Navy

Celebrating 75 years of Royal Navy Royal Marines Mountaineering Club

Watch: BFBS Creative's special report on the Royal Navy Royal Marines Mountaineering Club.

The Royal Navy Royal Marines Mountaineering Club is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year.

"Evergreen, gradeless and rankless", is how club president Rob McGowan would describe it.

It is a club that deals with a variety of disciplines, from indoor climbing in the gym, to bouldering on short problems without ropes, or even getting the ice axes and crampons out to go on an alpine adventure.

Rob, who in his own words is a "slightly senior officer" in the Royal Marines, told BFBS that there is a great humility in the club.

"We don't compete with each other over what grade we climbed today or what mountain we climbed today. That doesn't matter," he explained.

"People come together who may have climbed with each other for many years, or they may not have climbed with each other at all in the club, which I think makes it attractive for a lot of different people."

He added: "There's a strong base of mountaineering and climbing in the Royal Marines. There are sort of legends through the club, through those years, and there are names that have been part of the Royal Navy Royal Marines Mountaineering Club that we all know.

"We stand on the shoulders of giants really in the things they've done."

BFBS Creative joined members of the club in the Cairngorms for a special report to mark the occasion.

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