SCOTTISH CLIMBER Dave MacLeod has become the first man to climb the aptly named "Don't Die of Ignorance" traverse on Ben Nevis without the use of aids, more than 20 years after the route, thought to be the hardest in the UK, was last conquered.

The news has sent ripples through the climbing fraternity, for whom the climb is regarded as the stuff of legend. After five failed attempts dating back to 2005, MacLeod's successful bid last Sunday was caught on camera for a climbing documentary that is to be released later this year by Heatherhat productions.

Cameraman and amateur climber Joe French also completed the climb with MacLeod, who used a method called free climbing. This entails the climber relying solely on his body strength and skill to scale the entire route.

Until last weekend, the route had only been completed once, in 1987, by climber Andy Cave, and his partner Simon Yates, who featured in the famous climbing film Touching The Void.

"I've finally managed it,'' said MacLeod, aged 29. "I've spent the past several years trying to repeat the hardest routes in the UK, so this one was an obvious challenge for me. It's definitely the hardest one I've come across.

"I can't describe how amazing it is to climb such a hard route and come out in the beautiful moonlight. You're so worried all the way, then when you finally get to the top, it's just amazing.

"This route had already been done, but it had been done using pitons. The difference in free climbing is that instead of actually putting a part of gear into the rock so you're sitting securely after every pitch, you climb using just your hands and feet, so it is much more strenuous."

The route is on the notorious north face of the UK's highest mountain, to the right of a section known as Tower Ridge. Despite year-round snow cover, the terrain on Ben Nevis is considered perfect for climbing and thousands flock to the mountains in Lochaber every year - a fact that partly led to the area being named Outdoor Capital of the UK three years ago.

While filming, French came dangerously close to losing his hand after becoming stuck hanging by a piece of rope - known as the wrist loop - 300ft above a gorge. He was spotted dangling by fellow climbers dotted around Ben Nevis, who had been following Dave's attempts via his climbing blog.

"We couldn't communicate because we were too far away from each other and I couldn't see what was happening so I sat there for two hours," said MacLeod.

Claire MacLeod, Dave's wife and manager, who was anxiously watching from a nearby slope, admitted she considered walking away rather than continue to watch.

"Joe was just hanging there," said Dave. "It was pretty serious but he did a really good job of getting himself back on track after coming very close to losing his hand. I had shed two layers by that point, so I got a bit hypothermic when I was waiting.

"I went through a stage of shivering uncontrollably and then I stopped feeling cold. I knew that's when things were bad.

"After Joe reached me, we managed to carry on. We just had to go as fast as we possibly could but try not to rush too much because we couldn't afford to fall. If you fall, you die. It's that simple."

After nine gruelling hours, assisted by clear skies and an unexpected burst of moonlight, the pair finally reached the summit. Their descent of a snow-filled No 4 gully took just 15 minutes.

Joe said: "I think that's what you call suffering for your art.

"We got to the summit and sat down and we were both very close to tears. It was our first climb together, too. We had a big hug at the top. It was a very emotional moment."

Undeterred by the hardships of this climb, MacLeod has already set his sights on his next challenge - Echo Wall, which is also on the north face of Ben Nevis.

Dave MacLeod's blog address is www.davemacleod.blogspot.com