Chris Bonington
Actor · b. 1934 · Hampstead, London, England, UK
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. Throughout his career, Bonington also faced tragedy, losing numerous climbing companions on expeditions, as well as a young son and, later, his wife of more than fifty years. Despite these hardships, he remained deeply attached to the mountains, which he saw as a place of beauty, wildness, and challenge, and continued to climb and explore long after his most famous exploits. In 1985, at the age of 50, he finally reached the summit of Everest, becoming the oldest person to have successfully climbed it at the time. Alongside his adventures, Chris Bonington pursues a career as a writer, lecturer, and photographer, sharing his passion and experience through numerous books and public appearances. He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1996, in recognition of his major influence on mountaineering and his contribution to mountain culture. A true living legend, he embodies a generation of mountaineers for whom the mountains are at once a playground, a place of accomplishment, and a space of brotherhood, despite the risks and losses. Chris Bonington received the Piolet d'Or Career Award in 2015 at the 23rd edition of the Piolets d'Or. This distinction honors his entire career and his major influence on world mountaineering, celebrating an exceptional career marked by numerous first ascents in the Alps and the Himalayas.
Movies5
Movie10.0DocumentaryFirst broadcast on Channel 4 in 1985, Lakeland Rock is a classic of climbing. Presented by Sir Chris Bonington, this 1990 documentary comprises four films that retrace five iconic routes, each representing a major milestone in a sport that reflects the social transformations of Great Britain. From the 1940s, when working-class people began climbing mountains, to the 1980s, marked by technological advancements, the rise of female climbers, and the soaring difficulty of sport climbing with its near-Olympic levels of physical preparation. In three of the films, the climbers recreate their first ascents, with a tribute to their deceased climbing partners, Don Whillans and Bill Peascod. Also included is the first filmed ascent of "Incantations" on Gable Crag by Pete Whillance and Dave Armstrong, which, rated E6 6b, was considered at the time to be the most difficult route in the Lake District.
Lakeland Rock
1990 · 1 votes
Movie10.0Chris Bonington and Jim Curran trace the history of K2 expeditions from 1903 to the disastrous loss of life in the summer of 1986, when 13 climbers died on K2, climbing tragedies that aggressively carved the epithet the 'savage mountain' into the public consciousness. Jim Curran was hired by the British 'Fuller’s K2' team to document their attempt on the unclimbed NW Ridge, so he was at the mountain, all summer. Inevitably, his documentary ended up drifting into a gripping narrative from the front line of the disastrous and tragic summer that killed 13 climbers on K2.
K2 - Triumph And Tragedy On The Savage Mountain
1988 · 1 votes
MovieDocumentary"Bonington's Secret Mountain" is a documentary about alpinism that takes place on Sepu Kangri. It was directed by Martin Belderson in 1999 and produced by Northern Films. It features Chris Bonington, Charles Clarke, Scott Muir, Elliot Robinson and Graham Little.
MovieDocumentaryThe legend of Hamish MacInnes began early. At 16 he climbed the Matterhorn. At 17 he built his first motor car – from scratch. He attempted Everest in 1953 with his friend Johnny Cunningham, and almost stole the peak before Hillary and Tenzing. As an explorer, expedition leader and engineer he achieved world fame. As inventor of the all metal ice axe, author of the International Mountain Rescue Handbook and founder of Glencoe Mountain Rescue he has been responsible for saving hundreds of lives, if not thousands. But at the age of 84, his accomplishments could not save him from being institutionalised against his will, suffering from delirium. After a spell in psychogeriatric detainment in a hospital in the Highlands of Scotland, during which he made many escape attempts – he emerged to find his memory gone. This film tells the story of his life by mirroring his greatest challenge: to recover his memories and rescue himself.
MovieDocumentaryDocumentary directed by Neil Armstrong.
Series3
TV10.0DocumentaryPeople experience adventures on mountains all around the world. Personalities, fascinated by the world of the mountains, bring us closer to the freedom many people experience in such breezy hights.
Bergwelten
2012 · 1 votes
TV10.0Documentary"The Climbers" is a six-part documentary series tracing the history of mountaineering. Directed by Chris Bonington and Richard Else, it was produced by the BBC and broadcast in 1992. The series recounts the evolution of mountaineering and the traditions of climbers in Great Britain and on the European continent: the former developed a free climbing technique, while the latter used aids such as keys, pitons, and drills to ascend otherwise inaccessible routes. The program includes archive footage of the pioneers of the sport, from the emergence of free climbing as a distinct discipline in the late 1970s and 1980s to the advent of competitions.
The Climbers
1992 · 1 votes
- TVTalk Show
Valerie Singleton and an audience of children put their questions to a celebrity guest.