Tribute to Josep Sicart
Josep Sicart i Tauler, a founding member of MW Catalunya and an International Guarantor of MW International, has passed away. His whole life was devoted to mountain activities and protection.
When he was Chair of MW Catalunya, his credo was to clean up and restore the Catalan mountains. Between 1991 and 2002, no fewer than ten campaigns were carried out under his leadership. In 1994, he also helped to organise an international conference on the high mountains of the Mediterranean. In 2002, he was appointed President of MW International for two years.
The experience he had acquired led him to carry out an environmental assessment of a vast area of Catalan mountains.
An experienced mountaineer, his climbing record is quite impressive: he climbed virtually every peak in the Pyrenees – including the Pic d’Estats, the highest peak in the Catalan Pyrenees, 49 times – and completed numerous ski raids throughout Europe. In the Alps, he climbed many of the classic peaks, from Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn. He also explored the mountains of Greece, went on expeditions to Iran, climbed McKinley and Huascaran, and trekked in the Himalayas.
All this experience culminated in 1999 in the organisation of an expedition to clean up the normal route of Annapurna (Himalayas), in line with the approach taken in the “Free K2” expedition.
A keen advocate of mountain protection, his articles were published in a number of specialised magazines and he was often invited to speak at conferences on hiking, climbing, mountaineering and skiing. He regularly represented MW Catalunya in joint actions with other MW Chapters. For example, he took part in actions to protect Mont Blanc, leading roped parties representing MW Catalunya, or in the fight against snowmobiles and other motorised vehicles.
Rest in peace, Josep, your friends in MW will continue to fight together for “salvarem les muntanyes“!
Adapted translated version of: https://www.mountainwilderness.fr/se-tenir-informe/actualites/hommage-a-josep-sicart.html