The only way is up for Inverness climber who will tackle Super Crag rock near Gairloch in next week's episode of BBC TV Scotland's Adventure Show
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An Inverness climber will be scaling new heights when he enters living rooms nationwide later this month.
Rhys Langlands will feature in BBC Scotland’s Adventure Show next Friday at 8pm as he attempts to climb the Super Crag rock face.
The 19-year-old is among a group of four university students to take part in the attempt at Loch Maree.
The programme centres on the newly developed crag, outside of Gairloch, which contains the longest and some of the toughest routes for sport climbing in Scotland, at 50m tall with a 15m overhang, which is why climbers have named it the Super Crag.
Rhys, who started climbing with his dad aged just three, is currently studying sport and fitness in Inverness.
He won the BMC Youth Climbing Series in 2018 and took second place at the BMC Male Junior open lead event in February this year. He competes indoors, but has a good deal of experience climbing outdoors and enjoys the experience of being on real rock.
“I enjoy the physical and mental challenge of a climb,” he said.
“It gives me direction and something to work towards, both in training for it, and in a sense of purpose – something that’s been even more important during lockdown.
“We are lucky as climbers that we have been able to continue our sport, whereas other sports have been restricted.”
Richard Else, the executive producer from Adventure Show Productions, said: “Sport climbing was once very controversial in Scotland but in recent years it’s become an accepted part of the climbing scene.
“It often draws in a different set of people and now that it’s part of the forthcoming Olympics, I wanted to showcase the very best of our young climbers.”
He said he was thrilled that all four students wanted to be involved, adding: “I think they all did extraordinarily well while showing us why the Super Crag is one of the hardest sports climbing cliffs in the country.
“Just standing underneath it is nerve-racking.”
