McArthur Hamish

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Biografie:
geboren in Johnstone (Großbritannien)
gestorben in Punjab-Himalaya (Indien)

Hamish McArthur (1913-1958)
By the death of Hamish McArthur, the Club has lost an outstanding member. He was born on August 4, 1913, the first of two sons of Mr. and Mrs. James McArthur of Johnstone, Renfrewshire, and educated at Glasgow High School and Glasgow University, where he obtained a degree in electrical engineering. In 1938 he joined the Factory Inspectorate and saw duty in many parts of Britain, but in 1947 he transferred to the Administrative Class of the Civil Service and was appointed to the Ministry of Supply, where he served as a Principal in the Iron and Steel Division. On its foundation, he was seconded to the Iron and Steel Board, where he held the post of Chief Development Officer at the time of his death.
His love for mountains and remote places developed early in life, and his first climbing was naturally in his native mountains of Scotland. While still a student he visited Northern Newfoundland under the auspices of the Grenfell Mission, and in another year he undertook a vacation job in a copper mine at Broken Hill, Northern Rhodesia. He had taken only one oversea mountaineering season before the war the traverse of the Hardanger Ice-cap but in 1946 he began what became an annual pilgrimage to the Alps. In eleven seasons he climbed in most of the regions of the Alps, in Austria, France, Italy and Switzerland. His usual climbing companions were his wife,. Dr. R. L. Mitchell, and Miss Margaret Munro, all like himself members of the Cairngorm Club. Some of their climbs were with guides, more were guideless with Hamish most frequently leading. In 1954 he traversed the Julian Alps, including an ascent of Triglav. In 1955 he organised and led the small Central Lahul Expedition which explored an area of the Punjab Himalaya and made the first ascent of three peaks, the highest being 20,430 ft., which he named Tara Pahar.
In I958, following the success of 1955, he again organised and led a small expedition to the Punjab, having as its objective the mountains around the head of the Thirot Nala, where western Lahul marches with Chamba. Base Camp was set up near the head of the nala and in three camps the climbing party reached a col on the watershed at about 17.500 ft. In the course of reconnaissance from this col, a large rock and snow mountain, to the east of that marked 20.042 ft. on S. of I. map 52D, was observed and plans were laid to climb it. The approach lay across the unmapped glacier to the east of the watershed and Camp 4 was established at about 18.000 ft. by a party of nine four Europeans, one Sherpa and four Ladakhi porters. Next day, August 14, Hamish led a party to put a light camp at about 19.000 ft. for a final assault on the 15th, but he was taken ill and had to be assisted back to Camp 4. Here he appeared to recover and retired to spend a comfortable night. He died early next morning without regaining consciousness it is now believed, of cerebral haemorrhage. He was brought back to the Thirot Nala, where he was buried at about 15.000 ft. at the foot of the moraine.
It is difficult to do justice to the many facets of Hamish's character and abilities. First, as a mountaineer he was determined, capable and sound. He did not aspire to the highest contemporary standards but he was a good judge of a route, his technique was always adequate for what he undertook, and when occasion demanded he had considerable reserves of physical strength. He was a strong goer, alike on the peat and winter snows of the Cairngorms as on the glaciers of the Alps or Punjab. His initiative and determination made him a natural leader both in preparation beforehand and on the climb, and his expeditions, large and small, benefited from his comprehensive and thorough organisation. His leadership came naturally and unassumingly, and as naturally his companions followed his example, strenuous though this might sometimes be.
Socially, he was the most congenial of companions, sensitive and with a natural dignity, yet with a gaiety and impish humour which often lightened the most unlikely circumstances. He was a most considerate host with an excellent taste in food and wine. And, above all, he had a zest for life which showed itself in his manifold activities. He was an excellent and discerning photographer, both in colour and monochrome, the quality of his work being due both to his sense of design and to his thorough approach to the technique. This thoroughness was characteristic and was well displayed in his elegant report on the Central Lahul Expedition (A.J. 61. 279) and in the map of the Himalaya he drew for the Club's Centenary Exhibition.
He was admitted to the Club in 1951 and elected to the Committee in 1957, and as Librarian in 1958. He had already contributed much to the life of the Club, and his career held the highest promise professionally, socially, and as a mountaineer.
F. Solari
Quelle: Alpine Journal Vol. 64. Nr. 298, 1959, Seite 102-104

Quelle: SAC Die Alpen 1958, Seite 254

Geboren am:
04.08.1913
Gestorben am:
15.08.1958