Charleson Ian G.

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Biografie:
I. G. Charleson 1905-1974
If it is ever justifiable to apply the expression 'a tower of strength' to one's climbing companion it was justified in the case of lan Charleson. Not only, or indeed, chiefly, because he was a physically strong man-though he was-but because when climbing with lan you always had the comfortable feeling that if you got into a jam he would get you out of it. He was imperturbable in all circumstances; as cheerful and humorous in a storm with night approaching as on an easy mountain in fine weather. If he had a fault it was that you could not even pick a quarrel with him during that awful pre-dawn hour at the start of the day.
Although as a fellow member of the SMC I was acquainted with lan before 1948, it was only at the AC Meet at Kleine Scheidegg in that year that I got to know him. By chance we travelled out in the same train and during the meet either climbed together or were constantly running across each other. After that, for several years, we made a habit of organising at least part of our summer holidays together, generally at Chamonix. That pattern continued until shortly before a coronary put an end to his mountaineering activity.
lan was not one of the great climbers and did not seek to be, but for most of his life mountaineering was at the centre of it and he had many major expeditions both in the Alps and in Scotland to his credit. His experience in the Bernese Oberland, the Pennine Alps and the Mont Blanc range were considerable, and of course he was one of those who were deprived of their best Alpine years by the war. But primarily he climbed for fun and nothing else. His main attributes was his enormous staying power (as witness his achievement of the first traverse of the Cuillin main ridge plus the Blaven/Clach Glas ridge), his utter reliability and such an aptitude for generating good-fellowship that, in short, he was the perfect climbing companion.
lan was very much a club man, extrovert and with a large circle of friends. He was a distinguished Secretary and later an equally distinguished President of the SMC. He rarely missed a dinner of the AC and during his term on the Committee contributed more than most. He was a fluent and gifted after-dinner speaker, and of course, he enjoyed it because he enjoyed everything in life.
He died very suddenly, as he would have wished. His many friends can only feel grateful for having had his friendship and for having had the privilege of climbing with him.
C. S. TilIy
Quelle: Alpine Journal Volume 80, 1975, Seite 300-301


Geboren am:
1905
Gestorben am:
1974