Chris Bonington

Chris Bonington, born on August 6, 1934, in Hampstead, London, is one of the most influential British mountaineers of the 20th century.

He discovered climbing as a teenager, learning his craft on the crags of Wales and Scotland, before quickly making a name for himself in the Alps. By the late 1950s, he had participated in major ascents, such as the Bonatti Pillar in Les Drus in 1958. He established himself as one of the most talented members of a generation of British climbers, alongside figures such as Don Whillans, Ian Clough, and Joe Brown. His career is marked by iconic first ascents: the central pillar of Frêney on Mont Blanc in 1961, the Central Tower of Paine in Patagonia in 1963, and the right pillar of Brouillard in 1966. From the 1960s onward, he also distinguished himself in the Himalayas, reaching the summit of Annapurna II in 1960, then Nuptse in 1961, before leading and participating in nineteen Himalayan expeditions, including four to Everest.

In 1970, he led the British expedition that achieved the first ascent of the south face of Annapurna, one of the great Himalayan faces still unclimbed at the time. Five years later, he organized and led the first ascent of the southwest face of Everest, an expedition that would go down in mountaineering history. Bonington didn't just climb: he planned, organized, and devised teams and objectives, becoming a leading expert in the logistics and management of major siege-style expeditions. He also alternated with lighter, more challenging alpine-style ascents, such as the first ascent of the West Summit of Shivling in India in 1983, which he considers one of his greatest adventures, driven by the sheer joy of climbing.