Don Forest Service Award
An Award for Distinguished Service to the Club in Matters other than Mountaineering
This award was established in 2001; its name was changed to honour Don Forest in 2004.
It
is intended, under normal circumstances, that the Don Forest Service
Award would be awarded before consideration for the Distinguished
Service Award.
Don Forest was born in Hanna, Alberta in
1920. He served during the Second World War as a radio technician in the
R.C.A.F. Though he didn’t begin serious mountaineering until he was in
his forties, he became the first Canadian to climb all of the 11,000’ers
(peaks over 3,353 m) in the Rockies and the Selkirks. He also set
another Canadian climbing record in 1991, during an expedition led by
Chic Scott, when he became the oldest person (age 71) to reach the West
Summit of Mount Logan. Forest was a member of the fabled Grizzly Group;
his stamina, skills and endurance were legendary. Don Forest was the
President of the ACC in 1975 – 1976, and an honorary member.