Earlier this month, we lost Dave Hollinger. Originally from Northern Ireland, Dave was a British Mountain Guide and one of the leading alpinists of his generation.
Tragically, in 2018, Dave’s guiding and mountaineering careers were cut short after an innocuous skiing fall resulting in a brain stem stroke. Dave approached this with bravery and dignity and was an inspiration to all who knew him.
Tim Neill, part of our Training Committee, who worked alongside Dave on courses and assessments, remembers a great day on Ben Nevis, during a Scottish Winter Assessment:
“The 2nd photo shows Dave leading Gemini, Ben Nevis, belayed by Neil Brodie and Jean-Sé Knoertzer from the ENSA, Chamonix, France. This was during a BMG Scottish winter test. Neil and Jean-Sé were observing one of our courses, and Dave had the pleasure of showing them around one of our wee Scottish cliffs, demonstrating the slick and safe ice guiding expected on our exams as well as helping with a little “entente cordiale” to strengthen relationships and knowledge between IFMGA Mountain Guide trainers.
Dave was not only a superb Mountain Guide but also a great trainer and emphatic examiner, having also worked at the Brenin and the Lodge. Whilst a day out on Gemini with 2 French colleagues might seem a casual affair, the pressure to be a role model in front of them and the trainee BMGs above needed the talent of a person like Dave. That was a great day!”
Our thoughts are with Dave’s family and children.
