Doug Scott CBE, legendary British mountaineer and the first Englishman to stand on the summit of Everest, has revealed he is battling a type of brain cancer which was diagnosed in early March. But typical of the man who has cheated death in the high mountains so many times, he refuses to be bowed by his condition and is in fact busy raising funds for the mountain communities of his beloved Nepal, with Community Action Nepal’s Everest Challenge 2020.
The trekking and mountaineering industry in Nepal has been particularly hard hit by the Covid crisis as virtually all international travel has ground to a halt, and CANepal have launched a special appeal for people to climb their stairs and raise much-needed funds to support the Sherpa communities that have enabled many of us to enjoy the astonishing mountains of the Himalaya. Doug himself, despite only being able to speak a few words because of his condition, has completed the challenge and climbed the stairs in his Lake District home, an experience that he described as “hellish”.
For many in the mountaineering community, Doug Scott is simply one of the very best climbers to ever step foot on a mountain. His exploits loom large in the history of British mountaineering, from summiting Everest by the south-west face with Dougal Haston (and then spending the night in the highest ever bivy, at over 8000m), to crawling for two days after breaking both legs on the descent from the Ogre, to his cutting-edge ascents of Himalayan peaks in lightweight style in the late 70s and early 80s.
But away from the mountains, Scott’s achievements are no less impressive. For several decades he has worked tirelessly to raise funds for the Sherpa communities of Nepal via the charity he set up, Community Action Nepal, and surely the best way any of us can show our appreciation and respect for Doug and his remarkable life is to support the Everest Challenge 2020. Aiming to raise £50,000 the fundraiser is currently on £6,800 so please consider getting involved by climbing your stairs 20 times and inviting friends to do the same, or just donating via the Just Giving page at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/caneverest2020
We send Doug our very best wishes and luck at this difficult time for him and his family, and thank him for his contributions to both British mountaineering and the wellbeing of the mountain people of Nepal.