The British Mountaineering Council

Members of the British Mountaineering Council who want to have a say in the organisation’s leadership had better get their fingers out.

Proxy voting for the BMC presidency closes this Thursday, 23 April. Two well known outdoor characters are vying for the post: Doug Scott and Rab Carrington.

The annual meeting of the BMC, which represents climbers, mountaineers and hillwalkers, takes place this Saturday, 25 April, at the National Mountaineering Centre at Plas-y-Brenin.

Doug Scott should need little introduction. One of the best known Himalayan mountaineers and climbing partner of the notorious Dougal Haston during the pair’s ascent of the south-west face of Everest, Scott’s campaign can best be summed up as: back to basics.

Doug sees traditional climbing as the heart of the BMC and believes clubs don’t get enough say these days in the running of the council. He is sceptical about the sport’s chances of ever making the Olympics and believes the BMC should be very wary of any Government interference which might come in the pursuit of Olympic funding.

Hillwalkers will have to look hard for any mention of their pastime in climber Doug’s statement.

Rab Carrington, founder of the RAB equipment and clothing company, also has a strong background in climbing. His approach is more of a moderniser’s, with a commitment to improving the council’s efficiency, its communications with both its members and the outside world and ‘safeguarding all forms of mountaineering, climbing and hillwalking for the future’.

Carrington says he wants to reach out to the 75 per cent of climbers, mountaineers and hillwalkers who participate in their activities but are not members of the BMC. He also wants to improve the BMC website by tailoring it to individuals’ needs; not every climber wants to read everything about hillwalking and vice versa, for instance.

Biographical details and full statements for the two candidates are available on the BMC website.