Andy Nisbet named as one of two men killed on most northerly munro in Scotland

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Andy Nisbet, one of Scotland’s most revered mountaineers, has been named as one of the two men who died during a climb on Ben Hope in Sutherland earlier this week.

Leading Scottish climbers paid tribute to Nisbet, 65, and his climbing partner Steve Perry, 47, after police confirmed rescue teams had recovered both men’s bodies from the snow and ice-covered mountain, the most northerly munro (a mountain with a height of more than 3,000ft) in Scotland.

David Whalley, a climber and former RAF mountain rescue team leader, said Nisbet was the most experienced winter climber of his generation and an expert in finding new routes across munros, who had set new standards for mountaineering. Together, the two men had built up a formidable partnership in mapping new climbing routes.

“Andy was the most prolific winter climber in Britain,” Whalley said. “The guy was the most incredible mountaineer.”

Cameron McNeish, a mountaineer, broadcaster and climbers’ guide writer, said he was distraught at their deaths.

Cameron McNeish (@CameronMcNeish) Utterly devastated this morning at the news of the loss of Andy Nisbet and Steve Perry on Ben Hope. Both were gargantuan and inspiring figures in Scotland's mountaineering scene. A massive loss to us all.

Mountaineering Scotland, a membership body for climbers and skiers, said it was shocked and saddened by the deaths of both men, who had been on Ben Hope finding new traverses and climbing routes when the incident occurred. The hill is 927 metres (3,040ft) high, and rises over the Flow Country in Sutherland, one of Europe’s largest expanses of bog.

Nicknamed “the Honey Monster” for his red hair, and “the Droid”, Nisbet was a former president of the Scottish Mountaineering Club. He had been responsible for more than 1,000 first ascents and involved in numerous climbing guides. Perry had also broken ground as a climber, Mountaineering Scotland said.

“Their deaths are a huge loss to the mountaineering community in Scotland and, in particular, we send our condolences to family and friends of both Andy and Steve,” it said.

“We would like to thank members of the mountain rescue teams and others who were involved in responding to this accident.”

In a lengthy blogpost honouring both men, Whalley said Nisbet had left a huge legacy. Many climbs were known as “Nisbet routes” because he had first found them.

“Many will miss that wild beard frozen up and his vagueness when chasing new lines on the mountains, but what huge enthusiasm on the crag,” Whalley wrote.

“Never in the history of Scottish mountaineering has anyone been so prolific or enthusiastic, and introduced so many to the mountains, especially in winter.”

News of their deaths emerged on Tuesday, after mountain rescue teams and a coastguard helicopter were scrambled from across northern Scotland following reports of an accident on Ben Hope at about 3.45pm. The rescue operation continued through the night.

On Wednesday, Police Scotland said: “Sadly, the bodies of the two men were discovered on the north-west side of Ben Hope shortly after 2am on Wednesday by the helicopter crew.”