Final update from Dave MacLeod on his and Alan Cassidy’s attempts to climb Bellavista in the Italian Dolomites:

However, we had one day left. I just wanted to get the gear back and get home. Everything  was wrong and I felt a bit fed up to be honest. My ankle hurt on the walk-in, I couldn’t do certain movements with it on the rock, I’d had my fill of climbing wet rock or frozen rock, we’d not had even one good day to try it properly. Worst of all, it was baltic.

And Alan Cassidy on their last day’s efforts:

I was desperately blowing warm breath on my hands with every single move, pressing them against the warm flesh of the back of my neck and getting none the warmer. About 15m up at peg 3, I had a little moment, outwardly expressing my dissatisfaction with where I was:

– “It’s F**%$%^ so cold”

– “I don’t want to be here”

– “F%^* sake, this is so $%&t, nothing gets my hands warm”

– “these pegs are all so F%&*@£$”

They sent, obviously.