Hamish macinnes biography sample

Maintaining such ordered thinking is well documented in Hamish. His engineering background has pushed many innovations that have revolutionised safety. The Terror — the first all-metal ice axe, designed in — was founded on the principle of precisely chosen angles and materials. At every turn was the possibility of re-inventing what an ice axe could be, and the precision with which Hamish produced and refined his designs drove 70s winter climbing standards higher.

Even now, at the age of 88, his Mk8 MacInnes stretcher — first designed in the early s — is due to be delivered directly to his house for him to review and approve the final model ahead of field testing. Hamish took a step away from the direct design years ago, but the Mk8 is exemplary of modern-day innovation, utilising the highgrade composites found in the aeronautical sector.

Hamish is clearly proud. The fact that his original designs still hold up to modern-day standards, even as materials have become positively space-age, is a marker of how his meticulous mind has produced lasting designs. Sat across from him now I could see that mind at work. Older, worn and worse for wear, but still unwilling to compromise. It was clear he would not be rushed.

I thought at first I might have found a gap in his memory, and I began to wonder how far might I let this silence extend out before I changed the subject. Hamish needed nothing of the sort though. It was certainly impressive. Conditions at the time were less than ideal, a previous frost left a hard under-layer that the subsequent snowfall had failed to properly bond to.

The lead climber, Robert Gow, was avalanched and swept off-route, pulling his partners David Tod and Neil Keith from their stance. The three climbers fell more than 1, feet. Robert Gow was dead, while Neil and David managed to self-evacuate and raise the alarm. Hamish recounts such events with a quiet assurance, even dark humor.

Hamish macinnes biography sample

Death is something that is all-too familiar, and he had his fair share of close encounters. Whilst all too aware he was pushing the envelope, the exuberance of youth could not be held back. It was clearly too good an opportunity to miss. Even 68 years later the experience is as vividly recalled as ever. The climb progressed without fault, on the Mummery Crack Terray watched with interest as the exuberant youth tackled the bold moves.

Fear and self-doubt figures little in Hamish's recollections, yet looking back to the day he is all too aware of the real reason Terray perhaps wanted him close at hand. Hamish was lucky. Content with the day, he began the abseil behind Terray. Yet suddenly Hamish found himself falling through space, out and away from the slung rock bollard. He hit the ledge 40 feet below; the sling had failed, corroded by UV light.

His legs were doubled up beneath him, crumpling upon impact. His head was bleeding and he could barely see from the pain. The feet down to the glacier lay to one side. Terray was indeed there to pick up the bits, along with aspirant Raymond Lambert who was climbing nearby on the Grepon. Hamish found nothing in Lahoul so searched in the Kulu valley.

He followed so many stories of sightings but without success. He spotted many bears on their hind legs, but he did not find a yeti. In Hamish returned to the Alps and again met his good friend Chris Bonington. They decided to climb the South West Pillar of the Dru Bonatti Pillar , a route considered at the time as one of the hardest in the world.

The climbers ascended the Dru couloir and started up the pillar until a good bivouac was found for rest. The tired men enjoyed tea and watched a huge stonefall shatter the area they had climbed during the morning. Then a single stone fell from above and Hamish was hit. Blood poured from his head and he became weak and dizzy. Hamish struggled but kept going.

The six endured another night on the pillar and summited the next day. It was a pure coincidence that we now had met up to attempt the first British ascent of the Bonatti Pillar , as Whillans and myself had no idea these guys had the same plan. The ascent involved several mishaps and evolved into a bit of an epic. On the first bivouac Hamish took a direct hit on his head and for the next day or so felt a bit unhappy.

However, two days later when we had reached the summit he seemed to be completely recovered and during the long descent, partly in a storm, I teamed up with him and he and I brought up the rear retrieving all the abseil ropes, not an easy job after two days without food. For the brief time I have spent time with Hamish, I found him to be a remarkably likeable character, and as tough as old boots.

They thought they had made the first British ascent of the route until they descended to Courmayeur where they found Robin Smith and Gunn Clark celebrating as they had just made the first British ascent of the route. Hamish moved to Glen Coe in the same year. He greatly enjoyed the challenge of the local mountains. Hamish introduced new mountain rescue techniques and equipment and became world-renowned as a rescue expert.

Carrying stretchers was one of the most difficult tasks faced by any rescue team. Hamish developed a folding stretcher in the early s which was made from aluminium alloy, weighing only 18kg. He also invented the MacInnes Stretcher, designed for mountain rescue work, which went through continuous development through the decades, a version still being used today.

For a time he ran the Glencoe School of Winter Mountaineering, where promising students might find themselves involved in first ascents. In he was misdiagnosed as having dementia, suffering delirium actually caused by an acute urinary infection, and spent time detained in a psychogeriatric ward in hospital. From his own climbs, to his contribution to climbing technology and to the development of mountain rescue; from his autobiographical writings and tales of mountain adventure, to his guide books and his International Mountain rescue Handbook, he has made an unrivalled contribution to both the culture and practice of mountaineering.

Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Wikidata item. Scottish mountain climber — Gatehouse of Fleet , Galloway , Scotland. Glen Coe , Scotland. Early life [ edit ]. Mountaineering and mountain rescue [ edit ]. Awards and honours [ edit ].

Personal life [ edit ]. Illness and death [ edit ]. Bibliography [ edit ]. Non-fiction [ edit ]. Autobiography [ edit ]. Mountaineering in Scotland: Scottish Mountain Guides [ edit ]. Mountaineering in the Greater Ranges [ edit ]. Mountain rescue [ edit ]. Hillwalking in Scotland [ edit ]. Scottish culture, nature and wildlife [ edit ]. Fiction [ edit ].