UKC

Robin Campbell reflects on the life of Scottish mountaineering icon Jimmy Marshall, who passed away on 2 March, aged 94.

James Robertson Marshall

(b. 01-02-1929, d. 02-03-2023)

James 'Jimmy' Robertson Marshall was one of a dozen Scottish climbers who elevated the standard and ambition of climbing in the country after the Second War.

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In reply to UKC News:

Thank you Robin for penning this very fitting tribute. I very much appreciate  the style.   

In reply to French Erick:

Agree. A fitting tribute indeed. 

Mick

In reply to UKC News:

What a legacy!

In reply to UKC News:

Thanks Robin

In reply to UKC News: Thanks Robin, always worth listening to your memories and recollections.. 

In reply to UKC News:

Thats quite an intimidating ticklist!

Enjoyed “The Pinnacle” when it came out, esp Jimmy Marshall’s point that the young lads now were pretty much cheating, using 4 points of aid…

In reply to UKC News:

Great obituary Robin.Thanks for writing it.

Imagine you guys had some great days out on the hill together.

In reply to BrendanO:

Yes, it's an incredible list of routes. So much quality.

To be fair, Ritchie's Gully is really more of a Hunter/Quinn line with the meat of the route all in that first pitch. Not that that matters when the next line over is one of the best gullies in Scotland!

In reply to UKC News:

I'm sure I remember reading somewhere, but I can't remember where now, that when writing the comprehensive 1969 Ben Nevis guidebook Marshall made sure he had climbed every single route on the Ben to be certain that his descriptions were accurate.  King of the Ben indeed!

In reply to Grahame N:

At the time, the expectation was that the guidebook writer would climb every route or, if this wasn't possible, that they'd at least climb the hardest routes and the most perilous. Thus the onus of guidebook writer would generally fall to the best climber in the area as the person best placed to do this. 

Accuracy was prized. It was very much in people's minds that inaccuracy might lead to dire outcomes. 

It really was a labour of love. People gave their all. I can imagine Marshall, in particular,  wanting to know he'd done the best job he could for fellow climbers. 

Mick 

In reply to Mick Ward:

When I go up Ben Nevis in summer I usually take Jimmy Marshall’s 1969 guidebook.

I wasn’t keen on the next guide (1980s) which was selective.

I prefer the diagrams in the 1969 guide to those in the 1994 guide, the diagrams in the later guide don’t seem as accurate to me.

Repeating routes like Zero Gully and Point Five Gully in summer is very impressive.

In reply to UKC News:

Great piece - thanks for taking the time to write it.