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Ascent
ARGUABLY ONE OF BRITAIN'S GREATEST CLIMBERS.
Sir Chris Bonington memoir Ascent will chart not only his many triumphs in the climbing world - such as the Eiger, and the Himalaya - but also the struggles he has faced in his life bringing up a family, and maintaining a successful and loving marriage over the decades of travelling the world to conquer mountains.
He has undertaken nineteen Himalayan expeditions, including four to Mount Everest which he climbed in 1985 at the age of fifty, and has made many first ascents in the Alps and greater ranges of the world. Along the way we will be fascinated by his many daring climbs, near-death adventures, and the many luminaries of the mountain fraternity he has climbed with, and in some cases - witness their deaths on the rock. The mercurial Dougal Haston; the legendary-tough Don Whillans, the philosopher of the rock Stephen Venables, and the enigmatic Doug Scott, plus many more – this will be an expert’s opinion on the past sixty years of British/ world mountaineering.
In Ascent Chris also discusses his first wife (Wendy) who tragically passed away after a long battle with motor neuron disease - his many years of caring for her, and then in his twilight years deciding to return to an iconic climb from his past - The Old Man of Hoy - to summit at the age of 80 years of age. He has now also found love again amidst the sadness and grief. It is a truly inspirational tale.
Ascent will be a memoir like no other. Not only a cerebral narrative on what it takes to conquer fear, and learn/ develop the technical skills necessary to climb the world’s greatest peaks; what it is like to survive in places no human being can ultimately reside in for longer than a few months at very high altitude, but also how one overcomes emotional obstacles, too, and rediscover what drives us on to happiness.
Sir Chris Bonington memoir Ascent will chart not only his many triumphs in the climbing world - such as the Eiger, and the Himalaya - but also the struggles he has faced in his life bringing up a family, and maintaining a successful and loving marriage over the decades of travelling the world to conquer mountains.
He has undertaken nineteen Himalayan expeditions, including four to Mount Everest which he climbed in 1985 at the age of fifty, and has made many first ascents in the Alps and greater ranges of the world. Along the way we will be fascinated by his many daring climbs, near-death adventures, and the many luminaries of the mountain fraternity he has climbed with, and in some cases - witness their deaths on the rock. The mercurial Dougal Haston; the legendary-tough Don Whillans, the philosopher of the rock Stephen Venables, and the enigmatic Doug Scott, plus many more – this will be an expert’s opinion on the past sixty years of British/ world mountaineering.
In Ascent Chris also discusses his first wife (Wendy) who tragically passed away after a long battle with motor neuron disease - his many years of caring for her, and then in his twilight years deciding to return to an iconic climb from his past - The Old Man of Hoy - to summit at the age of 80 years of age. He has now also found love again amidst the sadness and grief. It is a truly inspirational tale.
Ascent will be a memoir like no other. Not only a cerebral narrative on what it takes to conquer fear, and learn/ develop the technical skills necessary to climb the world’s greatest peaks; what it is like to survive in places no human being can ultimately reside in for longer than a few months at very high altitude, but also how one overcomes emotional obstacles, too, and rediscover what drives us on to happiness.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 19, 2017
36 people are currently reading
233 people want to read
About the author
Chris Bonington
110 books33 followersChris Bonington was educated at University College School, London and the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. He was 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 Clough and the Pole, Jan Dlugosz. At that 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
September 29, 2021
For climbing aficionados Bonington is something of a legend for simply having survived so long. Many of his contemporaries died on mountains much younger than him. A number of them were on expeditions he was part of or led. I guess if the climbs are your priority the various books about the expeditions would be better than this. The main ascents are mentioned in outline but with little detail. I've said before that driven climbers are often not that likeable - Bonington does not seem to be the exception to this. His family saw little of him and it seems for part of his life that didn't seem to concern him much.
For me the last couple of chapters were the best - they brought out Bonington the man rather than Bonington the climber, media presence etc. Worth the read though.
For me the last couple of chapters were the best - they brought out Bonington the man rather than Bonington the climber, media presence etc. Worth the read though.
September 11, 2018
A thoroughly enjoyable book, well written and absorbing.
Being more autobiographical than anything he's previously written, Ascent is relatively light on detail about Bonington's mountain escapades. But he picks out the highlights of his main adventures very effectively, and neatly summarises the key aspects of each without losing any of the drama.
Sometimes the structure is a bit formulaic - begin the chapter with some knife-edge event on the mountainside, backtrack to the origins of the expedition, and then build up to the denouement. But in general Bonington knows what he's doing at the keyboard, and he can keep the reader gripped.
Aside from some fine accounts of his outdoor pursuits, he also opens up quite considerably about his inner life - the selfishness and ego of the mountaineer, the ceaseless desire for the next challenge, the tragedies that have pock marked his expeditions, and the challenges he struggled with as a leader often accused of indecisiveness.
There are also moving passages about other hitherto private aspects of his life, particularly his complicated upbringing as a child and the strong but sometimes delicate relationship with his family, often stretched to breaking point by his wanderlust.
Given that he's in his 80s, this may well be Bonington's final book. If it is, then it's a fine way to bow out.
Being more autobiographical than anything he's previously written, Ascent is relatively light on detail about Bonington's mountain escapades. But he picks out the highlights of his main adventures very effectively, and neatly summarises the key aspects of each without losing any of the drama.
Sometimes the structure is a bit formulaic - begin the chapter with some knife-edge event on the mountainside, backtrack to the origins of the expedition, and then build up to the denouement. But in general Bonington knows what he's doing at the keyboard, and he can keep the reader gripped.
Aside from some fine accounts of his outdoor pursuits, he also opens up quite considerably about his inner life - the selfishness and ego of the mountaineer, the ceaseless desire for the next challenge, the tragedies that have pock marked his expeditions, and the challenges he struggled with as a leader often accused of indecisiveness.
There are also moving passages about other hitherto private aspects of his life, particularly his complicated upbringing as a child and the strong but sometimes delicate relationship with his family, often stretched to breaking point by his wanderlust.
Given that he's in his 80s, this may well be Bonington's final book. If it is, then it's a fine way to bow out.
January 12, 2021
Entertaining, informative and adventuresome. It made me think I should try harder at something. Anything. Why am I working for a living when other people have made their lives into one big adventure and had other people pay for it? It's time for me to go into space! Yes! The roofspace! (Might as well start with a small step for a man. No need to get carried away, just because of a little mountain adventure envy.) Then the upper sky -- maybe foreign air travel, as soon as this virus thing dies down. And if I can somehow graduate from there to low Earth orbit, I'll have surpassed Mr Bonnington in altitude at least. But the practicalities... I'm not sure if I'm inspired or disgruntled at this point, but if I decide it's the latter, that fourth star is coming off. Good read though.
April 8, 2019
Interesting book but very disjointed. Jumps from location to location and backwards/forwards in time without any real red thread.
The best written portion is the description of his wife’s sickness & death. The rest of the book feels like excerpts from his journal stuck together.
The best written portion is the description of his wife’s sickness & death. The rest of the book feels like excerpts from his journal stuck together.
February 15, 2018
A great book full of details of Sir Chris Bonnington's life and of course the story of many an intriguing adventure and climb. Perhaps too detailed in parts but overall a fascinating read!
August 2, 2019
My parents were mountaineers/climbers and I grew up in North Wales. In fact, they named me after Nikki Clough, who is mentioned in this book. I recall in the 80s being in a car park at the back of a mountaineer shop in Capel Curig and my Dad pointed out Chris Bonington who he knew. When I asked him what he was like, my dad commented on his arrogance and this comes across in the book. It’s written well, it goes into a lot of detail but the way Chris portrayed himself as someone who did things his way and how he has an air of authority, put me off the book a little. I was also disappointed that his wife of so many years had such a small part in his book, especially when the cover talks about him opening up about his personal life. I gave this 4 stars because it is written well, I enjoyed it....but I didn’t warm to Chris Bonington.
September 11, 2023
I started out really enjoying this; it’s beautifully written in parts and it’s very readable. Chris Bonington has undoubtedly had a fascinating life, and this book takes you from his birth, through his career to his retirement.
The first part, focusing on his childhood and early climbing career, was very good; it’s absorbing and the way you can see his passion for climbing develop was very well-done. However, I felt the book floundered a little as the book went on. The individual climbs felt repetitive; some were overexplained, whilst others could have used more detail.
I actually think the book was at its best when it focused on Chris Bonington as a man, but particularly his family. He comes across best, to me, when talking about his family. His relationship with his mother shines through in the book, as does his love and pride for his children. The parts discussing the death of his first son, Conrad, were terribly sad. I think one of the most interesting parts of this book, for me, was the focus on his love for his first wife, Wendy. The chapter detailing her illness and death nearly brought me to tears, and I thought it was beautifully told, raw and honest. The book culminating in him finding love again with his second wife was a bittersweet note to end this book on.
All of this is fine, of course; I enjoyed reading about this. However, I found the parts about his actual climbing career to be a bit of a slog, especially towards the end. I also didn’t think he himself came across very well when he was writing about his climbing; he came across as very self-absorbed. I struggled reading it more as it went on and I found I was skim reading a lot of the later chapters.
For me personally, this was an interesting look at the life of Chris Bonington, and there were some parts of it I thought were very well-written and emotional. I struggled with the parts that focused on his climbing, however, which were the reason I picked up the book in the first place, so overall my feelings about this book are mixed.
Content Notes:
Warnings:
The first part, focusing on his childhood and early climbing career, was very good; it’s absorbing and the way you can see his passion for climbing develop was very well-done. However, I felt the book floundered a little as the book went on. The individual climbs felt repetitive; some were overexplained, whilst others could have used more detail.
I actually think the book was at its best when it focused on Chris Bonington as a man, but particularly his family. He comes across best, to me, when talking about his family. His relationship with his mother shines through in the book, as does his love and pride for his children. The parts discussing the death of his first son, Conrad, were terribly sad. I think one of the most interesting parts of this book, for me, was the focus on his love for his first wife, Wendy. The chapter detailing her illness and death nearly brought me to tears, and I thought it was beautifully told, raw and honest. The book culminating in him finding love again with his second wife was a bittersweet note to end this book on.
All of this is fine, of course; I enjoyed reading about this. However, I found the parts about his actual climbing career to be a bit of a slog, especially towards the end. I also didn’t think he himself came across very well when he was writing about his climbing; he came across as very self-absorbed. I struggled reading it more as it went on and I found I was skim reading a lot of the later chapters.
For me personally, this was an interesting look at the life of Chris Bonington, and there were some parts of it I thought were very well-written and emotional. I struggled with the parts that focused on his climbing, however, which were the reason I picked up the book in the first place, so overall my feelings about this book are mixed.
Content Notes:
Warnings:
January 29, 2018
In his latest book Chris Bonnington has written an interesting and entertaining account of his climbing career, together with snippets about his family and personal relationships. We also learn a bit about how in his later years he has supported many worthy organisations.
Bonnington appears to be a man who has been on a “Jolly” all his life whilst getting others to pay for it. Whilst the rest of us have worked 9 to 5 and fitting our adventures in at the weekends or our annual leave allocations, Bonnington appears to have gone full time climbing leaving a very understanding wife at home with the kids.
The risks he and his fellow climbers took were appalling. Going to climb in remote areas with poorly developed equipment in the early years especially. By his own admission Bonnington has been extremely lucky to have survived when so many of his fellow climbers did not.
Bonnington tells us many entertaining stories about his relationships with some of the great pioneers of British climbing such as Don Whillans, Joe Brown, Doug Scott et al who did their bit on Bonnington’s expeditions. The detail is quite remarkable and must have come from earlier diaries and writings.
Towards the end off the book Bonnington tells us some very moving stories about his close family and there are some lovely pictures of them together in the Lake District, where he made his home.
Chris Bonnington is a very big character in the world of British adventure climbing and in Ascent he has given us a wonderful account of his life so far.
Bonnington appears to be a man who has been on a “Jolly” all his life whilst getting others to pay for it. Whilst the rest of us have worked 9 to 5 and fitting our adventures in at the weekends or our annual leave allocations, Bonnington appears to have gone full time climbing leaving a very understanding wife at home with the kids.
The risks he and his fellow climbers took were appalling. Going to climb in remote areas with poorly developed equipment in the early years especially. By his own admission Bonnington has been extremely lucky to have survived when so many of his fellow climbers did not.
Bonnington tells us many entertaining stories about his relationships with some of the great pioneers of British climbing such as Don Whillans, Joe Brown, Doug Scott et al who did their bit on Bonnington’s expeditions. The detail is quite remarkable and must have come from earlier diaries and writings.
Towards the end off the book Bonnington tells us some very moving stories about his close family and there are some lovely pictures of them together in the Lake District, where he made his home.
Chris Bonnington is a very big character in the world of British adventure climbing and in Ascent he has given us a wonderful account of his life so far.
May 1, 2018
I enjoyed this book, but you probably have to be a fairly avid armchair traveler or mountaineer to do so. After all, almost every chapter is a new conquest, and while Bonington is a decent writer there is an inevitable sameness to them: he's neither a Robert Macfarlane in his descriptions of landscape nor a Joe Simpson ('Touching the Void') in conveying the danger and drama of climbing.
His description of his relationship with his late wife Wendy is touching but - as if he has to get all the facts down - rather too methodical. Of course, to him his family relationships are of overwhelming importance, but he struggles to keep the interest of any reader who does not know the personalities.
To me a huge gap was - how on earth did he pay for all this? While mountaineering is highly risky and very daring, it's hardly a job in the accepted sense. Of course, Bonington spends a lot of time writing and lecturing, but the expeditions are essentially ways in which he does what he enjoys best (what we might call holidays, if they weren't intrinsically so dangerous). How does he manage to lead what is a fairly privileged lifestyle?
All that said, a man who can climb the rock pinnacle known as the Old Man of Hoy in his eighties must be admired. I do indeed admire him, and probably there is some envy there too.
His description of his relationship with his late wife Wendy is touching but - as if he has to get all the facts down - rather too methodical. Of course, to him his family relationships are of overwhelming importance, but he struggles to keep the interest of any reader who does not know the personalities.
To me a huge gap was - how on earth did he pay for all this? While mountaineering is highly risky and very daring, it's hardly a job in the accepted sense. Of course, Bonington spends a lot of time writing and lecturing, but the expeditions are essentially ways in which he does what he enjoys best (what we might call holidays, if they weren't intrinsically so dangerous). How does he manage to lead what is a fairly privileged lifestyle?
All that said, a man who can climb the rock pinnacle known as the Old Man of Hoy in his eighties must be admired. I do indeed admire him, and probably there is some envy there too.
June 16, 2019
Chris Bonington is undoubtedly one of the most prestigious mountaineers of his and any other generation. ‘Ascent’ gives a clear and insightful look into his life and the developments in climbing and expeditions that enabled him to still be climbing even as an octogenarian. With his conquests of the highest and hardest climbs in the world comes a who’s who of the climbing world, like a Rolodex annotated with both triumph and grief, culminating in the loss of his inspirational wife, Wendy.
This is a moving account of a life without bounds that takes the reader to the heights of every continent on earth. Helped by extensive access to letters to and from loved ones, a huge catalogue of photographs and personal diaries, Chris Bonington tells of his life with eloquent candour sharing the exhilarating highs with the touching lows of failure and loss: well-deserved of the honours bestowed on him by Queen and country, Chris Bonington will be remembered for his long-career, achievements and contributions to climbing, mountaineering and Outward Bound.
An impressive account of one mans ascent to become a climbing legend.
This is a moving account of a life without bounds that takes the reader to the heights of every continent on earth. Helped by extensive access to letters to and from loved ones, a huge catalogue of photographs and personal diaries, Chris Bonington tells of his life with eloquent candour sharing the exhilarating highs with the touching lows of failure and loss: well-deserved of the honours bestowed on him by Queen and country, Chris Bonington will be remembered for his long-career, achievements and contributions to climbing, mountaineering and Outward Bound.
An impressive account of one mans ascent to become a climbing legend.
August 2, 2019
This book documenting the author's life reads a bit like a Greek tragedy. While the author is one of the UK'S greatest mountaineers and I have a lot of respect for him, I struggle to understand why he does what he does, when every expedition ends in tragedy. The author honestly himself admits at one point that he could not justify what he does if he knew in advance the consequences, but he continues nonetheless. The author also has misfortune outside his climbing life, with several large personal family tragedies. It is testament to his character that he apparently keeps a positive outlook on life despite all the death, but I struggled to connect with him through this writing. I am a big fan of adventure/travel writing in general, but this book did not resonate with me in the same way as some others. Probably the best aspect of this book is that it accurately records the authors often remarkable climbing achievements and interactions with other climbing legends. Overall, this is a decent book for fans of mountaineering writing, but it is not in my view destined to become a classic.
April 12, 2018
Highly entertaining and very informative. It goes into a world that few of us would dream of entering, that is the world of pushing yourself to the edge of your endurance and putting your life on the edge for a passion. This show how driven a person needs to be to get to the top of your profession and how that drive never goes away even when your friends around you die. The emotional side did come over as well though. I must say Chris's wife was amazing as she looked after the young family when he was away for months at a time. This was the first of his books that I have read but it has made me look at reading the others as they will go into more detail about the climbs that are covered in this book.
August 25, 2018
If you have a causal interest in mountaineering or just want to have a little insight into what it is like this is a great book.
I believe Bonington did a good job of laying out his expeditions, as well as what family life was like for him. Everything was quite clear and concise and not filled with complicated jargon, so I found it a nice book to follow.
If I had to criticise anything about this book, it would have been interesting to learn more about the affects of accidents and deaths within mountaineering. However, this is Bonington's story so it is understandable, especially because of how many accidents there are, that he doesn't linger on these for too long.
I believe Bonington did a good job of laying out his expeditions, as well as what family life was like for him. Everything was quite clear and concise and not filled with complicated jargon, so I found it a nice book to follow.
If I had to criticise anything about this book, it would have been interesting to learn more about the affects of accidents and deaths within mountaineering. However, this is Bonington's story so it is understandable, especially because of how many accidents there are, that he doesn't linger on these for too long.
November 21, 2017
Autobiography of one of the most celebrated mountaineers of all time, not just in his youth, but also in his middle and late years. Incredible strength, willpower and persistence, that is required to conquer formidable Himalayan challenges. The achievements are underplayed, in the classic Brit style, and the most emotional parts are those with the family. A life well lived, which deserves to be celebrated for its courage, enthusiasm and derring-do!
June 7, 2018
So as a life story this is impressive. The sheer volume and longevity of his adventures are staggering. The trouble was that it read as a dry compendium of those trips rather than an adventure story such as those by Fiennes. Equally as a non climber I was neither exposed to the technicalities of climbing or detail on the various risks other than when tragedy struck or changes through the decades. Disappointing.
July 3, 2020
Chris and I had come out from breakfast at our hotel in New York, headed down for his panel discussion with Ueli Steck and Jim Clash, the Forbes Adventure columnist.
'Shall we walk or just take a taxi?
'How far is it?' Chris asked as the morning traffic and people swirled and bumped around us in the crispness of Autumn. 'Just over a mile?'
'Oh, let's just walk.' And off we strode through the bustling streets of the city. That enthusiasm for experiences, for having even a quick city walk vs. taking a taxi was what I'd noticed in Chris ever since we had first met at Everest Base Camp over 30 years before. There he had a very early and rather rare Apple computer that he took me through his expedition plan for the Norwegian team he was climbing with. It was complete with graphs, camps, team movements and elevations. It was classic Chris, and even then being ahead of his time.
In my earlier review of the top 5 Everest books and their authors Bonington's, 'Everest the Hard Way' stands out as iconic. Yet in many ways, like many of his single expedition books, it must have been an easier book to write: a natural story with one mountain, one cast of characters and one conclusion. With Ascent, the focus is on a life, and a host of climbs and experiences encompassing both the globe and an infinite array of climbing partners. This makes writing an autobiography particularly challenging, given Bonington's' immense range of experiences. His mix of floating the Nile, climbing Everest and a very interesting upbringing and family life, all of which is related with refreshing candor, would challenge the best of writers.
While a large part of the central section of the book is taken up with well told recounts of his climbs from his many other books, it is the opening and closing chapters that truly stand out.
From a life with an absentee father, and a strong, yet challenged and also occasionally absent mother, he approaches life challenges in a way that quickly shrugs them off, and moves on to the next thing. Not without learning the lessons, not without some self realization, but still moving rapidly forward and onto something new.
On his return from his earliest climbing experience on Snowdon, having been avalanched off from the heights he relates, 'We were tumbling down laughing and whooping until we came to a rest just below the frozen tarn.' His friend hitchhiked home the next day. Undaunted, Chris returned to climbing the hills. These early adventures, from setbacks with exams, to joining the RAF, are set amongst the ongoing passion to simply climb, climb, climb, be it Scottish ice or days out at Harrison's rocks.
What comes through is not only an unequivocal passion for new adventures, but a willingness to quickly sum up the emotions, the tears of frustration at missing out on an exam score to the joys of scrabbling to the top of a first winter ascent in Scotland with Hamish MacInnes. As Chapter 20 rolls around, we move away from climbing and into the real heart of this story - what exists beyond the peaks, even though they are the driving force in his life.
In the chapter 'Bonington and Sons' we see and feel the challenges of all parents, how to first teach, then guide and finally step away from our own children. Thankfully Bonington tackles this part of his life openly in a way both instructional and inspirational, dealing with the tribulations of letting go and still yet helping children find their own way.
In a 'Strange Retirement' we see Chris not so much retiring, as using his influence in a number of good causes, from universities to Outward Bound. I remember seeing Chris lecture in Melbourne many years ago, and coming away with a sense of both amazing successes, but on climbs that frequently pushed the boundaries so far that teammates died in the process. And a sense if you wanted to climb hard in the Himalayas that death simply was, and still is, part of what you need to accept.
In the final and most powerful chapter, Chris writes about the loss of his beloved wife Wendy. We see and feel a man who has braved innumerable heights, touched the top of the world, seen the passing of many a seemingly invincible climber, now dealing with the inevitability of motor neurone disease. And moments of compassion are never stronger than in the simple lines about end of day:
'At last, in bed, I could snuggle up against her, getting every bit as much assurance from her as I could give to her, by our close physical contact.' In the epilogue we are introduced to Bonington's new wife, and in many ways new life, as he starts another chapter in his phenomenal life.
After our weekend with Bonington in New York at the American Alpine Club Annual meeting, from dinners to breakfasts to panel discussions, I sent him an email and thanked him for his time and being so gracious in meeting so many friends.
By return, I received photos of the view from his window at home, a man who does excel at sharing his life's moments with others.
'Shall we walk or just take a taxi?
'How far is it?' Chris asked as the morning traffic and people swirled and bumped around us in the crispness of Autumn. 'Just over a mile?'
'Oh, let's just walk.' And off we strode through the bustling streets of the city. That enthusiasm for experiences, for having even a quick city walk vs. taking a taxi was what I'd noticed in Chris ever since we had first met at Everest Base Camp over 30 years before. There he had a very early and rather rare Apple computer that he took me through his expedition plan for the Norwegian team he was climbing with. It was complete with graphs, camps, team movements and elevations. It was classic Chris, and even then being ahead of his time.
In my earlier review of the top 5 Everest books and their authors Bonington's, 'Everest the Hard Way' stands out as iconic. Yet in many ways, like many of his single expedition books, it must have been an easier book to write: a natural story with one mountain, one cast of characters and one conclusion. With Ascent, the focus is on a life, and a host of climbs and experiences encompassing both the globe and an infinite array of climbing partners. This makes writing an autobiography particularly challenging, given Bonington's' immense range of experiences. His mix of floating the Nile, climbing Everest and a very interesting upbringing and family life, all of which is related with refreshing candor, would challenge the best of writers.
While a large part of the central section of the book is taken up with well told recounts of his climbs from his many other books, it is the opening and closing chapters that truly stand out.
From a life with an absentee father, and a strong, yet challenged and also occasionally absent mother, he approaches life challenges in a way that quickly shrugs them off, and moves on to the next thing. Not without learning the lessons, not without some self realization, but still moving rapidly forward and onto something new.
On his return from his earliest climbing experience on Snowdon, having been avalanched off from the heights he relates, 'We were tumbling down laughing and whooping until we came to a rest just below the frozen tarn.' His friend hitchhiked home the next day. Undaunted, Chris returned to climbing the hills. These early adventures, from setbacks with exams, to joining the RAF, are set amongst the ongoing passion to simply climb, climb, climb, be it Scottish ice or days out at Harrison's rocks.
What comes through is not only an unequivocal passion for new adventures, but a willingness to quickly sum up the emotions, the tears of frustration at missing out on an exam score to the joys of scrabbling to the top of a first winter ascent in Scotland with Hamish MacInnes. As Chapter 20 rolls around, we move away from climbing and into the real heart of this story - what exists beyond the peaks, even though they are the driving force in his life.
In the chapter 'Bonington and Sons' we see and feel the challenges of all parents, how to first teach, then guide and finally step away from our own children. Thankfully Bonington tackles this part of his life openly in a way both instructional and inspirational, dealing with the tribulations of letting go and still yet helping children find their own way.
In a 'Strange Retirement' we see Chris not so much retiring, as using his influence in a number of good causes, from universities to Outward Bound. I remember seeing Chris lecture in Melbourne many years ago, and coming away with a sense of both amazing successes, but on climbs that frequently pushed the boundaries so far that teammates died in the process. And a sense if you wanted to climb hard in the Himalayas that death simply was, and still is, part of what you need to accept.
In the final and most powerful chapter, Chris writes about the loss of his beloved wife Wendy. We see and feel a man who has braved innumerable heights, touched the top of the world, seen the passing of many a seemingly invincible climber, now dealing with the inevitability of motor neurone disease. And moments of compassion are never stronger than in the simple lines about end of day:
'At last, in bed, I could snuggle up against her, getting every bit as much assurance from her as I could give to her, by our close physical contact.' In the epilogue we are introduced to Bonington's new wife, and in many ways new life, as he starts another chapter in his phenomenal life.
After our weekend with Bonington in New York at the American Alpine Club Annual meeting, from dinners to breakfasts to panel discussions, I sent him an email and thanked him for his time and being so gracious in meeting so many friends.
By return, I received photos of the view from his window at home, a man who does excel at sharing his life's moments with others.
March 5, 2022
I enjoyed this book, having had a recent interest in Don Willans. I think Chris manages to summarise his life, shedding light on his decisions and the effect of other people on his life, in an engaging way. The loss of friends in the pursuit of fame and glory became a regular occurrence, but, the loss of his first wife to a terrible disease presented a challenge he found more difficult than any mountain..
March 22, 2023
Bonington's climbing achievements cannot be understated, and he's surprisingly humble about them in this book. It becomes apparent throughout that climbing and exploration have been the focus of his life - at the expense of all else. He truly lived in a different world, and some of his expeditions are simply unbelievable. A true piece of British exploration history, but one from an era that is surely past.
March 7, 2024
Fascinating autobiography of Britain's most famous climber. The biography obviously primarily focuses on his various climbing expeditions but does not exclude his home life. One of the shocking things is just how many of his climbing partners and colleagues have died in climbing accidents over the years. He admits himself that it is only luck that he has survived to the age that he has. And yet, that didn't stop him seeking out new challenges.
January 30, 2018
Seemingly endless amount of climbing adventures in an era of first ascents. Didn't really draw me in though. I think that due to trying to cram so much into a single book the emotional side of loss of climbing comrades was lost.
June 16, 2018
A good read. I've read most all of his books, so it's easy to feel quite a lot of over familiarity with the material. But I didn't know the last decades and what he has done. An extraordinary climber. An extraordinary life.
January 12, 2019
Not being a climber I didn't understand the technicalities, but as I am very interested in Everest, Greenland and Kilimanjaro I found it well worth reading. Bonington has had a remarkable life and the book does it fair justice.
May 4, 2019
Not a bad book but since it’s a collection of stories from throughout Bonington’s career many are familiar if you have read other mountaineering books. If you haven’t then worth reading as gives some good accounts of big Himalayan ascents when siege tactics were the usual approach.
May 4, 2020
It was very interesting and entertaining to read about the adventures that Chris has had in the mountains. I enjoyed the way he told the stories and think it would be very interesting to hear him speak or have a conversation with him over a beer.
September 21, 2023
I ended up skimming a fair few chapters towards the second half of book as I wasn’t engrossed in many of the climbing details. (Names of climbers and who was on the team etc)
Some good bits of insight and other well written areas but not my favourite read
Some good bits of insight and other well written areas but not my favourite read
December 23, 2024
This is my fourth book by Chris Bonington; so, he is a known quantity and a damn good writer. His chapter on the loss of his wife of fifty-two years was very touching, Chris had many tough moments in his life far beyond his mountain climbing.
October 2, 2025
Enjoyable read for the many Wikipedia/YouTube rabbit warrens it inspired, and the determination he had to get out and do stuff! Did feel like his marriage and family life may have suffered somewhat in the pursuit.
June 11, 2018
Solid account of a remarkable life.
June 12, 2018
A very easy read about a very decent man.
Inspiring and thought provoking, we should all have such a full life.
Inspiring and thought provoking, we should all have such a full life.
June 29, 2019
Absorbing, fascinating and emotional insight into the life, adventures and loves of this extraordinary climber. Thoroughly recommended.
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