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Comments
This is very sad news. RIP Doug, your spirit and outstanding climbing achievements will live on in the mountains and in the mountain communities around the world.
One of my early climbing heroes. Sad news.
A legendary climber where the word 'legendary' is most appropriate. I saw some of his lectures as a kid and a young man and read all about his expeditions. Inspired me to go and have a look at the Himalayas, even if it was just to walk and look up in awe. His Big Wall book was my main source of information about how to actually use basic climbing gear.
The Just Giving page is still up for the Community Action Nepal Everest Challenge 2020
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/caneverest2020
Yeah, a real moment for reflection. I never met him, but I followed his career since I first started - his account of the first Brit ascent of Salathe Wall - On The Profundity Trail - was inspirational, a masterpiece of self deprecation, understatement and imagination. In fact, I was misled by it, and maybe had less respect for his solid and powerful climbing ability than I should have ... attempts at the Big Overhang and contemplating his early Alpine achievements gradually set me straight.
Seems to me he was a bloke who organised his life very well, and made the most of every opportunity that then came his way. All the more credit for that; and the sheer unremitting understated boldness that he showed on so many ascents, whether an early ascent of the Bonatti Pillar, first ascent of the horrific Big Overhang, and of course all his later climbs in the Greater ranges. A real hero of the climbing community.