James Horst Brunnerman Bell (1896–1975) was a leading Scots

mountaineer Mountaineering, mountain climbing, or alpinism is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas that have become sports ...

in the period prior to

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, going on to edit the

SMC SMC may refer to: Organisations * IEEE Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Society * Special Metals Corporation, an alloy manufacturer * Supreme Muslim Council, former organization in Mandatory Palestine * San Miguel Corporation, a Philippine conglomera ...

Journal for an unequalled 24 years from 1936 to 1959. He put up many serious routes on

Ben Nevis Ben Nevis ( ; , ) is the highest mountain in Scotland, the United Kingdom, and the British Isles. Ben Nevis stands at the western end of the Grampian Mountains in the Highland region of Lochaber, close to the town of Fort William. The mount ...

and in many other areas of Scotland. One of his

first ascents In mountaineering and climbing, a first ascent (abbreviated to FA in guide books), is the first successful documented climb to the top of a mountain or the top of a particular climbing route. Early 20th-century mountaineers and climbers focused ...

was "Long Climb" (Bell & J. D. B. Wilson, June 1940), a Severe on the Orion Face of Ben Nevis—it is reputedly the longest in the UK and a chapter by

Malcolm Slesser Malcolm Slesser (30 October 1926 – 26 June 2007) was a Scotland, Scottish energy :wikt:analyst, analyst, scientist and mountaineer. Biography Slesser was a graduate of the University of Edinburgh. He began mountain climbing when he was young. I ...

is devoted to it in the compendium of classic UK rock climbs ''Classic Rock''. The aphorism "Any fool can climb good rock, but it takes craft and cunning to get up vegetatious schist or granite" has been attributed to him by several authors, including W. H. Murray and

Hamish Brown Hamish Brown Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. Royal Scottish Geographical Society, FRSGS is a professional writer, lecturer and photographer specialising in mountain and outdoor topics. He is best known for his walking exploits in the Scottish ...

(in his introduction to Bell's ''Scottish Climbs''). He tutored, among others, the younger W. H. Murray and inspired many others. The words which he wrote in ''Progress in Mountaineering''—"the head of the Fionn Loch would be a veritable paradise for the enthusiastic rock-climber, for I do not know any other corner in the Scottish Highlands with so much opportunity for exploration in grand and imposing surroundings. It was the grandeur and beauty of the scene which held me spellbound"—led indirectly to the development of climbing on Carnmore crag in the

Fisherfield Forest Fisherfield Forest The Dundonnell and Fisherfield Forest covers a large mountainous area of Wester Ross in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland, lying between Loch Maree and Little Loch Broom. It is sometimes nicknamed ''The Great Wilderness'', a ...

by inspiring a young Mike O'Hara to visit and establish a string of

there. Bell trained as an industrial chemist (DSc, Edinburgh, 1932), and so (according to Murray) regarded food only as "fuel", mixing many courses together when preparing for a day on the hill. Bell was always keen to train others, and did several of his new routes with women climbers, including his wife Pat. He published ''A Progress in Mountaineering'' in 1950 which was partially reissued as ''Bell's Scottish Climbs'' in 1988, both are still well regarded. Bell also revised the guidebook for the Island of

Skye The Isle of Skye, or simply Skye, is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous hub dominated by the Cuillin, the rocky slopes of which provide some o ...

(originally produced by Steeple, Barlow & MacRobert in 1931) in 1954 and contributed the Scottish section for the book ''British Hills & Mountains''.

References

Scottish mountain climbers 1896 births 1975 deaths Scottish chemists Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Scottish educators Scottish non-fiction writers 20th-century Scottish educators 20th-century Scottish writers {{Scotland-sport-bio-stub