Doug Scott on the south face of Shisha Pangma in 1982

Doug Scott on the south face of Shisha Pangma in 1982

A galaxy of climbing stars will talk about their exploits at a charity lecture to raise cash for a porters’ rescue shelter near Everest.

Doug Scott, first to complete the ascent of the world’s highest mountain by its south-west face, is among a line-up of elite climbers who have accomplished first attempts at the event next week.

Community Action Nepal and the International Porters Protection Group are staging the lecture in London at the Royal Geographical Society to help the work on the Gokyo Lakes shelter in the Himalaya.

The project is also supported by the Himalayan Trust and Porters Progress.

A spokesperson said: “We are now fitting out the interior and hope to raise the final £10,000 needed to fit solar heating and lighting at a special charity lecture First in the Himalaya on Wednesday 20 November at the RGS in London.

“An international gathering of elite climbers will tell their enthralling stories from landmark first ascents in the Himalaya to support this important work, as we complete one of Nepal’s highest buildings at 5,500m.”

Speakers include Alpine Club president Mick Fowler, who made the first ascent of the Prow of Shiva; Austrian mountaineer Kurt Diemberger, one of only three climbers to have made two first ascents of 8000m peaks: Broad Peak and Dhaulagiri.

Also on the bill are Robert Schauer, the Austrian climber who made the ground-breaking first ascent of the West Face of Gasherbrum IV and Sandy Allan, who posted the first ascent of the Mazeno Ridge on Nanga Parbat.

The day-long session will also see appearances by Hildegard Diemberger, from Cambridge University, a Tibetan scholar and Himalaya expert and Gerda Maria Pauler, the German travel writer and long distance trekker.

The porters' rescue building at Gokyo

The porters' rescue building at Gokyo

The event will be hosted by John Porter, a mountaineer, climber and mountain film festival organiser

There will also be a special charity auction with mountain prints signed by Bonatti, Bonington, Messner, Hornbein and a Nepalese bazaar.

More details of the event are on the World Expeditions website.

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