Jim Scott AKA Jimbo has died.

On July 15th Jim Scott of Tucson AZ age 55 went to sleep and didn't wake up. We still haven't received the autopsy report so have no answers about why he died. Jim Scott who often rubbed people the wrong way on this site was always happy to climb with those he might have disagreed with or teased. To be sure whatever he posted online he would have said to your face, with Jim you always knew where you stood.

Jim was a major route developer and was involved in first ascents from his early years of climbing in Montana until he died. On Mount Lemmon he was involved in almost 500 new routes. In the last 7 months he developed a small new Limestone area SE of Tucson, created an area for beginning climbers on Mt Lemmon and added a number of climbs in other areas on Mt Lemmon. In the last 7 weeks Jim helped create a new area called the Headstones with five towers from 50 to 180 feet tall. This area below the Boneyard now has 38 routes from 5.9- to 5.12. Many days of brushing, trundling tons of loose rock, marking bolt placements then drilling them up. As always Jim was more than happy to let someone who just happened to show up that day tag the FA.

Jim Scott has been a major part of the Southern AZ climbing scene for 20 years. He has climbed more routes in southern than anyone I know. His great sense of humor, giving nature, love of craft beer, and endless enthusiasm will be sorely missed by all who knew him.

A memorial/celebration of life service will be held at 30 E. Calle Felicidad from 5-9 this Saturday August 13th. If you knew him or know someone who is suffering please feel free to stop by. Bring your own beer, food will be provided.
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In case you missed it!

Jim sounds like he was a great guy. RIP.

1Eric Rhicard wrote:In case you missed it!

We are all devastated.

Sounds like somebody I would have climbed with.

My condolences to all of Jim's Family and Many friends.

55 is to young.

Peace to you

We will toast Jim tomorrow night. Eric, care to share any stories about him here?

I appreciate the toast and Jim would have too. Jim had a great sense of humor and would often tell a person he had just met and started climbing a route with that "it's the best he'd ever seen them climb."

One day while we were waiting for someone to show up at the Safeway Parking lot a skinny older (our age) guy came walking up and asked if we were climbers. When we said yes he asked if he could join us. Of course we said yes. This guy was great and never asked how hard we we were gonna climb, always a good sign. Fun and competent Jim invited him to stay in his guest room. He stayed a few days then returned the following year with his wife for three weeks at Jim and Jeanne's home. This was a pretty common practice for Jim and lead to many good friendships. One couple stayed for four months until they found jobs and a place to stay in town. If you were a climber you were part of his tribe and he loved almost all us.

Such a good guy and great climbing partner. Sadly it turns out he died of a heart attack. 55 years old, so don't waste a minute!

Yep, not wasting any time over here! One's mortality is always looming. A good friend of ours survived a free solo fall a month ago and we have been getting out climbing easy slabs with him this week.

I'll read up on whatever else I can find about Jim and mention him at the climber happy hour. Peace be with you, Jimbo.

I climbed with Jim extensively in the 90s and am so sad to hear this and to have missed the memorial. We both found ourselves in Tucson with time on our hands and did tons of the area classics together all over Mt. Lemmon, Cochise and beyond. Jim was old school and bold--I remember sneaking extra cams onto my harness after I saw his rack at the beginning of Leviathan Dome. He of course crushed the sketchy crux.

Jim had such great positive energy and was so funny and outgoing. Classic Jim was to ask if you had brought along "your big boy shoes" or to say that a fall was so long that you would starve before the rope caught you. He and Jeanne were always having impromptu gatherings at their house and were so open and accepting.

So sad.

I remember meeting him on Mt Lemmon years ago now that I see the pic. I remember him having plenty of good beta on routes to do(since we had no book) and I remember him inviting us to come take a shower at his place if we wanted. He may have been trying to tell us something?

Jim was a super nice guy, let me stay at his house in Tucson and he and Eric took me climbing up on Lemmon and Milagrosa, even gave me beer and the FA of a newly equipped route. Very generous and kind person even if he liked to troll sometimes on the interwebs. I am truly sad to hear that he is gone. RIP Jim

Sorry to hear my old friend Jim has died.  I knew him way back when he first started climbing in Montana.  He had amazing courage.  Never one to back down, he did some amazing climbs.  My condolences to his fiends and family.

I'm sad to hear that Jim is no longer with us. Through lots of time browsing MP I kept seeing Jimbo's name come up. I found his comments to be very helpful (and oftentimes hilarious!), not to mention the volume of climbs that he contributed in Southern Arizona. I'm sad I never got a chance to shake his hand, he seemed like a great guy.

Thanks for inspiring so many climbers, especially this one! You will be missed!