Bill Brooker

Bill Brooker, who has died aged 79, was one of a celebrated group of daring, exploratory mountaineers who rewrote Scotland's climbing guidebooks.

Part of the stream of creative climbing talent that emerged from Aberdeenshire post-the Seocnd World War, they concentrated on the challenges in mountain ranges on their doorstep and pioneered some of the country's most difficult and technically advanced climbs.

Mr Brooker bagged his first Munro as a 12-year-old and ascended the notorious Inaccessible Pinnacle on Skye just two years later. That early success reflected his spirit of adventure and provided the catalyst for his hard climbing career.

Born in Calcutta, where his father was an engineer, he arrived in Scotland at the age of six to be educated at Aberdeen Grammar School. It was at a Scout camp at Glen Tanar on Deeside six years later that his interest in climbing really began when he climbed Mount Keen.

And the daredevil in him was also evident in one escapade during his geography studies at Aberdeen University when he scaled the institution's Mitchell Tower to top it with a Christmas tree. He continued to climb, somewhat more conventionally, throughout university and graduated with a BSc in 1953 before completing his national service in the Royal Engineers.

He then spent three months in East Greenland, prospecting for a Danish mining company, and revelled in the opportunity to visit such a wild, natural environment. That was followed by a year as a site investigation engineer with the central laboratory of civil engineers George Wimpey and Co but in 1957 he returned to Aberdeen University for his honours year.

His career then took a different path when he decided to become a teacher. He trained at Aberdeen College of Education and took a temporary post as a geography teacher at Aberlour High School before moving to a permanent position as principal teacher of geography at Keith Grammar School.

In 1962 he was given the chance to go to Cyprus. Seconded to the Institute of Army Education, he spent three years at the island's King Richard School as principal geography teacher. There he also climbed, sailed, snorkelled and took up spear fishing. .

By this time he was married with two young children and, in 1965, he and his family returned briefly to Keith where he resumed his old job. But very soon he moved into lecturing when he was appointed to a post as tutor-organiser in extra-mural studies at Aberdeen University.

His climbing career, which had been as its most intense during the 1950s and 1960s, continued throughout his working life and he was president of the Scottish Mountaineering Club (SMC) from 1972-74, later becoming honorary president. He edited its journal between 1978 and 1986 and later edited A Century of Scottish Mountaineering: An Anthology from the Scottish Mountaineering Club Journal.

He was also keeper of the records of those who had completed the Munros, a job he particularly enjoyed. He continued as clerk of the list until 1992 during which time he amassed extensive contacts among people like himself who were passionate about the hills.

In addition to pioneering hundreds of new routes across Scotland's mountains, particularly the Cairngorms, his own achievements included the second ascent of Lochnagar's Eagle Ridge. He also helped to improve mountain safety through mountain leadership training which was bolstered following the Cairngorms disaster in which five schoolchildren and an instructor died in 1971.

An honorary member of the Cairngorm Club as well as a member of the Etchachan Club, he was involved in the North East Mountain Trust and the Mountaineering Council of Scotland. He had also completed the Haute route in the French Alps and taken up ski touring.

He retired from Aberdeen University in 1991 and continued to enjoy the outdoor life as much as he could. In 1996 his alma mater and former employer recognised his contribution to mountaineering with an honorary degree.

Although he had been confined to a wheelchair through debilitating illness for the past 10 years, he remained a very sociable man who loved large gatherings and was still full of life. And as a dedicated correspondent, one of his pleasures was keeping up with the exploits of friends all over the world – a legacy from his formidable career as one of Scotland's most inspirational climbers.

He is survived by his wife Margaret, children Fiona and Iain and grandchildren Ruari Harris and Finlay.