The Second Man on the Rope

What are the rules of etiquette in a bothy full of strangers? How cold, exactly, can a Scottish summer get? And how many cans of beer can a man carry whilst fording a swollen river? Second Man on the Rope tackles all these questions and more, a celebrating Scotlands mountains come sun, sleet or snow, through the stories of a great climbing partnership. Ranging from the Cairngorms to Glencoe, from Nevis to Knoydart and from the Cuillin to the Cobbler, this book weaves the story of a friendship amongst witty and often alarming tales of mountaineering mishaps. These richly entertaining tales will delight all who love the Scottish hills be they mountaineers, day-outers, Munro-baggers (like the author) or merely armchair ramblers. Written with a wealth of knowledge, this mountaineering classic is a warm and witty celebration of friendship, forged over many years, between the author and his first man Davie. Together they form one of the great double acts of climbing literature. They face with humour and fortitude all that the mountains can pit against them winter avalanches, raging rivers, rats in bothies and Brummies in baseball boots.