In 1996 and 1997 Chic Scott recorded 84 interviews with leading mountaineers all across Canada while researching for his book “Pushing the Limits: The Story of Canadian Mountaineering”. These interviews have been safely stored in the archives of the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies for 25 years and have now been digitized.
Chic and local filmmaker Glen Crawford have selected several of the best interviews, producing them into films enhanced with photographs. These interviews are with Tim Auger, Sharon Wood, Hans Gmoser, Kevin Doyle, Brian Greenwood, Barry Blanchard, Leo Grillmair, Pat Morrow, Don Vockeroth, and Laurie Skreslet. The interviews will be released one each month during 2022, with Kevin Doyle featured in April.
Kevin Doyle is one of the finest alpinists to come from Canada. Tales of his strength and incredible climbing ability are legendary. In his early career, he pioneered difficult new waterfall ice climbs and big alpine routes here in the Rockies. In 1984 in the Karakoram mountains of Pakistan he climbed a bold route on Rakaposhi and in 1988 almost succeeded on an alpine-style ascent of the Rupal Face of Nanga Parbat.
Kevin loved the European Alps and climbed there on several occasions. His big year was 1983 when he made a number of outstanding ascents including the Eiger north face, the Matterhorn North Face solo and the north face of the Grandes Jorasses where he pushed himself to the limit. Kevin retired from extreme climbing after the Nanga Parbat attempt but for ten years his flame shone bright.
This interview was recorded by Chic Scott in Kevin’s Calgary home on September 22, 1996.
See more enhanced interviews in the Pushing the Limits: The Legacy project.