James Horst Brunnerman Bell, (Dr J. H. B. Bell) (1896–1975) was regarded by many as the leading Scots mountaineer

Mountaineer

-Sports:*Mountaineering, the sport, hobby or profession of walking, hiking, trekking and climbing up mountains, also known as alpinism-University athletic teams and mascots:*Appalachian State Mountaineers, the athletic teams of Appalachian State University...

 in the period prior to World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. He put up many serious routes on Ben Nevis

Ben Nevis

Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in the British Isles. It is located at the western end of the Grampian Mountains in the Lochaber area of the Scottish Highlands, close to the town of Fort William....

 and around, and tutored amongst others the younger W. H. Murray. His 'Scottish Climbs' is still well regarded. One of his 'first ascents' was 'Long Climb' (Bell & J. D. B. Wilson, June, 1940), a 1400 ft Severe on the Orion Face of Ben Nevis - it is reputedly the longest in the UK.

Bell trained as an industrial chemist (DSc, Edinburgh, 1932), and so (according to Murray) regarded food only as 'fuel', mixing many courses together when preparing for a day on the hill.

Bell was always keen to train others, and did several of his new routes with women climbers, including his wife Pat. He published 'A Progress in Mountaineering' in 1950.

Bell also revised the guidebook for the Island of Skye

Skye

Skye or the Isle of Skye is the largest and most northerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate out from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillin hills...

(originally produced by Steeple, Barlow & MacRobert in 1931) in 1954.