McHeath

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Professional musician. Grew up in Bakewell in the Peak District in the 70s and started climbing first on the chossy limestone quarried wall in our back garden and then on grit. Explored the volcanic towers around Tamanrasset in the Sahara in 1980, then moved to Berlin in 1981 and have been here ever since. I was on tour deep in the Bavarian provinces for 3 days when the Wall came down and missed the biggest spontaneous party of the century, which I shall regret to the end of my days. Stopped the serious Alpine stuff when my son was born; since then quick hits on Saxon sandstone (Elbsandsteingebirge) and the Frankenjura when I can get away; otherwise disproportionately ambitious on plastic and love messing around on the many and varied Berlin bunkers and bridge pillars.

Memorable experiences:

Alpine Trad: Badile/Cassin (pre-bolts). Fine weather was predicted until 17:00; we climbed the final easy slabs at 10 am in a hailstorm, topped out at 11 am, cut the summitting plan and spent 7 hours abseiling down the North Ridge in the endless hailstorm with ice in our climbing shoes and lightning hitting all around us.

Aiguille du Midi/Frendo Spur, 2 days later: another unexpected thunderstorm near the top; we missed the last car down by 5 min, were grudgingly allowed to sleep on our coiled ropes in the freezing machine room and got gassed.

Matterhorn/Hörnli solo in 7 hours hut to hut with 10 priceless minutes alone on the summit.

Ortler North Face in winter with a narrow escape from falling seracs, and a loose crampon (God, those neoprene straps! ) when I most needed it.

Helicopter rescue from the Punta Tissi after my friend had broken his ankle, then being dumped on a longline ignominiously in the cowshit in front of the packed hut terrace, filmed by Italian TV who were doing a report on the supposedly idyllic possible activities based on the refuge.

A completely isolated week on snowshoes in the Karwendel range one January, -10° with brilliant sunshine, great easy ridge climbs every day and not a soul in sight.

Passing my driving test in Buxton in the morning, leading all 4 pitches onsight of Suicide Wall (Cratcliffe) and Debauchery in the afternoon, and shortly after 10pm soloing drunkenly up the the gritstone face of a Bakewell pub to the landlady's bedroom window only to be told in two unmistakable words what I could do with myself :)

My perfect mountain day: the North Ridge of the Grundschartner (Zillertal) in late September; brilliant trad climbing on perfect granite with the best of climbing partners in the wildest of settings.

Location
Berlin

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Articles by McHeath

• ARTICLE: Coffee and Giants: The Dawn of the Redpoint Nov/2022

Logbooks Volunteer
Moderator for 1 crag, checking missing climbs added to the logbooks: Kletterbunker Lanke

Interests Outside Climbing
Running (Marathon best: 3:25); fishing, ornithology, chess.

Photo Gallery

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