Douglas Keith Scott CBE (29 May 1941 – 7 December 2020[1]) was an English mountaineer and climbing author, noted for being on the team that made the first ascent of the south-west face of Mount Everest on 24 September 1975.

In receiving one of mountaineering's highest honours, the Piolet d'Or Lifetime Achievement Award, his personal style and his climbs were described as "visionary".

[5] He started climbing at the age of 13, his interest sparked by seeing climbers on the Black Rocks in Derbyshire whilst hiking with the Scouts.

[10] Scott was considered one of the world's leading high-altitude and big-wall climbers[11][12] and was the recipient of numerous awards for his achievements.

[8][14] Apart from his first ascent of the southwest face of Everest with Haston in 1975, all his other Himalayan climbs were achieved in lightweight or pure Alpine style.

He pioneered big wall climbing on Baffin Island, Mount Kenya and in the Karakoram, famously on The Ogre with Chris Bonington, and later on Shivling in the Indian Himalayas.

In 1991 he raised the funds and organised the installation of 17 fresh-water standpipes in Askole, the last settlement before K2, that reduced infant mortality by half.

[26][27] Scott & Prabhu were also advocates of responsible tourism & set up Community Action Treks (CAT) in 1989 to help improve conditions of labour in the trekking industry.

[32] Highlights of Scott's climbing career include:[33][16] In 1962 he married Janice Brook, with whom he had three children, Michael, Martha and Rosie.