T&M Editor Chris Kempster welcomes readers to issue 102, Jan/Feb 2021…
Not long after we launched Trek & Mountain a decade ago, I spent a very pleasant afternoon with Doug Scott at his home in the Lake District, chatting about his incredible mountaineering career for a feature we were working on. What left the biggest impression on me that day was Doug’s philosophy that mountaineering for him was part of a spiritual journey, and that being ‘at one’ with the mountain was the most important thing. This has always stayed with me, and resonates especially deeply at the moment when just being in the mountains is a ‘win’, and achieving summits or fast times is very much a secondary consideration.
Doug was a hero and inspiration to many, many people, and we hope we have done justice to his incredible life and achievements – both on and off the mountain – in our feature, starting on page 24. We’ve also managed to include some words from the great man himself, as he recounts one of the greatest survival stories of all time – the epic retreat from the summit of The Ogre in 1977 (p34).
At a time when we all need a bit of extra inspiration, let’s raise a glass to Doug and try and take a little of his spirit with us as we face the challenges that 2021 is sure to bring.
Until next time!
Chris Kempster
Editor/Publisher, Trek & Mountain
Buy the Print Edition HERE
Buy the Digital Edition HERE
