I cannot regard Himalayan climbing lightly – the catalogue of death doesn’t allow it. Since our Annapurna South Face Expedition, four of the eight lead climbers (Ian Clough, Mick Burke, Nick Estcourt and Dougal Haston) have died in the mountains. From Everest in 1975, out of ten with summit aspirations, four also are dead. Two of our Kongur team of four who reached the summit are dead. Looking across to Kangchenjunga, of the four who went to the mountain with Doug Scott in 1979, three (Pete Boardman, Joe Tasker and Georges Bettembourg) are dead; and to the west, to Shishapangma, of the three who went to the summit in 1982, Alex McIntyre and Roger Baxter-Jones are dead.
I don’t get inured to tragedy. If anything it gets harder and harder to take. I dread another accident, the personal sadness, the void created by the death of another friend but, even more, the bearing of bad news to the parents and the woman who loved that man. Their grief has an intensity that goes so much further than the sorrow of a friend. It is something that I can understand from my own grief at the loss of Conrad, our first child, in an accident in 1966. Now, twenty years later, I still find it difficult to talk about, still wonder what he would be doing now, had he not wandered down that friend’s garden and had the stream in spate not taken him.
Wendy knew that I was safe and could relax again until the next expedition. But how strong was my love for her? How could I claim to love her and yet threaten her with the cruel, catastrophic loss that I had seen cause such havoc so many times in the past? She had spent her birthday on her own, stricken with ’flu. She has both a vulnerability and yet an extraordinary inner strength that has enabled her to come through these twenty-four years of marriage, to bear the constant threat of danger, that is so much harder to cope with when it is to someone far away, and about which there is nothing she can do, but sit and wait.
All these thoughts were crowding through my head as we made our way from the mountains that are such an integral part of my life. I was halfway between Pheriche and Pangpoche; dwarf irises, their deep-purple petals like pouted lips round the delicate yellow tongues of the stamen, clustered amongst the rocks at the side of the path. A prayer flag, like an upheld sword, reached up towards the cloud banners far above. I was careful to pass a mani wall on the left. This time the fates had been kind to us. We were all alive, able to enjoy success without restraint.
I was impatient to reach Kathmandu so that I could at least talk to Wendy on the telephone. I longed even more to be back in England, to be able to hold her close once again. But I no longer deluded myself that I’d be happy to give up serious climbing and knew that I’d be planning my next expedition within days of getting home. Indeed, I was already making the initial preparations for my trip to Menlungtse. I had invited Arne, if he was likely to be free, and Bjørn to join Jim Fotheringham and me on the mountain. (When Arne couldn’t make it, I was delighted Odd could accept the invitation instead.) Our expedition to Everest had been such a happy experience that it seemed both appropriate and propitious to make this small, very different, expedition to one of the most beautiful and technically challenging unclimbed peaks in the Himalaya a joint British/Norwegian one, linking two of my best climbing experiences together.
Beyond Menlungtse, I know that there will be other climbs stretching into the future. I also accept the fact that the ageing process is beginning to bite. I no longer have the recovery rate of a younger man and take a week or more to recoup from a hard push at altitude, when a few years earlier it would have only taken a day or so. I had certainly struggled on our summit bid and had been much slower than Odd or Bjørn, but I reckon I have a good few years more in me of climbing on peaks in the 7,000-metre range. Then there are Antarctic fjords to explore and perhaps those wild mountain areas in Tibet that we had flown over in 1982 on our way from Chengdu to Lhasa.
The fresh-flowered rhododendron forests around Tengpoche seemed the more lush and fragrant for what had happened in the preceding weeks. I joined Pertemba at the little nunnery just below the monastery where we were entertained by his three aunts, all of them nuns. We drank chang and ate potato pancakes spiced with hot chillies. I just sat back and allowed the flow of Sherpa speech to sweep over me, basked in the warmth of their friendship and the richness of their way of life. We said farewell to most of our Sherpas in Namche Bazar with a party in Pasang Kami’s hotel that lasted most of the night. The Sherpas danced, with the solemn chant and beat that they enjoy so much and can sustain for so many hours, there was the wilder more raucous Norwegian dancing and singing, bawdy recitations from Dick Bass, and gallons of beer and chang.
Then it was on to Kathmandu and civilisation; the first hot bath, a phone call home, more celebratory meals, press conferences, a red carpet and brass band to greet us in Oslo. Then, most important of all, Wendy, on the other side of the barrier at Heathrow, clinging, crying, kissing me. My two lads, Daniel and Rupert, Daniel very nearly as tall as me, both slightly embarrassed by their demonstrative parents, nonetheless hugged me.
I was home at last.
– Climbing Record –
SYMBOLS:
* first ascent
*w first winter ascent
† first British ascent
1951 Ash Tree Gully Dinas Bach (Tom Blackburn) – first climb; Hope Idwal Slabs (Charles Verender) – first lead.
1952 Chimney Route Clogwyn Du’r Arddu (Dave Pullin); Rana Temporia Quinag* (Tony) – first new route, a VS.
1953 Agag’s Groove Buachaille Etive Mor *w (Hamish MacInnes, Kerr McPhaill, John Hammond, G. McIntosh) – first winter climb; Crowberry Ridge Direct *w and Raven’s Gully Buachaille Etive Mor *w (Hamish MacInnes); Hangover Clogwyn y Grochan (Geoff Francis) – first ‘Brown’ route.
1954 Surplomb Clogwyn y Grochan (Steve Lane) – second ascent.
1955 Macavity Avon Gorge* (Geoff Francis) – first new route on Avon’s Main Wall.
1957 First alpine season: South-East Face of Aig. du Tacul* (Hamish MacInnes). Steger Route Cattinacio and Yellow Edge and Demuth Route Tre Cime (Jim Swallow); North Wall Direct of Cima Una† (German climber). Malbogies Avon Gorge* (Geoff Francis, Henry Rogers).
1958 Bonatti Pillar of Petit Dru † (Hamish MacInnes, Don Whillans and Paul Ross, with Walter Phillip and Richard Blach); West Face of Petites Jorasses † (Ronnie Wathen).
1959 Comici/Dimai, Brandler/Hasse † and Cassin/Ratti routes Tre Cime (Gunn Clark); Woubits (Jim O’Neill) and Mostest (Jim Swallow) Clogwyn Du’r Arddu – second ascents.
1960 Annapurna 2 * by West Ridge Nepal (Dick Grant and Ang Nyima) – expedition led by Col. James Roberts; King Cobra Skye * (Tom Patey).
1961 Nuptse * by South Face Nepal (part of second summit team with Jim Swallow, Ang Pemba and Les Brown – first pair: Dennis Davis and Tashi) – expedition led by Joe Walmsley; Central Pillar of Frêney, Mt Blanc * (Don Whillans, Ian Clough and Jan Djuglosz).
1962 Trango Castell Cidwm * (Joe Brown); Ichabod Scafell (Mike Thompson) – second ascent; Schmid/Krebs Route Karwendal † (Don Whillans); Walker Spur of Grandes Jorasses (Ian Clough); North Wall of the Eiger † (Ian Clough).
1963 Central Tower of Paine * by West Face Chile (Don Whillans) – expedition led by Barrie Page.
1964 North Face of Pointe Migot * and West Ridge of Aig. de Lepiney * (Tom Patey, Joe Brown and Robin Ford); Andrich/Fae Route on Civetta (Jim McCarthy); Medlar * (Martin Boysen) and Totalitarian * (Mike Thompson) Raven Crag, Thirlmere.
1965 Coronation Street Cheddar * (Tony Greenbank); The Holy Ghost Scafell * (Mike Thompson); West Face of the Cardinal * (Tom Patey and another); West Face Direct of Aig. du Plan * (Lito Tejada Flores); North-East Ridge of Dent du Midi * (Rusty Baillie and John Harlin); Right-Hand Pillar of Brouillard, Mt Blanc * (Rusty Baillie, John Harlin and Brian Robertson).
1966 North Face Direct of the Eiger * – in supporting role; Old Man of Hoy Orkneys * (Tom Patey and Rusty Baillie).
1968 North Face of Aig. d‘Argentìere (Dougal Haston) – in winter.
1969 March Hare’s Gully Applecross *w (Tom Pate
y); Great Gully of Garbh Bheinn *w (Tom Patey and Don Whillans).
1970 South Face of Annapurna Nepal * – leader of expedition – summit reached by Dougal Haston and Don Whillans.
1971 East Face of Moose’s Tooth Alaska – attempt with Jim McCarthy, Tom Frost and Sandy Bill curtailed by bad weather; White Wizard Scafell * (Nick Estcourt).
1972 South-West Face of Everest Nepal – leader of expedition curtailed by cold and high wind; Great Gully of Grandes Jorasses (Dougal Haston with Mick Burke and Bev Clarke in support) – attempt in winter.
1973 Brammah * by the South Ridge India (Nick Estcourt) – joint leader of expedition with Balwant Sandhu.
1974 Changabang * by East Ridge India (Martin Boysen, Doug Scott, Dougal Haston, Tashi and Balwant Sandhu) – joint leader of expedition with Sandhu.
1975 North Face Direct of Aig. du Triolet *w (Dougal Haston); South-West Face of Everest Nepal * – leader of expedition – summit reached by Dougal Haston and Doug Scott, Pete Boardman, Pertemba and Mick Burke(?).
1976 North Face of Pt.20,309 Kishtwar, India (Ronnie Richards) – attempt gaining two-thirds height; East Ridge of Mt Cook and Symes Ridge of Mt Tasman New Zealand (Nick Banks, Keith Woodford and Bob Cunningham).
1977 The Ogre * by the South Face Pakistan (Nick Estcourt) and the West Ridge (Doug Scott) – the South Face climb ended at the West Summit. Clive Rowland and Mo Anthoine took part in the West Ridge ascent to the foot of the summit tower.
1978 West Ridge of K2 Pakistan – leader of expedition curtailed after death of Nick Estcourt in an avalanche below Camp 2.
1980 Pts 6,200m * and 5,400 * Kongur Group, China (Al Rouse and Mike Ward) – climbed during a reconnaissance expedition.
1981 Kongur * by the West Ridge China (Al Rouse, Pete Boardman and Joe Tasker) – expedition led by Mike Ward.
1982 North-East Ridge of Everest Tibet – leader of expedition curtailed after disappearance of Pete Boardman and Joe Tasker.
1983 Orion Face of Ben Nevis (Stuart Fife); South-West Summit of Shivling * by the South-East Ridge India (Jim Fotheringham); Mt Vinson Antarctica † (Dick Bass, Tae Maeda, Yuichior Miura, Steve Marts, Rick Ridgeway and Frank Wells) – soloed final section prior to ascent by the others. Expedition led jointly by Bass and Wells.
1984 West Ridge of Karun Koh Pakistan (Ikram Khan, Maqsood Ahmed and Al Rouse) – leader of expedition curtailed by bad weather; Cruel Sister Pavey Ark (Jim Loxham) – first E3 lead.
1985 South-East Ridge of Everest Nepal (Odd Eliassen, Bjørn Myrer-Lund, Pertemba, Ang Lhakpa and Dawa Nuru) – expedition led by Arne Naess.
1986 North-East Pillar of Norliga Skagastozstind Norway (Odd Eilassen); Athanor Goat Crag (Dave Absalom) – first 6a lead. Yellow Edge Avon Gorge (Steve Berry); South Pillar of Grosse Drusenturm Rätikon and North-East Diedre of Brenta Alta (Jim Fotheringham).
1987 South-West Buttress of Menlungtse West Tibet – leader of expedition curtailed by bad weather.
1988 Menlungste West * by the West Ridge and Face Tibet – leader of expedition – summit reached by Andy Fanshawe and Alan Hinkes.
1991 Lemon Mountains Greenland – as climbing leader with Robin Knox- Johnston.
1992 Panch Chuli II * Kumaon, India West Ridge, with Graham Little on Indian/British Kumaon expedition – joint leader with Harish Kapadia.
1993 Chisel *, Ivory Tower *, Needle * Lemon Mountains, Greenland (Lowther, Little, Ferguson).
1993 Elbrus and North-East Ridge of Ushba Caucasus.
1994 Rangrik Rang * Kinnaur, India – Indian/British expedition with Harish Kapadia.
1995 Drangnag-Ri * Rolwaling, India (Hoibakk, Myrer-Lund, Pema Dorge, Lhakpu Gyalu).
1996 Sepu Kangri Tibet- reconnaissance with Charles Clarke.
1997 Sepu Kangri Tibet – expedition defeated by heavy snowfall.
1998 Sepu Kangri Tibet- Muir and Saunders reach West Shoulder; Seamo Uylmitok * Little.
– Photographs and Maps –
Doug belaying me near the foot of the Rock Band on Everest, 1975.
Dougal and Doug at the site of Camp 6, Everest, 1975.
The Ogre Expedition – Clive Rowland, myself, Nick Estcourt, Doug Scott, Tut Braithwaite and Mo Anthoine, with the Ogre in the background.
Bath in a hot spring by the Braldu river on the Ogre expedition.
Changabang, in the Garwhal range.
Nick Estcourt on the first ascent of Brammah.
Chris, aged twenty-six, on the south side of Mount Blanc in 1961.
View from high on the South-West face of Everest.
Approaching the Hillary Step, Everest.
Fulfilment. Chris (left) and Ang Lhakpa on the summit of Everest.
Pete and Joe at work on the second snow cave on the North-East Ridge of Everest, 1983.
Bunk accommodation on our first bivouac on Shivling.
The expedition group just above Namche Bazar.
Chris going for the fairy tale summit of Shivling with Everest in the background. Norwegian expedition, 1985.
Summer rock climbing on Black Crag in the Lake District, Borrowdale.
Going for the west summit of the Ogre.
Return to the Ogre; Camp 4 at the foot of the West Ridge.
Chris back at base camp on the Ogre after five days without solid food and broken ribs and pneumonia.
Doug crawling down the Ogre after breaking both his legs.
Nick crossing the difficult slabs at the foot of the South Face of the Ogre.
Clive on the fixed rope on the lower slopes of the Ogre.
Nick on the South Face of the Ogre.
The Kongur massif from near the Karakol Lakes.
Looking up the North East Ridge of Everest form the Raphu La.
K2 Expedition: Nick paying off the porters whilst I fill in their conduct books.
Joe on the way up to Camp 2 on K2: The highest peak in the background is Masherbrum.
Climbing the lower slopes of the South-East Ridge of Kongur in our first bid for the summit.
The Everest region.
Everest South-West Face 1972.
Everest South-West Face 1975.
The Central Karakoram.
The Ogre.
The Upper Reaches of the Ogre.
West Ridge of K2.
The Kongur region.
The Kongur Massif
The North-East Ridge of Everest
Shivling and Kedarnath
Shivling from the south.
Antarctica and the Vinson Massif.
Mount Vinson
Everest and the Western Cwm.
The Everest Years
Chris Bonington
First published in Great Britain in 1986 by Hodder & Stoughton. This digital edition first published in 2017 by Vertebrate Digital, an imprint of Vertebrate Publishing.
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Copyright © Chris Bonington 1986.
Images the author’s collection unless otherwise credited.
Chris Bonington has asserted his rights under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
This book is a work of non-fiction based on the life, experiences and recollections of Chris Bonington. In some limited cases the names of people, places, dates and sequences or the detail of events have been changed solely to protect the privacy of others. The author has stated to the publishers that, except in such minor respects not affecting the substantial accuracy of the work, the contents of the book are true.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978-1-911342-46-5 (ebook)
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The Everest Years Page 29