In August 2024, British mountaineering stalwart Sir Chris Bonington turned 90. He celebrated in typical style with his family and friends by hiking up to the local summit of High Pike, an unassuming fell in the English Lake District’s quiet Northern Fells. High Pike is a hill characterized by Herdwick sheep, grass and rounded slopes – a far cry from the granite spires, mighty glaciers and terrifying walls of sheer rock and ice that made Bonington so famous, but his love for the great outdoors clearly still endures to this day.
We asked one of our mountaineering experts to delve into the life of Bonington, a man who was at the centre of a golden age of mountain exploration in the 1960, 70s and 80s and whose legacy is arguably unrivalled on British shores.
Who is Chris Bonington?
Sir Chris Bonington is a British mountaineering and climbing legend who, between the 1960s and 1990s, made several important first ascents across the world and led numerous groundbreaking expeditions to the Greater Ranges. His successes came at a time of great public interest in mountaineering, climbing and adventure, propelling him to household name status in the UK and beyond.
His achievements are nothing short of remarkable. He claimed the first ascent of mighty Annapurna II in 1960, following this up by becoming the first Brit, alongside Tom Patey, to climb the notorious Eiger Nordwand in 1962. The latter made headline news and Bonington was suddenly a mountaineering celebrity. His fame opened up the possibility of funding and spearheading bold expeditions to the Greater Ranges. He became an expedition leader, most notably for the ambitious 1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition and the 1975 British Mount Everest Southwest Face expedition.
The ’70s and ’80s saw Bonington achieve a string of impressive first ascents on peaks less well known to the general public, and he continued to lead daring expeditions to some of the most challenging mountains in the Himalayas. These ascents were highly lauded by the global mountaineering community and further cemented Bonington’s place among the world’s greatest mountaineers.
First forays into the mountains
Bonington was born in Hampstead, London in 1934. As a youngster, he enjoyed exploring Hampstead Heath, climbing trees and cycling. His natural fascination for the wilder places gained momentum in the summer of 1951. He remembers the allure of a shapely pyramid, Little Sugar Loaf, in Ireland’s Wicklow Mountains, seen during a visit to his grandfather’s house in Dublin’s suburbs. Such was the pull, he set out on a solo adventure to claim the summit. He then recalls being enthralled by the sight of the Carneddau range in North Wales’ Eryri (Snowdonia) from the carriage window during the journey home.
The family then stopped off at his Auntie Polly’s house in Wallasey, near Liverpool, where Bonington discovered a book containing photos of the Scottish Highlands. He was immediately drawn in by images of the vast, rounded, sub-Arctic Cairngorms and the dark, spiky rock and narrow ridges of Skye’s Black Cuillin. Most of all, it was a photo across an endless sea of mountains from the apex of Glen Coe giant Bidean Nam Bian that lit the spark. While exciting, these mountains seemed attainable – he could imagine himself exploring these British landscapes. Bonington commented that images from the Himalayas or the Alps wouldn’t have had the same effect, as they would have seemed unattainable at the time.
So, armed with enthusiasm, his Mackintosh raincoat and a pair of ex-army boots, he and a school friend named Anton set out for Eryri’s Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) massif that winter. The pair ended up triggering a minor avalanche, slipping down to the bottom of a small slope unharmed and laughing at the mixture of thrill and fortune. It’s fair to say his first experience of mountaineering didn’t quite go to plan.
However, his burgeoning passion had gained momentum. He’d soon discover rock climbing closer to home at the sandstone of Harrison’s Rocks and he’d return to Eryri numerous times, as well as hitchhiking to the Scottish Highlands. He met the young Hamish MacInnes, who’d go on to become the legendary ‘father of Scottish mountain rescue’ and the inventor of the first all-metal ice axe. MacInnes had already made a name for himself and the young Bonington joined him for a first winter ascent of Agag’s Groove on Buachaille Etive Mór’s Rannoch Wall. It was the start of a long friendship and Bonington’s mountaineering journey had begun.
In 1958, they’d successfully make the first British ascent – alongside Don Whillans, Paul Ross, and Austrian pair Walter Phillipp and Richard Blach – of the legendary Bonatti Pillar on the Aiguille du Dru above Chamonix. During the ascent, MacInnes was hit by a falling rock but still managed to continue to the top.
Meet the expert
Alex is a keen mountaineer and former President of the London Mountaineering Club. He’s happiest in either Scotland’s winter mountains or taking on Alpine 4,000ers on the European continent. Like Bonington, he has something of a soft spot for the Lake District's Northern Fells and the charming village of Caldbeck.
Rising to fame in the 1960s
Bonington’s career in the big mountains was always interspersed with climbing exploits in Britain and in the Alps, though it was for his adventures in the Greater Ranges that he would be remembered for most.
This started with Annapurna II in 1960, when Bonington was unhappily stationed in the army. He jumped at the opportunity to be a part of the joint-services British and Nepalese expedition to one of the highest unclimbed peaks in the world. Bonington didn’t acclimatize well initially. However, after a rest at base camp, he, Richard Grant and Sherpa Ang Nyima made it to the summit on May 17.
Hugely impressive ascents in the Alps followed over subsequent years. In 1961, back with Don Whillans, Bonington achieved the first ascent of the Central Pillar of Freney on the Italian side of Mont Blanc, along with Ian Clough and Polish climber Jan Dlugosz. However, it was his first British ascent of the legendary North Face of the Eiger in 1962, alongside Clough, that would propel Bonington into the public eye. Even the British prime minister, Harold Macmillan reached out via telegram, saying: “Warm congratulations on your courageous and skillful climb.”
Bonington’s newfound fame opened up the possibility of becoming a professional mountaineer, a totally novel concept in 1962 but one that he grasped with both hands. The advent of television meant that his climbs could be recorded as entertainment for the masses. In 1966, he made the first ascent of the Old Man of Hoy, an elegant, 137-meter sea stack off the Scottish Orkney archipelago, with Tom Patey and Rusty Baillie. A year later, he returned, only this time with a BBC film crew for an outside broadcast called The Great Climb. Incredibly, it achieved around 15 million viewers.
There were many other pioneering climbs during the ’60s, though perhaps the most exotic was the first ascent of the Central Tower of Paine in Chilean Patagonia with Don Whillans in 1963. When one considers that such a climb was made with hemp rope, no ascenders or jumars, no climbing harnesses and rudimentary clothing, it puts the scale of the achievements of Bonington’s generation into focus.
Leading expeditions in the ’70s
The ’70s started with a bang, with the 1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, the first Bonington led. It was to be a pioneering expedition, as it would purposefully seek out a challenging climb up an 8,000-meter peak, rather than simply taking the easiest line. Features like a rock band (no, not that kind) at 25,000 feet (7,620 metres) posed the problem of sustained, technical rock climbing on a major Himalayan peak for the first time. To put the scale of the climb into context, imagine the North Face of the Eiger, double its height and transport it to high altitude on one of the world’s most dangerous mountains.
The expedition was carried out with a large team and classic siege tactics rather than the lightweight alpinist tactics that would later come to dominate the top end of mountaineering. It was a success, placing Don Whillans and Dougal Haston on the summit of Annapurna I on May 27. However, tragedy struck during the expedition’s final days when a freak serac collapse triggered an avalanche that killed party member Ian Clough while the group were departing. Bonington said that “Ian had been the kindest and most selfless partner” he’d ever had.
In 1973 and 1974, Bonington and his teams chalked off two impressive climbs. First was Brammah, the first major peak in the Kishtwar Himalaya to be conquered. Along with Nick Estcourt, Bonington achieved the summit via the Southeast Ridge, an experience that he described as “like an Alpine holiday”. The ante was upped the next year, when a lineup of Bonington, Doug Scott, Dougal Haston and Martin Boysen pulled of the first ascent of Changabang, a staggering granite spire in the Garhwal Himalaya.
After an unsuccessful attempt in 1972, Bonington was back at Everest to lead the famous 1975 British Mount Everest Southwest Face expedition. It was a big, bold siege style attempt that was the first to successfully climb the world’s highest peak by one of its faces. Doug Scott and Dougal Haston achieved the summit on September 24, the first Brits to do so. However, with light fading, they were forced to bivouac in the death zone, taking shelter in a snow cave. They lived to tell the tale and returned to Britain as heroes.
Two days later, Peter Boardman and Pertemba Sherpa also made it to the summit. The began the descent through worsening conditions but were surprised to meet fellow party member Mick Burke making his way up above the Hillary Step. Burke attempted to convince them to join him for photos on the top, but they declined. A storm would soon engulf the mountain and Burke was never seen alive again. His body has never been found. This was another example of a tragedy marring the end of one of Bonington’s expeditions, which would become an unwanted theme. Nevertheless, Bonington felt satisfaction with the overall expedition, calling it the “most complex, demanding but rewarding organizational challenge” he would ever face.
Bonington’s most notable epic followed in 1977, after he and Doug Scott had made the first ascent of Baintha Brakk, otherwise known as the Ogre, in Pakistan’s Panmah Muztagh. Having made a stunning first ascent of this difficult peak, Scott fractured both his legs just above the ankle during a rappel from the summit.
“Don’t worry, you’re a long way from being dead,” was Bonington’s initial assurance to the stricken Scott. The pair were forced into a high bivouac, then Bonington managed to get them both back to Camp 6, where they were able to rest and get help from other members of the team. Not out of the woods yet, a storm blew in and with supplies running low, the party made an improvised retreat through atrocious conditions. Bonington suffered broken ribs on a subsequent rappel and the descent took the best part of a week.
In 1978, Bonington led an expedition to attempt K2’s West Ridge. He lost close friend Nick Escourt, who was killed when the slope above him came away in a devastating windslab avalanche. This halted the attempt and marked the end of an era. “This death hit me hardest of all,” Bonington said later. It was to be his last big siege style expedition. The fast and light alpinist approach was the future now.
Adventures in the 1980s and 90s
Smaller expeditions characterized Bonington’s forays in the early ’80s. In 1981, he was the climbing lead for a successful first ascent of Kongur Tagh, the highest mountain in China’s Pamir Mountains. The main climb took eight days and pushed Bonington to his very limits. He called it “one of the most committing routes of my life”. He summited alongside Al Rouse, Peter Boardman and Joe Tasker.
Once again, Bonington teamed up with Boardman and Tasker, as well as Dick Renshaw, for an audacious attempt at Everest’s North East Ridge in 1982. In scenes reminiscent of Mallory and Irvine heading up into the cloud on their fateful summit bid in 1924, Boardman and Tasker were seen for the last time heading upwards through the hugely challenging Three Pinnacles. Boardman’s body was discovered in 1992, while Joe Tasker’s has never been found.
In 1983, Bonington and Jim Fotheringham went in search of a worthwhile objective in India’s Garhwal Himalaya. It's a magnificent region that's home to Nanda Devi, India’s highest peak; Changabang, scene of Bonington’s successful first ascent in 1974; and Meru, which would later find fame as the subject of a 2015 documentary by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi – one of our picks of the best climbing films.
The pair had been eying up an ascent of Kedarnath Dome, which put Bonington in mind of Yosemite Valley, but they decided against it given their tight schedule, pivoting instead to a superb, spontaneous line up the 6,534-meter Shivling, a staggering pyramid sometimes cited as being India’s answer to the Matterhorn. Bonington named the adventure as the most enjoyable climb he’s ever done.
In 1985, as part of a Norwegian expedition, Bonington achieved the dream of a lifetime by standing on the summit of Everest, at the age of 51. In 1987 and 1988, he led two expeditions to Melungste, the highest mountain in the Rolwaling Himal The 88 expedition was a success, placing Andy Fanshawe and Alan Hinkes on the west summit. The main summit was climbed two years later by Slovenian greats Marko Prezelj (four times winner of the Piolet d’Or) and Andrej Štremfelj.
The summer of 1992 saw the Indo-British Panch Chuli Expedition, with Bonington as co-leader alongside Harish Kapadia. It was a large party of twelve climbers and eight porters that would go on to achieve numerous first ascents in the Panch Chuli range, which rises high above India’s Kumoan region.
Notably, Bonington and Graham Little made a first ascent of the West spur of Panchchuli II, while Victor Saunders, Dick Renshaw, Stephen Venables and American Steve Sustad made the summit of Panchchuli V. The latter team descended through deteriorating conditions and Venables fell 100 meters after a piton holding him pinged out of a crack in the rock. He’d broken his left ankle, damaged his right knee and injured his chest, though he was eventually rescued by helicopter.
Bonington wrote: “This is the very nature of climbing. Without that element of boldness, very few Himalayan climbs, certainly ones tackled alpine-style, would be completed… In spite of everything, it was one of the best trips I have ever had in the mountains.”
Personal life and accolades
Bonington met his first wife Wendy at a New Year’s party in 1962. They instantly clicked and were wed by May.
It was not only through climbing that Bonington knew tragedy. In 1966, while climbing Sangay, a gigantic stratovolcano in central Ecuador, he received word that his three-year-old son, Conrad had died in an accident. While playing in a friend’s garden, a sudden downpour had turned a small stream into a torrent and he had fallen in.
He and Wendy would go on to have two more children: Daniel, born in 1967 and Rupert, 1969. The family lived in the charming village of Caldbeck, tucked away beneath English Lake District's Northern Fells. In 1996, Bonington received the honour of a knighthood from Her Majesty the Queen for services to mountaineering.
Sadly, Wendy died in 2014 from motor neurone disease. Bonington found love again in Loreto McNaught-Davis, who’d also been grieving the loss of her husband and mountaineer Ian, who died of cancer in the February of the same year. They’d gotten to know each other better, notably spending time together while Bonington was in the Alps to receive the Piolet d’Or – considered to be the ‘Oscars of mountaineering’ – Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015. They married in April 2016.
To celebrate his 80th birthday, he again climbed the Old Man of Hoy alongside fellow Berghaus ambassador Leo Houlding, raising money for motor neurone disease charities. His 90th, on High Pike, was a tamer affair, yet Bonington’s love of the great outdoors and the mountains still burns bright.
Notable first ascents
1958 Aiguille du Dru’s Bonatti Pillar (first British ascent) in the French Alps alongside Hamish MacInnes, Don Whillans, Paul Ross, and Austrians Walter Phillipp and Richard Blach
1960: Annapurna II in the Nepalese Himalayas alongside Richard Grant and Sherpa Ang Nyima
1961: Mont Blanc’s Central Pillar of Freney in the French Alps alongside Ian Clough, Don Whillans and Jan Dlugosz
1962: North Face of the Eiger (first British ascent) in the Swiss Alps alongside Ian Clough
1963: Central Tower of Paine in Chilean Patagonia with Don Whillans
1966: The Old Man of Hoy in Orkney, Scotland alongside Tom Patey
1973: Brammah in India’s Kishtwar Himalayas alongside Nick Escourt
1974: Changabang in India’s Garhwal Himalaya alongside Doug Scott, Dougal Haston and Martin Boysen
1977: Baintha Brakk (The Ogre) in Pakistan’s Panmah Muztagh alongside Doug Scott
1981: Kongur Tagh in China’s Pamir Mountains alongside Peter Boardman, Al Rouse and Joe Tasker
1983: West Summit of Shivling in India’s Garhwal Himalaya with Jim Fotheringham
1992: West spur of Panchchuli II in India’s Kumaon region with Graham Little
Other notable expeditions
1970: Led the ambitious British Annapurna South Face expedition in Nepal. This was a bold undertaking, purposefully seeking out a challenging, technical line up an 8,000-meter peak for the first time. Don Whillans and Dougal Haston achieved the summit, though Ian Clough was killed by an avalanche after a serac collapsed.
1972: Led the equally ambitious British Everest Southwest face expedition in Nepal. Dougal Haston and Doug Scott made it up to Camp VI and were repelled by the Rock Band, which wasn’t in the snowed-up condition they’d hoped for.
1975: Led the British Mount Everest Southwest Face expedition in Nepal. This was the first expedition to successfully climb Everest via one of its faces. Dougal Haston and Doug Scott made the summit on September 24 and Peter Boardman and Pertemba Sherpa made it up two days later, though Mick Burke perished during his summit bid.
1978: Led the unsuccessful expedition to climb K2 via its West Ridge. Nick Estcourt was killed when the slope above him broke away in a windslab avalanche. After his death, the team called off the attempt.
1982: Member of the unsuccessful expedition to climb Everest’s North East Ridge. Peter Boardman and Joe Tasker were killed during the summit attempt.
1988: Led the successful expedition to climb Melungtse’s west summit in the Rolwaling Himal on the Nepal-Tibet border, following on from an attempt the previous year. Andy Fanshawe and Alan Hinkes made the first ascent.
1992: Co-leader of the successful Indo-British Panch Chuli Expedition expedition in India’s Kumaon region: Bonington and Graham Little made a first ascent of the West spur of Panchchuli II; Victor Saunders, Dick Renshaw, Stephen Venables and American Steve Sustad made the first ascent of Panchchuli V.
