Greg Boswell is at the cutting edge of Scottish winter climbing and has been consistently pushing the boundaries, season after season. As well as being well known for his serious training regime, he in no slouch during the summer climbing hard in almost every discipline.
Greg started climbing when he was thirteen and first tried winter climbing more or less straight away. From the beginning all aspects of the sport were tried, as a former Scottish Junior Wake Boarding Champion diversity was not a problem. Sport climbing in Malham and trad climbing in the Outer Hebrides were in the mix, but it was winter climbing where Greg really excelled.
After building a wall to train on in the garage with his Dad, a focused approach soon paid dividends. Aged 17, he became the youngest to climb the Scottish classic Fast and Furious (D10+), then onsighted several grade VII routes and became the youngest to climb the infamous Lipton (WI7) and Mission (M10) in Rjukan.
For the last few years Greg has worked on a farm in Scotland for close access to the winter crags and more time off when they are in season. With more focused training than ever he has gone from strength to strength, pushing the physical difficulty on traditionally protected winter routes. This culminated in multiple grade X onsights and eventually the world’s first XII, Banana Wall.
To keep busy during the warmer months Greg has also found time to make the first ascents of Britain’s only two M13 routes and climb numerous hard trad and sport routes at home and abroad. With impressive trips to the Alps and the Canadian Rockies already under his belt, we’re sure there’s much more to come.
“I think if you spend a lot of time climbing in Scotland, it sets you up for most places around the world. Every time I go away on a trip, it always feels good to come back to Scotland and remind yourself that there is world class climbing on your doorstep.”
Notable Ascents:
- The Greatest Show on Earth (X/10), Cul Mor - first ever onsight of a route of the grade
- Powerdab (D13), The Works - first ascent, hardest dry tool route in England
- Frankenstein(D13), Newtyle Quarry - first ascent, hardest dry tool route in Scotland
- Illuminati(M11+/WI6+), Val Lunga
- Messiah (X/10, 265m), Beinn Bhan - onsight
- Range War (X/10), Creag an Dubh Loch - onsight
- Banana Wall (XII/12), Coire an Lochain - first ascent
- Primal Scream (E6 6b), Fair Head - onsight
- Hell's Kitchen Arete (E6 6a), Fair Head - onsight
- Lipton (WI7), Rjukan - at the age of 17
- Leopold (8a+), Steel Hut Crag
- Victoria's Secret Variation (M7++, 50m), Stanley Headwall - first onsight of the route
- Rocket Man (VI M7+ WI5+, 350m), Mount Paterson - onsight