Mountain Guru: The Life of Doug Scott

Doug Scott was a legend among mountaineers. His expeditions, undertaken over a period of five decades, are unparalleled achievements. This book describes the extraordinary drama of them all, from the Himalaya to New Zealand, Patagonia, Yosemite and Alaska. It includes his famous ‘epic’ on The Ogre, one of the hardest peaks in the world to climb, his ascent of Kangchenjunga without supplementary oxygen and his ascent, with Dougal Haston, of Everest in 1975.

Catherine Moorehead also uncovers the elusive man behind the obsessive mountaineer. From his rumbustious youth in Nottingham through two tempestuous marriages to a secure third marriage, she shows how Scott matured in thought and action as his formidable global reputation increased. In doing so she reveals him to be a clash of opposites, an infuriating monomaniac who took extraordinary risks yet who developed a deep interest in Buddhism and inspired widespread affection.

Scott spent almost as long as his climbing career in founding and developing Community Action Nepal, providing schools and health posts in remote parts of Nepal, where he is still much revered. Doug Scott died in 2020.

Reviews of Mountain Guru: The Life of Doug Scott

'Doug Scott was one of my closest friends. He had so many facets to his character ? integrity, courage, great intelligence, and a strong sense of social responsibility, particularly in the way he devoted his later life to support the people of up-country Nepal. This book is a remarkable tribute to an extraordinary climber and a great humanitarian' — Sir Chris Bonington 'Doug Scott was one of the earliest and most successful proponents of Alpine-style ascents in the highest mountains on every continent. His ethical regard for the mountain environment was also well ahead of its time. This biography commemorates and explores the life of a visionary climber and a man of great humanity' — Reinhold Messner