TWO Scottish climbers have been praised for becoming the youngest team to ever complete a gruelling mountain climbing challenge in the Alps.

Robbie Phillips, 25, from Burdiehouse, Edinburgh, and Willis Morris, 20, from Glasgow, conquered the north face of the Eiger in Switzerland - just weeks after two Japanese adventurers were killed on the same route.

The Mountaineering Council of Scotland said the climbers had completed a "significant achievement".

Kevin Howett, Sport Development Officer for the Council, said: "We knew Robbie first as a young competition climber, who made the move into coaching and now into traditional outdoor climbing, where he has rapidly become one of Scotland’s young stars.

"This summer we gave Robbie and his climbing partner Willis a bursary to climb The Big Three rock routes in the Alps and Dolomites, and success on Paciencia marked the culmination of the trilogy.

"As a first visit to the big Alpine walls, Robbie has done exceptionally well and has shown how someone coming through from competitions as a young climber can excel at the highest level outdoors."

The climbers first attempted to complete the challenge three weeks ago but a thunderstorm brought the climb to an end.

The finally finished the climb on Saturday, becoming the fourth team to conquer the Paciencia, or Patience, route on the Eiger and following in the footsteps of fellow Scot Dave MacLeod.

Mr Philips said: "It’s probably the best feeling you can possibly have. Climbing is a very personal thing. It’s not necessarily always about getting to the top. It’s more about the challenge of overcoming the obstacles.

"It’s technically hard, but it’s also consistently hard - that’s why this route is regarded as the hardest Alpine route in Europe. It’s cool to be doing a piece of history."

He has now set his sights on a free climbing event, skydiving in Spain in November, climbing winter routes in Scotland, and free climbing the famed El Capitán in Yosemite National Park in California.