our festival patron

Dave 'Cubby' Cuthbertson, a climber, mountain guide and mountain photographer, who has been inextricably linked to the development of cutting edge climbing in Scotland for the past two and a half decades, is the Patron of the Fort William Mountain Festival.

As one of Scotland's best ever mountaineers and a dynamic proponent of Scottish mountaineering he brings a huge endorsement of quality, strong mountain roots and an international perspective to the Mountain Festival. The festival will draw on Cubby's background and experience to continue to stage wide ranging and diverse events that celebrate every aspect of mountain culture, from industry to leisure and art. Mike Pescod, Chairman of the Fort William Mountain Festival, said, "I am delighted we have Cubby as the patron of the Fort William Mountain Festival. He has been a great inspiration to me for my climbing and guiding. But more importantly he has a huge amount of experience in bringing people to appreciate the mountains through his guiding, photography and film work. He also has an industrial background and realises the importance of the mountains in providing us with jobs. Cubby is keen to help take the festival forward and he will be a great asset to us. I'm looking forward to working with him to make the festival even better."

Even in today's highly competitive environment there are few climbers who have excelled in all departments of British climbing to the degree that Dave 'Cubby' Cuthbertson has. During the 1970's and 1980's he undertook many bold climbs that heralded a new level of difficulty hitherto unseen north of the border. He grabbed Scottish climbing by the scruff of the neck and dragged its standards skyward, both
in 1979 with his ascent of the route 'Wild Country' on The Cobbler in Argyll, and in 1983, with his ascent of 'Requiem' at Dumbarton Rock, a climb which many informed commentators regarded at the time as the hardest rock climb in the world - not just Scotland. This was followed by some breathtaking winter ascents of routes in the Highlands including 'Stormy Petrel' on Ben Nevis and Guerdon Grooves in Glen Coe.

Dave 'Cubby' Cuthbertson said about his appointment, "There is a great energy and buzz about Fort William, The Outdoor Capital of the UK and, together with The Fort William Mountain Festival, adventure enthusiasts from all over the world are being inspired to visit our fabulous landscape here in the Scottish Highlands. I've climbed and walked in these parts for nearly forty years and at this stage in my outdoor career being patron of such a prestigious event is not only an honour and a recognition of my contribution to Scottish climbing, but also provides me with a great sense of belonging."

Back to home