Di Gilbert

Name: Di Gilbert

Hometown: Grantown on Spey, Scotland

Sport: Mountaineering

All my life, I have lived and worked on the mountains. A full time Winter Climbing and Mountaineering Instructor based in the heart of the Scottish Highlands. I got my first taste of expedition life in the mid 90’s and never looked back.

Get to know Di

Tell us about your successes so far?

Climbing 8000m peaks is a big deal for me, but being in a position where you guide and lead individuals to the world’s highest summits is perhaps bigger. To be in this position, there must have been some pretty damn good adventures before...

What are you working on? What are your goals for the future?

Trying to maintain my (ageing) body is always the main goal now. I want to be in a position if the phone rang tomorrow with an offer to climb (or ski) a sexy new line in a remote location, I would be in a position to say yes.

Why do you climb? What do you love about climbing?

I sometimes feel as if I’ve been doing it for so long, I don’t know anything different. It’s a way of life for me. It’s not necessarily just about the climb though, it’s the journey that you have to do to be in the position to undertake the climb.

Which Scarpa shoe is your favourite?

Only one? Any boot from the Phantom Range? The Tech for Scottish Winter and lower altitudes; the 6000ers for the mid altitude adventures and the 8000ers for the biggies.