Don Whillans

Donald Desbrow Whillans (18 May 1933 to 4 August 1985) was an English rock climber and mountaineer, born in Salford, Lancashire. He began climbing as an apprentice plumber in 1951 with Joe Brown, whom he met at the Roaches in Staffordshire, and moved from British rock climbing into Alpine and greater-range mountaineering. His ascents included the Bonatti Pillar of the Dru, the first ascent of the Central Pillar of Freney on Mont Blanc with Chris Bonington, Jan Długosz and Ian Clough, the first ascent of the Central Torres del Paine in Patagonia in 1962, and, with Dougal Haston, the first ascent of the south face of Annapurna on the 1970 expedition. He also took part in the 1971 and 1972 Everest expeditions. Whillans designed the Whillans Harness and the Whillans-box expedition tent, had a reputation as a brawler, and died of a heart attack at the age of 52. The British Mountaineering Council maintains a climbing hut near the Roaches in his memory.