Andy Nisbet

Early climbing life Nisbet was introduced to hill-walking by his parents whilst still a primary school child in Aberdeen. This activity was further encouraged when he moved to Aberdeen Grammar School in the 1960s. By the time he was nineteen he had climbed all of the Munros (i.e. all c.280 of the Scottish summits over ) and was the second youngest person ever to have climbed them all at that time. It was the need to reach the top of the Inaccessible Pinnacle on Skye as one of his last Munros that led to Nisbet's introduction to rock climbing. When he was 20 he went on a rock climbing course and then a winter climbing course at Glenmore Lodge.

Legacy Andy Nisbet has been described as a 'pioneer' of winter climbing because of his development in the 1980s of techniques of using modern ice-climbing equipment to climb steep mixed ground of both rock and ice – a process known as 'torqueing'. This led to a significant jump in overall Scottish winter climbing standards, and one which he personally maintained over the next few decades.

Nisbet compiled and edited a number of definitive climbing guidebooks to various regions of the Scottish mountains. He also served a spell as president of the Scottish Mountaineering Club from 2010 to 2012,

Between the 1980s and 2019, Nisbet developed more than a thousand new winter climbing routes in Scotland, and it has been calculated that, of the 600 Scottish winter climbing routes graded at V or more, he was associated with the first ascent of 150 of them, and that his climbing legacy has surpassed that of 1960's Scottish climber Tom Patey.

Notable ascents

Selected first winter ascents in Scotland Vertigo Wall, Creag an Dubh-Loch, Cairngorms (Grade VII, 7) First winter ascent (with aid), December 1977. First free ascent, November 1985. Poacher's Fall, Liathach, (Grade V, 5) February 1978. Der Riesenwand, Coire nan Fhamhair, Beinn Bhan, (Grade VII, 6) 1980. The Link Face, Black Spout Pinnacle, Lochnagar. (Grade VII,7) 1988. Blood, Sweat and Frozen Tears, West Central Wall, Benn Eighe, (Grade VIII, 8) 1993. Mort, Lochnagar (Grade IX, 9) First winter ascent, January 2000. Bell's Direct Route, Black Pinnacle, Coire Bhrochain, Braeriach (Grade V, 6) 2003.

Beyond Scotland Between 1989 and 2008, Nisbet was employed by Martin Moran as a mountaineering guide on at least five Himalayan mountaineering expeditions, and participated in other Himalayan trips which achieved new routes.

Nisbet was born and lived in Aberdeen. He met his wife to be, Gill, in 1991 whilst he was leading a Himalayan trekking expedition to . They were married in 1993 and settled in Boat of Garten near Aviemore. As a climbing partnership they established over 40 new mountaineering routes up to E3 on rock, and up to Grade V in winter. His wife died in 2006.

He acquired various nicknames from the climbing community during his life, including 'The Honey Monster' – for his unkempt ginger hair and bearded appearance that resembled the Sugar Puffs mascot – and 'The Droid', some say for his ungainly climbing style, others because he would progress through unconsolidated snow in a machine-like fashion.

Honours and awards Nisbet was given the 'Scottish Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture' at the 2014 Fort William Mountain Festival. They were believed to have completed a new route and were roped together whilst moving across the upper reaches of the mountain.

Selected publications The Cairngorms, Andy Nisbet, Allen Fyffe, Simon Richardson, Wilson Moir, John Lyall (eds), Scottish Mountaineering Club Climbers' Guide, Scottish Mountaineering Club (2007) Highland Outcrops South, Andy Nisbet (ed.), Scottish Mountaineering Club Climbers' Guide, Scottish Mountaineering Trust, May 2016 Northern Highlands North, Andy Nisbet (ed.), 2004 Northern Highlands South, Andy Nisbet (ed.), Scottish Mountaineering Club Climbers' Guide, Scottish Mountaineering Trust, 2007 Scottish Rock Climbs, Andrew Nisbet (ed.), Scottish Mountaineering Club Climbers' Guide, Scottish Mountaineering Trust, 2005 Scottish Sport Climbs, Andy Nisbet (ed.), Scottish Mountaineering Club, 2013 Scottish Winter Climbs, Andrew Nisbet, Rab Anderson (eds), Scottish Mountaineering Trust, 1996 Scottish Winter Climbs, Andrew Nisbet, Rab Anderson, Simon Richardson (eds), Scottish Mountaineering Trust, 2008