I was saddened to find out about Henry's death 4 years later. I decided to google him recently to see what was happening, and which recent mountain he had climbed,and this is the shock i got.

While studying at Lancaster University in 2002-2003, i was invited for lunch by Henry & Anna at their residence in Ulverston, Cumbria. We had a great time. We walked around the Lake District, and also visited one of his daughters who lived nearby and had 2 daughters and two sons (one of whom was then in Ethiopia).
The other son had a hunting gun, and showed me how to use it.
Both Anna and Henry told me about their Uganda days, and showed me some photos of safari in Ankole (where i come from).How kind they were.

A few years prior to that, i was strolling through a bookshop in Kampala, and bought Anna's book "Uganda before Idi Amin". It was well written and i wrote to Anna to thank her. She replied and said whenever i was in the UK, i should contact her, and thats how i got to visit the Osmastons in Cumbria. I could feel the sense of kindness and warmth in their family.

Glory be to God for his life and times

Albert Gomes Mugumya
Kampala, Uganda
albertmugumya@yahoo.co.uk

It was with enormous regret that I discovered much too late that Henry had attempted via The Alpine Club, to establish contact with Neil or me:

RWENZORI Henry Osmaston says: I am compiling material for the revision of the guide to the Rwenzori Mountains in Uganda, which for the last three years have been closed due to infestation by guerillas. In the spring two young British mountaineers, Neil James Tucker and John Rees-Evans, climbed the highest peak - but with an escort of 40 soldiers. I am anxious to get in touch with them to get the latest news of conditions there. Would they, or anyone who can tell me how to contact them, please inform me?

Henry Osmaston, xxxx xxx, Finsthwaite, Ulverston, Cumbria, LA12 xxx. Tel/Fax. 015395-xxxxx osmaston@xxx.xxx

It would have been my privilege to have offered any and every assistance possible with information relating to our climb and the situation in Uganda during quite a pertinent period, with respect to Rwenzori-related events.

In the event that any family members or colleagues of Mr Osmaston who are to assume his Rwenzori mantle, should read this, briefly, Neil and I had decided to climb the three highest mountains in Africa together. When we arrived in Kasese we visited the park warden who told us that climbing in the Rwenzori would be impossible as the park was closed because of the insurgency. This was disappointing, so hoping for a better second opinion, we went to see the District Commissioner who referred us up the chain of command, until eventually we met with James Kazini, who I am very sad to see - I found him to be such a kind, hospitable and gentle man - died just over two months ago. Oddly, one of my guides told me just two days ago that the hotel Kazini bought in Kasese is still closed and is under military guard pending the conclusion of ongoing investigations into his murder.

Anyway, following some refreshingly uncomplicated discussions with Kazini, he agreed to allow us access to the Rwenzori on the condition that we be accompanied by a platoon of UPDF. They came well equipped with RPGs, plenty of ammunition, and Kalashnikovs to spare, yet, although we found evidence of recent occupation by forces that we assumed to belong to Interahamwe, nonetheless, no shots were fired (with the exception of one negligent discharge).

On this occasion the soldiers were not equipped for movement at high altitude and so accompanied us only as far as the penultimate hut, Bujuku. Thereafter we continued to the final hut (Elena) with two rangers, and finally we proceeded alone from Elena to the summit (as the chances of any really enthusiastic Interahamwe camping on the glacier were deemed unlikely).

Our mapping (which I had copied from the blueprints in Entebbe) was several hundred metres off UTM, and so when a storm came in - since we doing a traverse into unfamiliar territory - we went firm and waited it out rather than risk an event similar to the one which I am afraid ultimately took Neil's life on Mount Pissis in Argentina in March 2003.

Having summitted Alexandra, Margherita, and Albert we descended and returned late to a nervous platoon commander who had already concluded that our lateness meant that we'd been taken by the weather and had called Kazini, who, we were told, had in turn called the President and ruined his sleep that night.

On return to Kasese Kazini arranged a driver to take us to Museveni, where we met with him and his advisors and media people, who exploited the fact of our summitting unmolested - rightly in my view - to demonstrate that Uganda was now open to tourists for business as usual. The Sunday Telegraph subsequently wrote a poorly researched and cynical article about this, which I believe they based entirely on a telephone interview that Anna Borzello had with Neil. I would regard any account derived from this article with suspicion.

I have no way of knowing whether Interahamwe, who seemed to me to have been operating in no more than section strength, had been flushed out by having seen us coming, well equipped in platoon strength, or whether they had already given up a bad job and gone home a few days before we came.

Again, I am saddened not to have had the chance of having worked with Henry on what I understand was one of his final projects. Anyone involved with taking over this aspect of Henry's work would be most welcome to get in touch if they are looking to discuss the events of 2000 in a revision of the guide book.

Warmest regards,

John.

My memories of Henry come from his "Rwenzori" period, or rather the aftermath to his early pioneering work in these beautiful central African mountains which later became Uganda's Rwenzori Mountains National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From 1994-96 I was USAID's planning adviser to Uganda National Parks (UNP) and often involved in assisting Rwenzori park managers and a Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) project, particularly in helping the local indigenous (Kunjo) people organize themselves as porters and guides along the trekking routes and high altitude huts Henry and his wife had helped pioneer. These were trails which I and my wife followed with great if usually muddy and cold pleasure 20+ years later, sometimes with the same guides-or sons of guides-Henrey had worked with and befriended long ago, and who recalled him with great affection. I was happy to provide updated information as Henry revised his earler guidebook from afar. Henry and I only met face to face in about 1995 when he returned to his beloved Uganda to participate in a conference on the cultural and natural history of the Rwenzori range, sponsored by UNP. I was delighted to be on hand when then UNP Director Dr Eric Edroma presented Henry with an Honorary UNP Ranger For Life award, the first-ever non-African to receive such an honor. (I was suprised and humbled to be in such company when I received the second-ever badge a few moments later...and I keep it respectfully today as I expect Henry did as a memory of having shared in Uganda's long and deservedly respected history of establishing and managing world-class national parks and wildlife reserves. Henry's role was far more important than mine especially because it came earlier, when the vision of Henry and contemporaries like John Blower along with dedicated Ugandan's like Eric Edroma and his predecessors helped establish some of Africa's most significant protected areas, expanding from a few gems like Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls to more than 20 areas today.

I salute this part of Henry's wider life and contributions and share my sympathy with his family and friends at his passing.

Alan Robinson

I did not know Henry well and met him only once at an IGCP meeting in Winnipeg in 1993, I think it was. I collaborated with him long distance on several mountain subjects and especially on the mountains of East Africa. I corresponded with him on many aspects related to Mt. Kenya and sadly, a joint project we planned for 1987, had to be put off for lack of funds. He produced two wonderful papers on Mt. Kilimanjaro and the Ruwenzori in my Balkema Volume--"Quaternary and Environmental Research on E. African Mountains," published in 1989. I soon developed a keen sense of Henry's vigour in pursuing projects to completion and came to value his keen intelect and experience in alpine geomorphology. He will be sadly missed by all those who love researching the high mountains of the world. Bill Mahaney

It was only three years ago when I started e-mail conversations with Henry, during the final phase of my dissertation. I was (and still am as a PostDoc) working on the Kilimanjaro Glaciers and their response to climate change, and needed some background information on a paper Henry published in 1989. This was just the beginning, and over the last three years I repeatedly contacted him, particularly when my thoughts about past glaciations on Kilimanjaro needed some impulse. It was always amazing how fast he responded, and how thorough and extensive (and friendly!) his answers were, although we had never met before. And he never let me feel that I am the young scientist with almost 60 years less experience in life..... Apart from the scientific exchange, I especially enjoyed the little stories he sometimes included in an e-mail (e.g., about crocodiles in the Nile in the year 1950). It is a pity that I did not get to meet Henry in person. Still, I am glad I was able to get inspired by his enthusiasm - even if it was only the new way of e-mail communication. I hope we can continue research on tropical glaciers and climate change in his sense, and I would like to express my sincere condolence to his family. Thomas.

I met Henry in Pau at the foot of the Pyrenees in 1985. We attended in a conference on Ladakh. Immediately, I was pleased by Henry's human qualities. Lenient for my English practice, he spoke to me much about the valleys of
Zanskar (North-West Himalayas), which we had both visited.
I have the memory of one attaching man with human qualities of listening, simplicity. I easily imagine that he would have be pleasant travelling companion in these great areas of Central Asia. Next summer 2007, I will go to Kham, Eastern Tibet with my broadcast camera. So, I would think of him.
I present my sincere condolences to his family.

Yours respectfully,
Michel NEYROUD, France,

I only had the pleasure of spending a week with Henry in Glasgow in the fall of 2002, but maintained active correspondence by email over the last four years. I was immediately inspired by his creative thinking, energetic work, humor, and insight. He enlivened our scientific workshop on tropical glacial snowlines by challenging fundamental assumptions about global climate; he shared his rigorous computer algorithms, taking pains to explain them clearly and make them openly available for anyone to access publicly; and he completed his paper on Africa well before any of the other contributing authors. Henry’s zeal for life was obvious and even self-effacing, lest his demise be inconsiderate to others. He wryly confessed the cardiologists’ warnings as he continued with field trips to Africa and Asia. I suppose I was one of many who received email prior to another of his unending expeditions in which Henry apologized for subsequent correspondence that might go unanswered. Yet this jovial courage and unflinching persistence should not belie a heartfelt and empathic understanding of death’s cruelty; during one brief conversation over dinner in which Henry related the loss of a grandchild, I was deeply moved by a profound sadness he lived through. So it was not a complete surprise when the last email I sent Henry went answered. Yet the ensuing correspondence from John Bray and Anna Osmaston are amazing me as only now I begin to learn the details of the truly incredible family, experiences, curiosity and passion that sourced Henry's wisdom. Thanks to you all for sharing; Henry clearly loved life because of those with whom he shared it. With sincere condolence and honored celebration, Bryan

The side snap reminds me of the time I worked with Henry at that very computer in that very position. Henry was a special person whom I will remember throughtout my life. First of all, listening to Henry's voice on phone in my room in Oxford brought me a bit of shock when I met the real Henry in Cumbria sometime later.Then taking a walk with Henry was a very exciting experience. He was a very warmly person, extremely kind and down to earth, full of wonderful jokes, parental advice and very knowledgeable. I will always remember when he head-butted some big brownish soft bark tree to demonstrate to me how soft it was and, we both laughed through the experience. I really wished, I had met Henry during his youthful days. Another shock to me was the youthful madam Anna. I couldn't easily believe she was the lady I had seen in old mountaineering books in Uganda for she is very energetic and youthful. The Osmaston couple has been a wonder couple for sure.

Uncle Henry was married to my mother's younger sister, Anna. (Possum and Mouse, as the sisters have been called since time immemorial). I was sent to prep school at the Old Malthouse, Langton Matravers on the Isle of Purbeck, where Nigel Osmaston followed me a few years later. On my 10th birthday, as was tradition, the Matron had assembled all my presents in her sitting room, and after breakfast, I was allowed to open them. One had arrived with Uganda stamps on (added kudos...). It was an irregularly shaped parcel wrapped in strong brown paper and fastened with baler-twine. I got to work, and carefully extracted a rolled up Jackal skin, inside which was an Ancholi cattle horn (one of those huge ones), inside which was a bunch of very ripe Motoki bananas. The whole thing stank to high heaven, and I clearly remember the Matron rapidly excusing herself from the room. Henry always had the right touch for the occasion - even if it was miles from the norm.

My father didn't tell me how to live. He lived, and let me watch him do it. Being with him was to be entertained, worried, amazed and challenged in turns. Whether on expeditions, a walk, or at home, he filled life with surprises, questions, discoveries and interesting people; he loved economy, simplicity, he turned disappointments into opportunities and delighted in any hardship which might lead to a new horizon. I loved watching him get 110% out of life and put 150% back in and wish I could do the same.