Now unable to climb in the great ranges of the world, he will instead support a project that is aiming to preserve and celebrate the traditions and way of life in the Himalaya. Sir Chris’ latest quest for adventure is to help complete the work started by fellow climber Doug Scott before he died, to fund the restoration of the Sherpa Heritage House, which was devastated by an earthquake nine years ago.
Sir Chris Bonington celebrates his 90th birthday on Tuesday 6 August. With a climbing career that stretches back to the 1950s and includes first ascents and major expeditions around the world (see ‘Note to editors’), he is the UK’s most famous mountaineer and a global climbing icon. He has also played a major role in the outdoor industry, working closely with Berghaus for 40 years, as an athlete, ambassador and consultant on product. In addition, he has held roles in organisations such as the British Mountaineering Council, Outdoor Industries Association, Council for National Parks, Outward Bound Trust, and the Bendrigg Trust. Berghaus has created a one-off special edition of its iconic Trango jacket as a 90th birthday present for Sir Chris. He will celebrate with close family and friends at home in the Lake District, Cumbria, and has plans for a walk around his favourite local fell, High Pike.
Sir Chris Bonington at 90 at home in the Lake District
Over seven decades of adventure, Sir Chris led or was part of many expeditions to the Himalaya, which would have not been possible without the contributions of the local Sherpas. These included the South West Face of Everest expedition in 1975, which put the first Brits on the summit of the world’s highest mountain, when Doug Scott and Dougal Haston stood on the top of the world on 24 September. On that expedition, the head Sirdar (lead Sherpa) was Pertemba Sherpa, who went on to support Sir Chris and Doug on many other trips. He remains a close friend of Sir Chris.
Doug Scott subsequently founded the charity Community Action Nepal (CAN) to improve the standard of living in remote Himalayan communities and give something back to the mountain people who had helped him to achieve his mountaineering goals. In 2015, the Sherpa Heritage House, which is in the village of Khumjung in the Khumbu region of Nepal, was badly damaged in the devastating earthquake that hit the area. The house is the ancestral home of Pertemba Sherpa and following the disaster, Doug promised him that CAN would raise funds to rebuild it, and also increase its support of the local people in other ways.
Sir Chris and Doug Scott on Shepherds Crag during a Berghaus photoshoot
CAN has so far raised £150,000 for the house and completed phase one, the construction of the complex religious wing, but Doug died of cancer in 2020, before he was able to fulfil his promise. The work continues, with funding needed to complete phase two, which will see the house transformed into a museum, photography gallery, and tea house to raise the income of the local community. As a patron of CAN, Sir Chris is playing his part.
Sir Chris comments: “I can’t climb like I did any more, but that doesn’t mean that my spirit of adventure has diminished. My dear friend Doug made a promise to our great friend Pertemba, and I intend to see that it is kept. Community Action Nepal has been doing wonderful work for 30 years, and the restoration of the Sherpa Heritage House is of critical importance. I was so fortunate to be immersed in the traditional Nepalese and Sherpa culture during my expeditions to the Himalaya, and it is vital to preserve that during a modern era where so much about climbing has changed.
“We must never let the pivotal role that the Sherpa community plays in Himalayan expeditions go unseen. The house is a physical demonstration of that and a crucial part of sustaining the relationship between visiting climbers and local Sherpas, which plays such a fundamental role in the Nepalese economy.”
Reflecting on reaching the age of 90, Sir Chris adds: “I’m grateful that I’ve had such a full, and fulfilling life, and have been able to spend so much of it indulging in my love of climbing and the outdoors. Through that, I have met so many great people and organisations, and formed some deep friendships. Having reached the age of 90, I have seen a huge amount of national and political change, and I think that gives me a balanced view of the challenges that we all face today.
“As for my birthday celebrations, I look forward to spending time with my wife Loreto, my wonderful family, and some of my closest friends. We all share a love of the outdoors, so I’m sure that they will join me for a Lakeland walk at some point during the day!”
Chris at his high point on Everest in 1975 Photo:Chris Bonington Picture Library
If you would like to make a donation to the work of CAN to celebrate Sir Chris’ birthday please go their website www.canepal.org.uk/support-us.
Among the birthday messages that have been sent to Sir Chris include one from fellow climber and Berghaus ambassador Leo Houlding: "It must be wild to look back and reflect on all the great trips and positive things you have done for the climbing and outdoor community, with such perspective. You've been a huge an inspiration to so many, myself included - not just the climbs, but all you have done to share the love of adventure. Your support and friendship over these last decades is deeply valued. Thanks for everything mate and happy 90th!"
Noting Sir Chris' contribution to the UK outdoor industy, Andrew Denton, CEO of the Outdoor Industries Association, comments: "I won't say anything here about Sir Chris' extraordinary climbing achievements - they will be covered by those more qualified than me to comment. But I will mention the impact he had on the outdoor industries. He has been associated with Berghaus for decades of course but he has always had a passion for gear - designing, improving, looking for hacks to help on expeditions, working with many great British brands over the decades.
"Sir Chris is the honorary president for life of the OIA and is regarded with undying respect and affection by the UK's outdoor trade, as an ambassador, a figurehead, a legend and a gentlemen. His inspirational pushing of mountaineering boundaries has been instrumental in Great Britain, and British brands, being recognised around the world as reaching the pinnacle of outdoor gear design. The outdoor trade is so very fortunate to call Chris one of our own - and honoured to wish him a very happy, healthy 90th birthday."
Sir Chris Bonington and Leo Houlding on the summit of the Old Man of Hoy in 2014 photo credit Berghaus
SIR CHRIS BONINGTON Climbing highlights
1951 – Chris’ first ‘proper’ climb was Ash Tree Gully, at Dinas Bach, with Tom Blackburn.
1952 – Chris’ first new route was Temporia, on Quinag in Assynt, Scotland (graded VS).
1960 – the first ascent of Annapurna II. This was Chris’ first Himalayan trip, the British, Indian, Nepalese Services Expedition to Annapurna II. At 7,937 metres, the mountain is only just below that magic height of 8,000 metres. Aged 25, at the time Chris was an instructor at the Army Outward Bound School. This was a huge experience for him, visiting Nepal at a time when there were no trekkers, no tourists and only one road from the frontier with India to Kathmandu. During the expedition, the team was probably the first group of Europeans to complete the Annapurna circuit.
Chris Bonington in the Himalaya Photo: Chris Bonington Picture Library
1962 – first ascent of Central Tower of Paine in Chile with Don Whillans (by the west face), in an expedition led by Barrie Page.
1966 – first ascent of the Old Man of Hoy. With Tom Patey and Rusty Baillie, Chris completed the first climb of the iconic sea stack in the Orkneys.
1967 – second ascent of the Old Man of Hoy for the famous BBC outside broadcast over three nights, that was coordinated by Chris Brasher, and which had around 15 million viewers. This involved three pairs of climbers: Chris and Tom repeated their original route, while two new lines were climbed by Joe Brown, Ian McNaught-Davis, and by Pete Crew and Dougal Haston.
1970 – the first ascent of the south face of Annapurna. This was the first expedition that Chris led and at the time was the biggest and steepest face to be climbed. Chris was leading a group of the best British climbers of the period and they only just succeeded in their objective when Dougal Haston and Don Whillans made it to the summit. The ascent made a great impact at the time. The book of the expedition was a best seller and the film won several awards.
1975 – the first ascent of the south west face of Everest. Led by Chris, this was the first expedition to put a Brit on the summit of Everest, by a pioneering new route. Although Chris didn’t reach the roof of the world during this expedition, his management of the project and inspirational leadership ensured that his team succeeded.
1977 – the first ascent of the Ogre. Chris Bonington and Doug Scott made the first ascent of the Ogre in the Karakoram Himalaya and had an epic six-day descent, with Scott crawling all the way as he had broken both his legs soon after leaving the summit. Chris 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.
Chris and team on the Ogre expedition in 1977 photo: Chris Bonington Picture Library
1984 – joins the Berghaus team. After having used some of the brand’s gear (e.g. Yeti gaiters) as part of his expedition kit list for a few years, Chris was persuaded to officially join the athlete team by Berghaus founders Peter Lockey and Gordon Davison.
1985 - reaches the summit of Everest at the age of 50. Finally, at the age of 50, Chris reached the summit of Everest as part of a Norwegian expedition to the mountain. For a short while, he was the oldest person to have successfully climbed Everest.
1987-88 – led expeditions to Menlungtse in West Tibet. During the second, Andy Fanshawe and Alan Hinkes reached the west summit by the west ridge and face.
Chris reading with yaks near Menlungtse in 1987 Photo: Chris Bonington Picture Library
1996-98 – led three expeditions to Sepu Kangri in Tibet.
2014 – return to the Old Man of Hoy. Just weeks after turning 80, with fellow Berghaus climber Leo Houlding, Chris completed a route on the Old Man of Hoy, 48 years after he made the first ascent. He made the climb to mark his 80th birthday and to raise awareness and funds for motor neurone disease (MND) charities in memory of his wife Wendy, who had died of the condition.