British mountaineer to receive lifetime contribution award

A British mountaineer who pioneered the alpine climbing style - and may have used approach shoes to help in his endeavours - will be honoured with a lifetime contribution award at this year's Piolets D'Or.

Since first discovering his passion for scaling dizzy heights, Doug Scott, 69, has become famed for his hard rock ascents, later to be the first Briton - alongside Dougal Haston - to summit Mount Everest in 1975.

In all, he has reached the top of 40 peaks, including Baffin Island and championed the causes of high-altitude residents in Nepal, setting up Community Action Nepal and receiving a CBE in 1994.

"Doug Scott embodies the spirit of modern alpinism in its quest for innovative routes," the organisers of the Piolets d'Or said in a statement.

An international event, the Piolets d'Or is taking place between April 13th and 16th this year at the foot of Mont Blanc, organised by Courmayeur and Chamonix.

Was Doug Scott your favourite for the lifetime contribution award?