Robin Campbell

A tribute to the Scottish climbing legend Jimmy Marshall. Though a relative unsung hero of Scottish and UK mountaineering Jimmy Marshall has been inextricably linked to the development of cutting edge climbing in Scotland since the 1950’s and 60’s. In one legendary week on Ben Nevis in 1960 Jimmy Marshall and Robin Smith transformed the shape of Scottish winter mountaineering, advancing it a full ten years.

The great tradition is a documentary about rock climbing  that takes place in Cuillin Ridge and Sgurr A'chaorachain. It was directed by Richard Else in 1994 and produced by Triple Echo Productions. It is a part of the series The edge - One hundred years of scottish mountaineering (1/6). It features Cameron McNeish, Ken Crocket, Alan Kimber, John Lyall and Robin Campbell.

In one legendary week on Ben Nevis in 1960 Jimmy Marshall and Robin Smith climbed six first winter ascents on consecutive days, including the mini Alpine-route Orion Face Direct. They also made the first one-day winter ascent of Point Five Gully, went for a walk, had a beer and got arrested over an incident with some dominoes! Exactly 50 years later Dave MacLeod and Andy Turner pay tribute by setting out to repeat all the routes that Smith and Marshall first climbed in that famous week. This film tells the story of the original events and follows MacLeod and Turner as they discover exactly what an achievement it was.

The film analyzes the brilliant if tragically short career and tempestuous personal life of Scottish mountaineer Dougal Haston (1940-77). Haston gained fame with the first ascent of 'The Bat' in 1959. He went on to make his name as mountaineer in the Alps and greater ranges. In 1966 he was part of the team that made the first winter ascent of the Eiger Nordwand. He also achieved the first ascent of the South West face of Mount Everest in September 1975. Haston was the Director of the International School of Mountaineering in Leysin, Switzerland. He was killed in an avalanche in Leysin, Switzerland in 1977. Interviews and original footage give an insight into an iconic legend.