mean the climbing, cant thank you enough for being so thoughtful and enquiring.
Well done Dave! We're all custodians of the future during our short lifetime on this planet.
Love the format! Came for climbing content and got free education on top :)
I studied forestry myself and can only agree with the interviewed.
Especially with climbing becoming more popular it´s great to see people in the spotlight using their outreach to educate new climbers and possibly interested folks along the way.
I really enjoyed this video!
Thanks :)
what a remarkable place, Scotland has long been on my list of must visit places, never had any plans for where but having seen this... well Glenn Nevis is definitely up there.
An excellent video, as someone who lives in this area, spends time in these spaces, and starting in the tree-planting game, I really valued this. I too am seeing this land and wondering about it - feeling that, yes it is beautiful, but it's not good enough. You are really showing what can be done with 'the climbing video' and have created an empowering piece here. Yaldi.
As a ecologist and rock climber I felt like this video was made exactly for me! I don't know how other people will receive it but I love learning about the land and how our relationship to it changes it throughout time! A proud send on a beautiful feature as well! Cheers!
Thanks for this great video: climbing, asking questions, looking for answers. And finishing with an inspiring message from Andy Wightman.
Beautiful message. Amazing climbing with important social commentary 10/10
Love the mix of hard climbing and ecology
You are one of the best film makers out there Dave.
Wonderful film! Thanks so much, from an ecologist in the Rocky Mtns, (and over the hill climber)
Brilliant, so thoughtful, you are a great gift to your little nation...and a climbing legend in my household!
In Victoria Australia most of our rivers have been smashed by farm land & fertiliser 👎 Government should consider compulsory acquisition of land around the rivers and regeneration of habitats 👌 All countries are subject to realities 🙂 Awesome rock climbing Dave 🤙
As a keen climber and Environmental Science student loved this video
One of the most unique and excellent climbing videos I've ever seen. The engagement with your environment and the info that you presented were excellent and really worth considering for climbers & land managers everywhere. Really brilliant work.
I really like the format of this video. I think videos like this are necessary and its great that you intersperse real issues between the climbing sequences. Thanks man!
Dave, your channel is the best climbing related channel by a mile! Thanks for your amazing videos and especially for this one.
This film has it all ! Amazing scenery, ecology topics and of course hard climbing.
I'd really like to visit Scotland, I have this idea of coming by train and bike, maybe one day.
I'm scottish and have covered a lot of scotland by train and bike.
Some of it is made for cycling but other areas...well,just be prepared for hard days.
It is magnificent though...well worth the effort...
It's always nice to see climbing films that deviate from the standard "I wanted to climb a hard thing and I eventually did the hard thing" format, and to see this tied in with some really interesting discussion on an important topic was really enjoyable and refreshing!
Wonderful piece you’ve put together here Dave. Thanks for all you do.
2 vids in 2 days? Has Christmas come early?!
Thank you Dave for all this psyche spreading, thought provoking content!
Incredible film and backstory to the climb made it all better.
I can’t like this video enough! This was great subject matter on top of great climbing, amazing Dave. Thank you for the video.
Thank you for making this film . Extremely informative re flora and fauna with some great climbing techniques.
A great watch, thankyou.
Amazing video! I'd never even considered how the impact on the hillsides revolves so heavily around the type of animal population. It'd be a joy to see the mountains coated in trees and a more varied wildlife and ecosystem some day, thank you for shedding light on the issue.
Thanks for the informative video, Dave, that was really great. I had assumed that the Highlands looked bare and grassy like that because of the harsher climate, but now it makes so much sense to know that over grazing is the problem. There's a lot of discussion about a similar problem with deer populations here in the eastern US.
Great video Dave. I learnt a lot about the ecology of Scotland. And to think a hydro scheme was once proposed for the top of Glen Nevis! Oh, and climbing that roof ... just watching you my limbs were aching!
Brilliant video. Great combination of an impressive climb with the history of the climb and then the glen itself with the history which has changed the environment of the glen. Exciting and educational. Would love to see more videos like this.
Really enjoyed that Dave, I think the context added by your friends and colleagues was very interesting. Top work 👌
Beautiful landscapes, stunning. Followed by some amazing climbing, that roof!
I think I speak for a lot of people when I say , I really appreciate your uploads , You're a truly inspiring and insightful man.
Hi Dave!! I loved this video. Your way of sharing different interesting topics through climbing is really fascinating. Looking forward to seeing new topics!! Best.
Superb video! Andy Wightman is a legend.
Thank you for the great video! I'm glad you decided to include not just the discussions about the impacts of land management, but also the observations you made that lead to those discussions in the first place. Its amazing the depth of conversion you can have from a question as simple as "why is it that these plants grow here but not over there?"
Beautiful Dave. One of your best.
Great video.
Scottish parliament certainly could do with a few updates on it’s policy on their extinct animal reintroduction policy’s. Seeing some apex predators back on the land would create this cascading effect where the pollinations of grazing species is managed naturally and biodiversity somewhat counterintuitively thrives.
A tough sell to a landed gentry land owner who has a vested interest in keeping live stock and pulls the strings in Scottish parliament.
Anyway, epic send on that roof!
I’m looking forward to visiting Glen Nevis for all it has to offer.
Your best content in my opinion. Really like the climbing combined with the ecology/environmental message.
Dave MacLeod you have done it again. An Absolute outstanding film and project. You are the Bomb 💪💪💪💪
I love your videos. The Climbing is spectacular, but what makes it for me is the intellectual parts and that I feel more educated after watching an episode. Thank you.
So good to see your generation really talking about it. Lovely video. Filled me with joy watching this only work lunch. Maybe change will come in our lifetime 🙏💜🙏
Loved the ecological aspect of this.
And amazing climbing, once again.
Dave, thanks for including some history and environmental points. We need more of this in climbing films.
Brilliant brilliant brilliant! Great to hear comments on land use featuring on your channel. May this be the first of many!
I really loved the combination of history, ecology, and climbing in this video!
Fantastic Dave. The areas of the Highlands which still retain tree cover or have been regenerated over the last few decades are simply breathtaking and for me have that real wilderness feel that is sometimes lacking in the denuded areas. Thanks for highlighting this. Magnificent climb too!
I’m very curious about what larger land predators were able to keep deer population in check that aren’t around now. In Yellowstone National Park there was an effort to reintroduce wolves, and although there was/is pushback, the degraded rivers and meadows greatly benefited from having the wolves back. A crude simplification of course.
Thanks for sharing!
The same. Wolves.
Best video you've done Dave - absolutely brilliant
Thanks a lot Dave! This video is a true inspiration!
thanks so much. It was super interesting! Please doing stuff like this it is great getting to know a bit more about the history and climbing in Scotland in general. I sincerely hope I can go climb there one day :)
Such a quality films your are publishing now
Thank you very much! That had everything!
When people say they have no interest in politics they assume that somehow it's just about the antics of those at Holyrood or Westminster. But as you point out it reaches into every aspect of our lives. Huge swathes of Scotland are owned by a handful of billionaires managing the land largely for their own interests and they are probably eternally grateful for the lack of engagement from the majority of the public. Thanks for making a great little film that covers a lot in such an interesting way.
Those are some small crux cams. Double black tote. And micro bd. Get it.
Very much appreciate the attention brought to restoration and stewardship. Thank you dave. The a 4 hour keto video is rich and such an incredible amount of info. Thank you.
Richard baker said you can judge a country's true wealth by its tree cover!
Really good video Dave! Great use of story to convey important issues in an accessible way!
Your editing and videography has ascended to new levels, I love it!
Beautiful!
I loved all of this. The combination of climbing and environmentalism really struck a note with me. It makes me want to try to observe and find out what I can do for the areas that matter to me.
This was amazing!! Thank you
Brilliant!
Beautiful film Dave, thank you 🙏
Awesome !!
bloody brilliant
Wonderful lessons to be learned here. Thank you for putting this out!
amazing video Dave thanks so much, can't wait for the next video
amazing content as always!
Incredible - thank you!
And nice work on the route!
What a wonderful film, beautifully made and a wide ranging and complex story of the place you clearly love. Great insight by your contributors.
Stunning film, Dave!
This is such a brilliant video!
Great film Dave. On both counts.
This is fascinating! Good one.
This is absolutely gorgeous. Well filmed. Great video!