Moving the Needle cover art

Moving the Needle

How an Average Climber Can Do the Hardest Route in the World

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Moving the Needle

By: Dave MacLeod
Narrated by: Dave MacLeod
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About this listen

How can an average climber do the hardest route in the world? Dave MacLeod wasn’t even the best among his fellow rock climbers in Glasgow, until a sequence of key decisions and influences catalysed his progression from an unremarkable intermediate to one of the best all-round climbers in the world. Dave shows that much of his advantage came from easily trainable skills or behavioural traits that could be replicated by any climber.

Moving the Needle is a story of the ups and downs of a struggle to answer a deep curiosity and its side effect of making the first ascent of Rhapsody at Dumbarton Rock, then the hardest trad climb in the world and the first to earn the grade of E11. Through an autobiographical exploration of his apprenticeship as a climber, the book is intended to function as a guide to transform your own climbing. Foreword by Dave Cuthbertson, and edited by Deziree Wilson.

©2024 Dave MacLeod (P)2024 Dave MacLeod
Adventurers, Explorers & Survival Climbing & Mountaineering Extreme Sports Thought-Provoking

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A MUST - The apprenticeship of one of the UK's most important climbers

Dave's story of finding joy and purpose through climbing is one all climbers can relate to. This audiobook brought everything together and refined his key messages: Curiousity about movement, applying basic principles to training and imagination in arranging a fulfilling climbing life.

Dave's story is enriched by explaining the factors that pushed him away from his school environment and mainstream sport. Misadventures, epics and accidents are evocatively and entertainingly written. I can imagine relistening to this over and over.

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Great voice, great read.

Dave Macleod has such a soothing voice. This book is both interesting through its story and instructional through its message, Macleod articulates this period in his life very well.

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Brilliant

Thoroughly enjoyed this one. Always a massive plus to have the author reading the text in these.

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Excellent

A deep dive into the mind of a living legend in the sport, that has me re-examining my own climbing habits and ways of thinking.

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Read - think - repeat

I often revisit Dave’s books, podcast interviews and YouTube content. Full of useful advice and insights. I quit my career and relocated as a result, more recently changed my diet. Also learnt how to 3 finger drag a couple of decades ago now! Keep going Dave!

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Really interesting.

A fascinating insight into world class performance from a remarkably insightful and self deprecating climbing legend.

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Belter

Really informative and brought the psyche up and look forward to the rest of the story mate

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dave is an inspiration to us all

brilliant book, well written and enjoyable cover to cover. fills you with encouragement in your own climbing to hear how far consistency can get you

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Another great book Dave!

Was great listening and binged it it no time. Now need 9 out of 10 on audible!

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A1

Frank and varied. Much more than just a description of the routes he'd climbed. Fascinating.

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