Barely has the British mountaineering community digested the news of Hamish MacInnes passing than another of our country’s great heroes has left us. Doug Scott CBE died on Monday 7th December aged 79, after a battle against cancer that was diagnosed in March this year.
The charity that he founded and worked tirelessly on behalf of for many years Community Action Nepal announced Doug’s passing with this message yesterday:
“It is with a very heavy heart that we inform you that our Founder, leader and great friend, Mr. Doug Scott, passed away peacefully this morning, at his home with his family around him. Doug’s family has asked for privacy at this time, but will be making a full and proper announcement in the coming days. We thank you all for your care and support. Best wishes from The Community Action Nepal Family”
Sir Chris Bonington, with whom Scott went on many ground-breaking expeditions, had these words to say on Facebook:
“Doug Scott, my dear friend of fifty years, with whom I shared some of the greatest adventures of my life, passed away peacefully at his home in Cumbria with his family around him after a brief but intense mortal illness this morning, 7 December. Beside his outstanding mountaineering achievements, the charity he founded, Community Action Nepal has enriched the lives of a huge number of people in the foothills of the Himalaya in Nepal.”
We will be producing an in-depth feature on Doug’s life and climbing career in an upcoming edition of Trek & Mountain, but in the meantime we refer you to Ed Douglas’ fine obituary in The Guardian.
Doug Scott 1941 – 2020 RIP