Moving the Needle cover art

Moving the Needle

How an Average Climber Can Do the Hardest Route in the World

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Moving the Needle

By: Dave MacLeod
Narrated by: Dave MacLeod
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About this listen

How can an average climber do the hardest route in the world? Dave MacLeod wasn’t even the best among his fellow rock climbers in Glasgow, until a sequence of key decisions and influences catalysed his progression from an unremarkable intermediate to one of the best all-round climbers in the world. Dave shows that much of his advantage came from easily trainable skills or behavioural traits that could be replicated by any climber.

Moving the Needle is a story of the ups and downs of a struggle to answer a deep curiosity and its side effect of making the first ascent of Rhapsody at Dumbarton Rock, then the hardest trad climb in the world and the first to earn the grade of E11. Through an autobiographical exploration of his apprenticeship as a climber, the book is intended to function as a guide to transform your own climbing. Foreword by Dave Cuthbertson, and edited by Deziree Wilson.

©2024 Dave MacLeod (P)2024 Dave MacLeod Adventurers, Explorers & Survival Climbing & Mountaineering Extreme Sports Outdoors & Nature Inspiring Heartfelt Thought-Provoking

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All stars
Most relevant
Frank and varied. Much more than just a description of the routes he'd climbed. Fascinating.

A1

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Since starting climbing in the early noughties I've followed Dave's story from his blog to 9/10 climbers and his recent foray into YouTube. He has been a constant source of both inspiration and practical advice, from managing injuries to the neuances of training. In a lot of ways, I and many other climbers will feel like they know Dave's story, pieced together from snippets of media throughout Dave's career and in parallel to their own journey in climbing. It is testament to Dave's skill as a writer and narrator that I consumed this book in a single sitting (mostly whilst climbing of course), engrossed from start to finish. The audible edition adds something extra. Dave delivers the story effortlessly, with a closeness to the words that only he can have. 10/10 and essential for anyone who has followed Dave's journey in climbing.

Definitive Dave

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This book was certainly an eye opener to Dave's story from first starting out climbing to the famous FA of Rhapsody.

Unrivaled insight into Dave's life and journey through the grades

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Such a genuine and honest book about Dave’s climbing stories. Met Dave in person once, great guy. Highly recommend a listen.

Great listen

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A really interesting listen, finding out more about Dave's early climbing journey and it's challenges.

Great mix of back story and climbing info

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