First Mountaineering Scotland Awards presented at AGM

Three outstanding individuals, from Perthshire, Fife and Glasgow, have been recognised in the inaugural Mountaineering Scotland Awards.

The awards were launched by Mountaineering Scotland to recognise and celebrate exceptional contributions to mountaineering and climbing in Scotland through personal achievement and volunteering. Award winners receive specially commissioned fused-glass artwork as trophies.

The awards were made at Mountaineering Scotland’s AGM in Perth on Saturday, when the President, Mike Watson congratulated all three winners, remarking that the standard of nominations was so high that judges had been unable to narrow the volunteer category down to one winner and had to make a joint award.

Mike said: “The volunteering award is an innovation by Mountaineering Scotland to recognise the huge contribution that volunteers make to a whole range of activities within the mountaineering community, and the fact that a joint award has been made, encompassing the development of young people with an interest in mountaineering, through to preserving Scotland’s mountain landscape, illustrates the width of interests within then organisation.

“The Young Climber of the Year Award demonstrates not only the outstanding commitment of the individual to developing her own skills, but also her willingness to encourage others, some of whom may be relatively disadvantaged children.”

The ClimbScotland Young Climber of the Year Award went to Caitlin Connor, a young climber from Cambuslang, Glasgow, who has combined success in climbing competitions with a willingness to promote charitable aims to make an outstanding contribution to the Scottish climbing community over the last year.

The Mountaineering Scotland Volunteer of the Year Award was shared between Thom Humphrey, from Dunfermline, Fife, who helped found and develop the highly successful Carnegie Junior Climbing Club, and retiring Mountaineering Scotland Director, Dave Gordon, from Scone in Perthshire.

Caitlin Connor (13) has consistently achieved a high level in both local and national competitions and is both Scottish and British champion for her age group.

Beyond that, she has been a youth ambassador for the climbing charity Urban Uprising for several years and is an active fundraiser, helping other, less fortunate children experience the joy and benefits that climbing has to offer.

In March 2015, Caitlin raised over £1000 for charity by personally ascending 100 challenging climbing routes of 6a or above in a single day, and she is now organising another sponsored climb.

As an unpaid director of Mountaineering Scotland, Dave Gordon over the last four years has worked with great professionalism, averaging two to three days a week, assessing planning applications which could affect Scotland’s mountains – such as wind farms, access roads and hydro tracks – and where effectively putting mountaineers’ case to planning authorities and public inquiries. He has also used his career experience to challenge and refute misrepresentations of research by companies in the renewables sector.

Dave has also fostered good relations with other organisations and contributed much to Mountaineering Scotland’s work on access, and he has been described by CEO David Gibson as “a hard act to follow”.

Thom Humphrey was recognised for his persistence and dedication in the creation and development of Carnegie Junior Climbing Club (now known as the Carnegie Crimpin’ Chimps) in Dunfermline.

Since beginning by canvassing the opinion of parents at his local climbing wall, he oversaw the creation of the club in May 2015. From an initial dozen members it has now grown to about 40 and offers great opportunities to young climbers of all abilities. Besides regular Saturday night sessions at Carnegie Wall in Dunfermline, the club has also enjoyed both climbing and walking trips, always inspired by Thom’s enthusiasm.

He also devotes huge amounts of time and effort to the Rockgelly project, which aims to convert a church in Lochgelly, Fife, into a wonderful climbing facility.