Everest The Hard Way by Doug Scott CBE - Keswick Museum - Sat 16 June 7 - 9 pm
Doug will be telling the story of how he and Dougal Haston made the first ascent of the world’s highest mountain by its massive south west face on Chris Bonington’s expedition in September 1975. They were also the first Britons to stand on the summit. Their epic climb would go down in mountaineering history as Everest the Hard Way’
On the descent their torches failed as they reverse climbed the Hillary Step, wind had blown snow into their steps and they were out of oxygen. Doug comments “the main thing was to get out of the wind so we dug a snow cave and sat on our rucksacks for the next nine hours in temperatures around minus 40°C. We managed to survive without sleeping bags, without oxygen and – as it turned out – without getting frostbite. The next result for me was to really widen the range of where and how I would climb in the future. I know for sure that from then on I would not be carrying cylinders of oxygen”. Using a lightweight Alpine Style approach, Doug went on to continue his outstanding mountaineering career – making over forty first ascents in the Himalaya and Greater Ranges.
He also felt a need to set out to help the mountain people of Nepal who had helped him achieve these climbs. He did this by setting up the charity Community Action Nepal canepal.org.uk and will provide a brief update on the progress made with reconstruction of CAN projects, such as rural health posts, schools, hostels, porter rescue shelters and cultural monuments which were destroyed or badly damaged by the Nepal earthquakes in 2015. Doug will be donating his fee for this talk to Community Action Nepal in support of the Sherpa Heritage House of which HRH The Prince of Wales is the President.
Nepalese goods and Namaste cards will be on sale in support of CAN. Doug will also be signing mountain photography posters and copies of his award-winning autobiography Up And About and The Ogre- Biography of a mountain and the dramatic story of the first ascent.
Venue: Keswick Museum, Station Road, Keswick, Cumbria CA12 4NF T. 017687 73263
Tickets: £12 Adult / £10 Concesssion from the Front Desk. Or book online (with booking fee): https://keswickmuseum.org.uk/whats-on/event/doug-scott-everest-the-hard-way...
Man And Mountain: Chris Bonington exhibition will be running at the Keswick Museum until Sunday, 6 January 2019. Open daily 10 am until 4 pm (last entry 3.30 pm). Normal admission prices apply. Advance booking is not essential.
