Mountaineer and mountaineering inventor Hamish
MacInnes is the winner of the inaugural Scottish
Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture which forms part of
the Fort William Mountain Festival.
MacInnes was a fine climber in his own right with hard ascents
both in Scotland and abroad to his credit - he was part of
Bonington's South West Face of Everest team for example - but his
bent for innovation and invention has also made a lasting impact on
mountaineering and mountain rescue in particular.
Stand-outs include the first metal-shafted ice axes, an idea
triggered by the number of broken wooden shafts he encountered on
mountain rescue duties in the Ben Nevis area and the MacInnes
stretcher which is used by mountain rescue teams all over the
world. He's also the author of the definitive mountain rescue
handbook along with 20 other tomes.
The award will be presented as part of this year's Fort William
Mountain Festival which runs from 15-23 February with the actual
presentation taking place immediately before the 'Modern Face of
Everest' talk at the Nevis Centre Festival Theatre on Saturday 23
February, 7pm.
The idea for the award comes from the Summit of Excellence award'
introduced at the Banff Mountain Film Festival in 1987 and awarded to
an individual who has made a significant contribution to mountain
life in the Canadian Rockies.
Mike Pescod, Chairman of the Fort William Mountain Festival, said:
'With no other award like it, The Scottish Award for Excellence in
Mountain Culture is of great importance to mountain culture in the
UK.
'Mountains have always inspired artists, sportspeople,
conservationists, musicians, photographers and writers. Those
people in our mountain community never consciously strive for
recognition of their talent and commitment. We feel that this award
will not only celebrate their amazing achievements and contributions
but will also represent the recognition of their peers.'
Deserved recognition for a man whose inventions have saved
countless lives in the mountains.
More details of this year's Fort William Mountain Festival at
www.mountainfestival.co.uk.
