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Remembering Hamish MacInnes, the Fox of Glencoe

Renowned mountaineer, Hamish MacInnes, affectionately known as the Fox of Glencoe, has died at the age of 90.

During his extraordinary life Hamish MacInnes climbed the Matterhorn and most of the Himalayan mountains, led expeditions to the Amazon, and came to be regarded as the father of modern-day mountain rescue in Scotland.

Hamish MacInnes with his old friend, Michael Palin

Final Ascent: The Legend of Hamish MacInnes charts the life of this world-renowned mountaineer and focuses on his legacy, not only as a climber and explorer but also a highly accomplished award-winning innovator.

MacInnes invented the first all-metal ice axe and helicopter rescue stretcher, wrote over 20 bestselling books, including the International Mountain Rescue Handbook, which is widely regarded as the industry standard.

He was a filmmaker too, and worked on a host of Hollywood films such as Christopher Lambert’s Highlander, Clint Eastwood’s The Eiger Sanction, and Robert De Niro’s The Mission.

But ultimately he was a rescuer, responsible for saving hundreds, if not thousands, of lives on Scottish mountains.

In the film Hamish shared his journey back to health after suffering a severe urinary tract infection, which led him to his loss of memory, and ultimately being admitted into a psychogeriatric ward.

Through the aid of the copious writings, images and films he stored through his career, he pieced back his memory of his heroic adventures.

Hamish's friend and fellow climber, Chris Bonnington, described him best, observing: “He is someone who knows exactly what he wants to do and goes ahead and does it”. He added, “He really couldn’t give a damn about what the establishment thinks of him or what even his fellow climbers think of him.”

Final Ascent: The Legend of Hamish MacInnes is available on 麻豆社 iPlayer.