Dougal Haston

Dougal Haston ( born April 19, 1940 in Currie, Edinburgh, † January 17, 1977 at Leysin ) was a Scottish mountaineer.

Mountaineering achievements

About hiking in the Scottish Highlands and climbs on walls and buildings came Haston for mountaineering. The most notable mountaineering achievements reach him in the 60s and 70s, when he scored for the British mountaineer elite. In 1966, he climbed with John Harlin the Eiger north wall by a new direct route ( Direttissima ); Harlin was killed. On May 27, 1970, he was successful with Don Whillans on the Annapurna, the south wall, he climbed for the first time. 1974 succeeded in the first ascent of Haston Changabang in the Indian Himalayas; In 1975 he ascended ( after an unsuccessful attempt with Don Whillans 1971, which ended at 8350 m altitude) eventually together with Doug Scott was the first Briton to Mount Everest; this climb was a first ascent of the Southwest Face. This company is best known for the fact that Haston and Scott were forced early on during the descent, still well above 8500 m height to a bivouac in the open air, she fortunately survived unscathed. 1970 at the Annapurna as well in 1975 on Mount Everest was the famous British mountaineer Chris Bonington the expedition leader. 1975 - after the ascent of Everest - Haston still managed a first ascent of the southwest face of Mount McKinley.

Later Haston was the head of the International Mountain Climbing School in Leysin ( Switzerland ). He came in 1977 in the vicinity of this place while skiing in an avalanche killed.

Lifestyle

Dougal Hastons lifestyle can be described as excessive by at breakneck speed. From ballsy, extremely risky climbing actions on church ascents in which women's underwear was clearly visible placed on top of the tower, his escapades ranged up to thefts and alcohol abuse. In 1965 he caused under the influence of alcohol in a car accident in which a man was killed, and then was serving a prison sentence. Because of its spectacular alpine services, the loose lifestyle and early death Dougal Haston was for many for the charismatic cult figure.