«Dr. Charles S. Houston, born in New York in 1913, mountaineer, scientist, teacher and doctor of medicine, first brought to the world’s attention the previously obscure illness known as High Altitude Pulmonary Edema, which even today kills the unwary who go to the mountains. For forty years he has studied problems caused by lack of oxygen, exploring the mechanisms of man’s acclimatization to high altitudes on mountains and in decompression chambers. He has enlarged our understanding of Acute Mountain Sickness, High Altitude Retinal Haemorrhage and Cerebral Edema and has written many books and scores of articles about mountain medicine and his own climbs.

Since 1975 he has organized the world-renowned International Hypoxia Symposia. Dr. Houston has climbed in the Alps, Alaska and the Himalaya, leading expeditions to Nanda Devi, K2 and the first reconnaissance group to the South (Nepal) side of Mt. Everest.»

Albert Mountain Award 1996

Charles S. Houston died on 27 September 2009 in Burlington, USA.