Generations of the world’s greatest mountaineers will gather to celebrate the life of Doug Scott later this week.
At an event organised by the charity Community Action Nepal (CAN), Sir Chris Bonington will be joined by Stephen Venables, Paul ‘Tut’ Braithwaite and Leo Houlding. In addition, outdoor brand Berghaus is flying Pertemba Sherpa and Ang Phurba over from Nepal, who supported Doug and Chris on many of their expeditions.
The event will be held at The Royal Geographical Society in London on Thursday 24 March, and the public can also make a contribution to CAN and follow proceedings through a live online broadcast.
‘Doug Scott: never had a proper job’ will be hosted by renowned author and broadcaster Julie Summers. Also participating in person will be Doug’s life-long friend, and trustee of CAN, Dr. Rob Lorge. During the evening, Rheinhold Messner, the world’s most famous mountaineer, will deliver a message by video. Berghaus has arranged for Pertemba Sherpa and Ang Phurba Sherpa to travel to the UK to be at the event, which will be a rare and possibly final opportunity for those involved in the occasion to meet up. Pertemba Sherpa was the Sirdar (chief Sherpa) on the Everest expedition of 1975, led by Chris Bonington, during which Doug Scott and Dougal Haston were the first Britons to successfully reach the summit of the mountain. Ang Phurba Sherpa joined Chris and Doug on later expedition in the 1980s and 1990s.
Together, the panel will celebrate Doug Scott’s achievements, both on and away from the mountains. They will discuss Doug’s pioneering style of climbing, his tenacity and strength in the face of adversity, his adventures on Everest, the Ogre and elsewhere, and his enduring passion for giving back to the mountain communities of Nepal through Community Action Nepal, the charity that he founded and worked tirelessly for right up until his death in December 2020, after being diagnosed with an inoperable cerebral lymphoma earlier that year.
Following the event in London, the two Sherpas will travel to Cumbria and stay with Doug’s widow Trish. While in the Lake District, they will join Sir Chris, Leo, Tut, Trish, Doug’s sons and some close friends, for a hike up Doug’s favourite local peak, Carrock Fell.
Tickets for attending the event in person are completely sold-out, but the public can join virtually, through a live stream on the Community Action Nepal YouTube channel. Tickets for the online screening are available at www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/doug-scott-never-had-a-proper-job-an-evening-of-celebration-tickets-141123011727 or via the charity’s website at www.canepal.org.uk/events. Online tickets are available in return for a donation of choice, with all proceeds going directly towards supporting the work of Community Action Nepal.