MacLeod adds Out for Blood (E9 6c, 7a), Glen Nevis

• Tuesday 16th May 2023

Dave MacLeod has added yet another hard new route to his CV, Out For Blood (E9 6c, 7a) in Steall Gorge, Glen Nevis.

“For years I put off trying it because I didn’t think this section on the second pitch had enough holds.” Dave says in his newly released video about his first ascent before adding, “You always have to go and look though…” Julian Lines had briefly tried the line previously; ultimately he encouraged Dave MacLeod to try the line.

MacLeod started working on the line last September but poor weather in the autumn prevented any lead attempts so they were shelved until this spring. By April, MacLeod felt the weather was getting too warm as the crag faces the sun. However, a cold day in early May with an Easterly wind blowing through the Glen enabled him to tie-in and give it a go.

The first pitch was E8 6c in its own right. Three pieces of crucial protection needed to be placed quickly before going into the crux of that pitch. A collection of tenuous and powerful moves requiring accurate footwork was the meat of the first pitch and having succeeded on that MacLeod had to wait for colder, less sunny conditions before attempting the second pitch.

Crucially, better conditions soon arrived and, with protection from a tied-down skyhook, MacLeod committed and succeeded on Pitch 2.

Watch Macleod leading both pitches in the short video he’s released below.