“Hello! We are climbing Ben Nevis in honour of a lost friend, David Paterson, who took his own life this time last year. We’re raising money for Chris’s House as one small way to try and help prevent something similar happening to another loved one.

Dave meant different things to different people. I knew him as one of the funniest, most sarcastic and chillest guys in high school. He was intelligent, though often hid that fact. He had an interesting taste in music, and took great pleasure in making fun of my own. I did not know, however, that he was into football, or that he supported Motherwell, nor did I know he secretly loved hill climbing. The latter detail is particularly upsetting because I too like climbing hills with friends and it would have been a great laugh to do so with him by my side. This event, in a bittersweet way, tries to capture what that might have been like.

Unfortunately, I lost touch with Dave after high school, seeing him only rarely between 2011-2019. In fact, the last time I saw him was probably 4-5 years ago in a pub, and he was still the same wise-cracking, droll guy I’d known since high school. Other climbers here like Garry Bryce and Jamie McNaughton stuck by him ‘til the end, and they have their own amusing, strange, poignant stories about Dave.

We all drift apart, but I’m not sure why; my best memories of high school are almost always associated with Dave. The climb then also serves to halt more drifting, at least momentarily, with a bunch of pals who too often let it happen, myself included.

We only ever saw the cheeky smiles, but Dave obviously suffered in silence. This is but a small effort within the larger campaign to shake off the destructive taboos surrounding mental health and its treatment, and throw some money towards crucial - but underfunded - services.

And who knows? Maybe reaching this peak, if I’m fit enough to do so, means I’ll drift in a better direction; closer, somehow, to this friend I once knew. 

Please donate whatever you can!” – Steven Harvie

Please visit the Chris’s House website to see the wonderful work they do: http://www.chrisshouse.org

Climbing for Dave Team: Becky MacDougall, Garreth Jones, Garry Bryce, Hayley Sands, Jamie McNaughton, Mark Smith, Ricky Ho, Ryan McLeod, Steven Harvie, Ross Innes, Adam Norrie, and anyone else who wishes to take part.