SIR
CHRIS BONINGTON
 Born
in Hampstead
1934, Chris
Bonington
was educated
at University
College School,
London and
the Royal
Military Academy
at Sandhurst.
Commissioned
in the Royal
Tank Regiment
in 1956, he
spent three
years in North
Germany in
command of
a troop of
tanks and
then two years
at the Army
Outward Bound
School as
a mountaineering
instructor.
It was during
this period
that he started
climbing in
the Alps,
making the
first British
ascent of
the South
West Pillar
of the Drus
in 1958 and
then the first
ascent of
the Central
Pillar of
Freney on
the south
side of Mont
Blanc in 1961
with Don Whillans,
Ian Clugh
and the Pole,
Jan Djuclosz.
At the time
this was one
of the most
difficult
climbs in
the Alps and
even today
is considered
one of the
great classics
of the Mont
Blanc region.
He made the
first British
ascent of
the North
Wall of the
Eiger in 1962.
On leaving
the Army in
1961 he joined
Unilever as
a Management
Trainee but
realised that
he could never
combine a
conventional
career with
his love of
mountaineering.
Now married
to Wendy,
a free-lance
illustrator
of children's
books, Bonington
made the decision
to go free-lance
and since
1962 has followed
a successful
course as
writer, photographer
and mountaineer.
They have
two sons,
Daniel and
Rupert.
In 1960 he
was invited
to join the
Joint British-Indian-Nepalese
Services Expedition
to Annapurna
II (26,041
ft.), and
reached the
summit. Other
outstanding
climbs followed
until in 1966
he was given
his first
assignment
by the Daily
Telegraph
Magazine to
cover other
expeditions
- climbing
the highest
active volcano
in the world,
Sangay in
Ecuador; caribou
hunting with
the Eskimos
in Baffin
Island; a
story from
Hunza.
Bonington's
fast-developing
career as
an adventure
journalist
and photographer
reached a
climax in
1968 when
he accompanied
an Army Expedition,
led by the
then Captain
John Blashford-Snell,
in their attempt
to make the
first ever
descent of
the Blue Nile.
Autumn of
1968 Bonington
started planning
an expedition
to attempt
the South
Face of Annapurna.
No major Himalayan
wall had been
climbed and
tackling this
huge, 12,000
ft. wall was
a step into
the unknown
as it involved
climbing steep
rock and ice
at heights
of over 24,000
ft. Careful
choice of
team and logistical
planning was
rewarded when
Dougal Haston
and Don Whillans
reached the
summit on
27th May 1970.
After the
ascent of
Annapurna,
the 'last
great problem'
- the South
West Face
of Everest
- was a logical
follow-up.
In 1972 he
led the British
Expedition
which was
defeated by
the savage
winds and
intense cold
of that autumn
and winter.
When the opportunity
came for a
further attempt,
in the autumn
of 1975, Bonington
led the British
Everest Expedition
to success
when Doug
Scott and
Dougal Haston
reached the
summit on
24th September.
Two years
later he and
Doug Scott
made the first
ascent of
the Ogre (23,900
ft.) in the
Karakoram
Himalaya and
had an epic
six-day descent,
aided by Mo
Anthoine and
Clive Rowland,
through a
blizzard,
with Doug
Scott crawling
all the way
as he had
broken both
his legs soon
after leaving
the summit.
Bonington
also had a
fall and broke
a rib, they
ran out of
food and when
at last they
reached Base
Camp, starving
and exhausted,
it was only
to find that
their companions
had given
them up for
lost and abandoned
the camp.
In 1978 Bonington
led a small
team to attempt
the previously
unclimbed
formidable
West Ridge
of K2, which
at 28,741
ft. is the
second highest
mountain in
the world.
This ended
when, tragically,
Nick Estcort
was engulfed
by a huge
avalanche
which swept
across part
of their route.
Then there
was a break
of two years
spent researching
and writing
his book,
QUEST FOR
ADVENTURE,
which became
an immediate
best seller
and was on
the Sunday
Times Best
Seller list
for over ten
weeks.
After that,
as might be
expected,
he became
involved in
yet another
'first' .
In 1980 he,
Dr. Michael
Ward and Alan
Rouse were
among the
first Europeans
to visit China
when they
re-opened
some of their
mountain areas
to foreign
mountaineers.
They made
a reconnaissance
of Mount Kongur,
a remote unclimbed
mountain in
Western Xinjiang
and returned
again in 1981
for the successful
ascent of
the 25,325
ft. peak accomplished
by Bonington,
Peter Boardman,
Joe Tasker
and Alan Rouse
- which is
graphically
described
in his book,
KONGUR, CHINA'S
ELUSIVE SUMMIT.
In 1982 Bonington,
together with
Peter Boardman,
Joe Tasker
and Dick Renshaw,
attempted
the long unclimbed
North East
Ridge of Everest
without oxygen.
Renshaw had
to retire
when he suffered
a mild stroke
(diagnosed
by Charles
Clarke, the
expedition's
doctor) and
Bonington
decided that
as he was
moving so
much slower
than either
Boardman or
Tasker at
high altitude,
they should
go for the
top on their
own. Tragically
they both
disappeared
on what Bonington
described
as 'the happiest
expedition
any of us
had been on'
and it was
abandoned.
His
most important
climbs are:-
1st ascent
Annapurna
II (26,041
ft) 1960
1st ascent
Nuptse (25,850
ft) 1961
1st ascent
Central Pillar
of Freney
1961
1st ascent
Central Tower
of Paine (8,760
ft) Patagonia
1963
1st ascent
Old Many of
Hoy 1966
Leader of
successful
Annapurna
South Face
Expedition
1970
1st ascent
Brammah (21,030
ft) 1973
1st ascent
Changabang
(22,520 ft)
1974
Leader of
successful
Everest South
West Face
Expedition
1975
1st ascent
the Ogre (23m900
ft) 1977
1st ascent
Mount Kongur,
Western Xinjiang
China (25,325
ft) 1981
1st ascent
Shivling West
(21,250 ft)
1983
1st ascent
West Ridge
Panch Chuli
II, Kumaon
Himalaya India
1992
1st ascent
The Needle
Greenland
1993
1st ascent
Rangrik Rang
(21,499 ft)
in the Kinnaur
Himalaya India
1994
1st ascent
Drangnag Ri
(22,312 ft)
in the Rolwaling
Himal Nepal
1995
Awards: Knighthood,
CBE, Hon DSc
Sheffield,
Hon MA Salford,
Hon DSc Lancaster,
Hon Fellow
Lancashire
Polytechnic,
Hon DCL University
of Northumbria,
Founders Medal
Royal Geographical
Society, Lawrence
of Arabia
Medal of the
Royal Asian
Society, Livingstone
Medal of the
Royal Scottish
Geographical
Society.
Honorary
Appointments:
include President
Lepra 1985,
President
British Mountaineering
Council 1988-91,
President
British Orienteering
Federation
1986, President
of National
Trust Lake
District Appeal
1988, President
Council for
National Parks
1992, President
of the Alpine
Club 1995.
Author of
13 books -
has presented
and appeared
in many television
programmes.
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