He climbed extensively in Scotland, (making the first winter traverse of the Cuillin ridge with Hamish MacInnes, David Crabbe and Brian Robertson in 1965), as well as achieving notable ascents in the Alps and the Karakoram including the first ascent of the Muztagh Tower (7273 metres) with John Hartog, Joe Brown and Ian McNaught-Davis in 1956 and Rakaposhi (7788 m) in 1958 with Mike Banks. In 1968, he and Ian Clough were the first to climb Am Buachaille, a sea stack off the coast of Sutherland. He, Rusty Baillie and Chris Bonington pioneered the route up the Old Man of Hoy which was repeated with others on a live televised BBC outside broadcast on 8-9 July 1967.