Terrifying moment Scots rock climber reaches 'improbable' peak despite slip

Robbie Philips has become the second person in history to reach the peak of the Great Arch on the island of Pabbay in the Outer Hebrides.

A Scots rock climber has become the second person in history to reach a notorious peak in the Outer Hebrides.

Robbie Phillips - one of the UK's top climbers - has completed some impressive treks across the world, recently taking on the Great Arch on the island of Pabbay. The steep rock face is 100m high, and has only been complete once before by Scottish climber Dave McLeod.

Describing the ascent, Philips said: "The Great Arch lies on the edge of possibility for climbers.The striking feature is the focal point of the island. It’s also just improbable as a climb - that there’s just enough holds to grab hold of and that the easiest way up is directly through the roof of the arch. When you climb through it, you’re upside down looking out at the Atlantic towards North America."

Top news stories today

• Slovan Bratislava fans attack Celtic pub
• John Barrowman on "thoughts of suicide"
• Halfords manager coupon scammer jailed
• Woman's warning after cancer diagnosis

The climb was attempted back in 1996 by Scottish climbing 'pioneer' Dave Cuthbertson and legend Lynn Hill. Just years prior, they reached the peak of The Nose in Yosemite.

They attempted the climb as part of a BBC documentary Extreme Climbs, which ended on a cliffhanger after they fell during their attempt, also mapping the route which every team since has followed.

Robbie planned to take on the challenge in June, however, bad weather forced him to reschedule.

Phillips explained: "You need the long days in the height of summer to give you the biggest window of daylight to attempt the climb.

"You also need the warm weather and sun to burn off any moisture on the rock. Due to the timing of our trip, we weren’t able to start climbing until 2pm, leaving us only six hours to climb the entire wall before we lost the light."

Robbie and his partner, Jamie Lowther, were racing against time to summit before darkness. Despite challenges, he managed to reach the peak with the last remaining sunlight.

Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!

Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.

You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.

No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.

All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!

If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.

We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like.

To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.

If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

He captured the ascent on camera, including a heart-stopping moment where he slips - dangling above the sea. Describing the moments before he successfully submitted, Phillips said: "It’s moments like this that can make or break a climber.

"By this point I was only 5m from the top of the climb, but the moves to get there were going to be exceptionally challenging. I was hanging off a colossal hollow flake of rock, that if it fell could cut my rope and take me with it.

"But if I was going to get to the top, I needed to give it my all without worrying about that."

Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.

Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.