Don Morrison

Donald Kenneth Morrison (19 March 1929 – 21 June 1977) was a British climber and mountaineer. Morrison first became known as a pioneer rock climber in Canada, and he led three expeditions to the Himalayas. He died in 1977 leading an attempt on Latok II peak in the Karakoram.

Early years Morrison was born in Bromley, Kent and his family later moved to Sheffield, Yorkshire. While on military service with the RAF Morrison first developed his climbing skills, during travels in the Middle East, including Kurdistan, Turkey and Iraq. and Mount Jerram (1957) with Canadian climber, Jim Tarrant. In 1955 Morrison and Tarrant made the first ascent of the NE Buttress of Mount Odaray - deemed "one of the most formidable climbs in the country with Morrison leading the route:

Chic Scott wrote in Pushing the Limits (2000):

In 1958 Morrison was awarded the Alpine Club of Canada's Silver Rope for Excellence in Leadership and Technical Ability.

The Peak District After returning to Sheffield, Morrison became a prominent member of the Climbers' Club (CC), Peak Climbing Club and Castle Mountaineering Club. Among his numerous first ascents on Peak District edges were "Blenheim", "Beaufort" (Gardom's Edge), "High Heaven" (Yarncliffe) "S.A.E", "Nova", "Red Wall" Lawrencefield Quarry, Don’s Mantle, Morrison’s Redoubt (Stanage Edge) and Robert. He worked alongside CC colleagues Eric Byne, Pete Marks and Paul Nunn on the first Peak District climbing guides. Morrison also ran a mountain sports business with Morrison and Hunt among the 11 climbers chosen to be rope leaders. Morrison and his team made the first ascent of Mount Promenade (9,200 ft.), north of the Steele Glacier.

The 1971 Yorkshire Himalayan expedition Just weeks before departing on a 1971 expedition to climb Gasherbrum III, then the highest unclimbed mountain in the world, Morrison learned from the Pakistan Government that permission to climb the mountain at that time was impossible, but he had instead been granted permission to climb Baintha Brakk (23,090 ft.), another unattempted peak rising above the North side of the Biafo Glacier, in the Himalayas’ Karakoram range. One of the Karakoram's steepest, craggiest mountains, this formidable peak was already widely known as the ‘Ogre’, after the accounts of British explorer Martin Conway.

Morrison's eight-man team also comprised: John Gregory, Gordon Hibberd, Ullah (Bill) Hidayat (Deputy Leader and team doctor), David Marshall, John Rousseau, Clive Rowland and Trevor Wright. As ongoing war and political conflict had blocked access to this part of the Himalayas for over a decade, Morrison and his team would be the first mountaineers since the 1950s to enter this area with some of the world's highest and most challenging unclimbed mountains. The expedition had the patronage of Lord John Hunt, and the support of the Royal Geographical Society and Mount Everest Foundation.

Departing 1 May 1971, the team travelled overland from Sheffield to Pakistan. Their flight to Skardu was followed by a further 100 miles by jeep and on foot to Askole, before they reached their first camp at the Biafo Glacier.

The 1975 Yorkshire Karakoram expedition After gaining permission to lead a second attempt on the Ogre, Morrison mounted an all-British team consisting of Pat Fearnehough, Ted Howard, Peter Jennings, Alan Burke and Dr John Minors.

Establishing an alternative Base Camp at Ho Bluk, the team instead made two alpine style first ascents: ‘PaJo’ (19,000 ft.) by Fearnehough and Minors, and ‘PamShe’ (c. 21,000 ft.) by Morrison and Howard.

Latok II, 1977 Morrison planned to lead his third expedition to the Ogre in 1977, but learned the Pakistan government had already granted permission to Doug Scott. While Morrison was deeply disappointed, he accepted the alternative peak offered by the Pakistan government, and in May 1977, departed with his expedition members Pat Fearnehough, Pat Green, Paul Nunn and Tony Riley

The first expedition into the Karakoram that year,

While making a night-time return to Advance Base with Riley, after loading up with supplies and equipment, Morrison fell through a snow bridge into a deep crevasse on the Latok glacier.

Before leaving the Karakoram to begin their return to the UK, the team built a memorial to Morrison; situated at the branching of the Uzan Brakk and Latok glaciers. Morrison's rock cairn stands opposite PamShe peak, quote, "commanding a magnificent view of the South West face of Latok II and the South face of the Ogre."