by Mick Ryan – UKClimbing.com Dave MacLeod has soloed an 8c sport route at Margalef, Spain. Dave had previously redpointed Darwin Dixit 8c but decided to up his game in the soloing stakes in preparation for a line he has in his sights on Ben Nevis, Scotland. As Dave explains in full on his blog, “Right now I am preparing for a very special project I am trying on Ben Nevis and I already completed one or two of my training climbs which I saw as benchmarks for a prerequisite physical level. But it´s obviously just as important to spend time doing some psychological skills training for a climb where the seriousness of a fall could not be higher. For this climb I need to be able to climb 8c+/9a in an unprotected position. So I must have great confidence in my ability to make good decisions in a situation close to my physical limit but under a lot of psychological pressure.” UPDATE: Read the UKC Interview with Dave about this amazing ascent: UKC Interview Need more? You know where to go as Dave is no stranger to describing his thoughts, motivations and actions at www.davemacleod.blogspot.com, with photos courtesy of Claire MacLeod and even more at Claire´s blog, www.velvetantlers.co.uk.