UKH

It is with sadness that I have learned that Ian Howell died on 26th November from pneumonia aged 82. Ian became well known for singlehandedly  constructing the Howell Hut on Point Nelion, Mount Kenya in 1970. Over a period of several months he made 13 solo ascents carrying up.the materials for the hut,

I knew Ian in the early 1960s when he was a fellow member of the then Harrow Mountaineering Club. I remember him sending a post card from a trip to the Dolomites showing the Tres Cime de Laverado on which he had drawn a dotted line straight up the face of the Cime Grande and written "Did this yesterday"

I subsequently lost touch with him but had learned that he had moved to Kenya, where he was an active member of the Mountain Club of Kenya.

https://www.mck.or.ke/ian-howell-tribute-page/

Very sad news indeed.

I seem to remember a photograph of him in Dennis Gray's book, 'Rope Boy', on Llithrig. He looked Godlike - full of assurance and the vigour of youth.

A couple of years ago, I had the good fortune to meet him in the Count House. Understandably he'd aged considerably in the many decades since that photograph and he seemed somewhat frail. He was such a gentle, unassuming, lovely person - the sort of person to whom you're instinctively drawn.

In terms of climbing, he seems to have achieved an awful lot. Hopefully he was able to look back upon it with a great sense of fulfilment.

Mick

I have only known Ian for the last few years of his life when I joined a group who went to Calpe, Spain, in March. Ian was charming and still doing a bit of climbing although he found it increasingly difficult to anything other than walk. We tried to organise a trip last year and spoke briefly and I kept getting post cards from him the last one early November promising to get in touch. Ian was a lovely man and I am pleased to have known him and climbed with him. Chris Norman