The MCofS (Mountaineering Council of Scotland) has launched an on-line database of expedition reports on its website. The reports are from mountaineering expeditions, climbing trips and individuals based in Scotland that have received grant support from the MCofS.
There are over 70 reports going back to 1981, when the MCofS was able to support expeditions for the first time with funding from sportscotland (then called the Scottish Sports Council).
The areas of the world visited and the style of expedition are varied, from ski mountaineering crossings of Greenland, first ascents of remote peaks in the Coast Range of British Columbia and Alaska, first ascents of Himalayan, Indian and Pakistani peaks, first ascents in the Andes in Peru and Bolivia, as well as Kyrgyzstan and China.
In 2008 the MCofS ‘Expedition Grant Awards’ scheme was changed to be more inclusive and became a Bursary. The award is now made to individuals undertaking any climbing / mountaineering discipline anywhere in the world. It also now includes support to competition climbers and younger climbers.
As a result reports now include new hard on-sight rock routes in Morocco, Norway’s Lofoten Islands in winter, trips to the Italian Dolomites by leading Scottish climbers (young and not so young), school expeditions to Greenland and competition ‘road trips’ round Europe or to World Cup events.
The reports offer detailed information about travel, costs, visa requirements, topography of poorly mapped areas and future potential for new routes and exploration.
MCofS Chief Officer David Gibson said: “With all the links to expedition reports, this page on our website is an invaluable resource for anyone planning an expedition for the future.”
MCofS Development Officer, Kevin Howett, said: “The MCofS website has now established itself as the hub for all kinds of information relating to Scottish mountaineering.”
The Scottish Expedition Reports Archive can be found at here.