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Mountaineer: A Lifetime of Climbing the Great Mountains of the World
Chris Bonington's photographic autobiography.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
About the author
Chris Bonington
113 books37 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 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 9, 2019
A visual feast.
Ask a non-climber to name a mountaineer and odds on they’ll say Chris Bonington. Now the answer might be ‘that French girl who climbs in shorts in the desert without ropes”, or more recently “the nerdy American guy in Free Solo”. A few may even be misguided enough to say Brian Blessed. But “Bonners”, “His Nibs”, “Mr. Mountaineering” or simply “Sir Chris”, is without doubt the headline act. Now in his 80’s, he’s a national mountaineering treasure.
It was not always thus. I started climbing in the 1960s, a decade after Bonners, and throughout my early years he was stereotyped by the tribe of dirtbag rock climbers as a posh ex-army officer, a self-publicist, and maybe more cathedral choir than rock and roll, but his climbing achievements then and later have stood the test of time. Perhaps the churlishness was due to a touch of historical prejudice?
Before the Second World War, the stalwarts of British climbing were, with a few notable exceptions, drawn mainly from the upper classes – double-barrelled names echoed around the mountains, professors boldly forged classic routes in Scotland, and the occasional Knight of the Realm and senior army officer made forays to the big peaks on other continents, at a time when exploration and mountaineering were seen as inseparable. However, in the post-war era, it was the time of working class heroes – Brown and Whillans, the plumbers from Manchester, and the Creagh Dhu from the Glasgow shipyards. The standard of rock-climbing rose dramatically during the 50’s and 60’s, and Bonington was very much a part of it, even though at first he seemed a rather gauche intruder, he forged powerful partnerships with Don Whillans and Hamish MacInnes in particular.
His reputation grew in the public eye as he not only succeeded on difficult climbs like the Eiger North Face, the Central Pillar of Frêney on Mont Blanc, and Annapurna but turned to photo-journalism which helped him raise the sponsorship and profile needed for the big Himalayan expeditions he led throughout the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s.
His image amongst the Rock and Roll rebels of British rock-climbing initially remained ambiguous – no-one doubted his climbing credentials and drive, yet there was still an inverted snobbery at work that was typified by the prank played on him by Pete Livesey in the Channel 4 Lakeland Rock TV series, when Livesey dangled a £5 note at him from above on the hard climb Footless Crow to encourage him past a difficult section. The subtext was that “Bonners” was motivated by money, but this was nothing more than the naughty boys taking the piss out of the headmaster.
Bonington has now written 20 books. He writes well and has a lot worth writing about. This revised edition of his 1989 coffee table book “Mountaineer” continues the story of his remarkable career with 5 added chapters bringing us up to date, concluding with an account of his return to climb the Old Man of Hoy in Orkney at the age of 80, and 48 years after his first ascent of this spectacular sea stack. The original event was the subject of a live TV broadcast and brought a youthful Chris, and rock-climbing itself, to the general public’s notice, although by then his climbing exploits were well-known to the climbing world. His skill as a photographer is evident, and capturing the moment in extreme locations guarantees that an illustrated book will be a delight. The first edition of Mountaineer at 32cm x 24cm showed these photos off to great advantage. Scale is a critical component in mountain photography and this slightly smaller revised paperback edition (24 x 19cm) has lost some of the staggering grandeur of a few photographs, and there is an inevitable re-formatting of some pages from the original chapters, but this is made up for by the crispness, colour and contrast of this expanded edition. The 5 extra chapters bring a further 120 or so new photos to the party, although many are small and more like holiday snaps than the big hitters in the original. This is my only criticism of an otherwise excellent addition to the Bonington tales.
He’s lost a lot of friends in the mountains, because they are dangerous places – avalanche, rock fall, storm, altitude sickness, cold and exhaustion are not risks that can be 100% managed. Boningtons’ accounts of the loss of friends are written with emotion, openness and self-examination. He is as courageous when tackling personal grief in his writing as he was on his hardest climbs, and his brief account of his wife’s death from Motor Neurone Disease and his subsequent finding of love at 82 with the widow of an old friend is the mark of a man who has faced life with fortitude and positivity.
This book is a visual feast for climbers and non-climbers alike, and the text tells each story with a refreshingly light and easy style. Highly recommended.
Ask a non-climber to name a mountaineer and odds on they’ll say Chris Bonington. Now the answer might be ‘that French girl who climbs in shorts in the desert without ropes”, or more recently “the nerdy American guy in Free Solo”. A few may even be misguided enough to say Brian Blessed. But “Bonners”, “His Nibs”, “Mr. Mountaineering” or simply “Sir Chris”, is without doubt the headline act. Now in his 80’s, he’s a national mountaineering treasure.
It was not always thus. I started climbing in the 1960s, a decade after Bonners, and throughout my early years he was stereotyped by the tribe of dirtbag rock climbers as a posh ex-army officer, a self-publicist, and maybe more cathedral choir than rock and roll, but his climbing achievements then and later have stood the test of time. Perhaps the churlishness was due to a touch of historical prejudice?
Before the Second World War, the stalwarts of British climbing were, with a few notable exceptions, drawn mainly from the upper classes – double-barrelled names echoed around the mountains, professors boldly forged classic routes in Scotland, and the occasional Knight of the Realm and senior army officer made forays to the big peaks on other continents, at a time when exploration and mountaineering were seen as inseparable. However, in the post-war era, it was the time of working class heroes – Brown and Whillans, the plumbers from Manchester, and the Creagh Dhu from the Glasgow shipyards. The standard of rock-climbing rose dramatically during the 50’s and 60’s, and Bonington was very much a part of it, even though at first he seemed a rather gauche intruder, he forged powerful partnerships with Don Whillans and Hamish MacInnes in particular.
His reputation grew in the public eye as he not only succeeded on difficult climbs like the Eiger North Face, the Central Pillar of Frêney on Mont Blanc, and Annapurna but turned to photo-journalism which helped him raise the sponsorship and profile needed for the big Himalayan expeditions he led throughout the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s.
His image amongst the Rock and Roll rebels of British rock-climbing initially remained ambiguous – no-one doubted his climbing credentials and drive, yet there was still an inverted snobbery at work that was typified by the prank played on him by Pete Livesey in the Channel 4 Lakeland Rock TV series, when Livesey dangled a £5 note at him from above on the hard climb Footless Crow to encourage him past a difficult section. The subtext was that “Bonners” was motivated by money, but this was nothing more than the naughty boys taking the piss out of the headmaster.
Bonington has now written 20 books. He writes well and has a lot worth writing about. This revised edition of his 1989 coffee table book “Mountaineer” continues the story of his remarkable career with 5 added chapters bringing us up to date, concluding with an account of his return to climb the Old Man of Hoy in Orkney at the age of 80, and 48 years after his first ascent of this spectacular sea stack. The original event was the subject of a live TV broadcast and brought a youthful Chris, and rock-climbing itself, to the general public’s notice, although by then his climbing exploits were well-known to the climbing world. His skill as a photographer is evident, and capturing the moment in extreme locations guarantees that an illustrated book will be a delight. The first edition of Mountaineer at 32cm x 24cm showed these photos off to great advantage. Scale is a critical component in mountain photography and this slightly smaller revised paperback edition (24 x 19cm) has lost some of the staggering grandeur of a few photographs, and there is an inevitable re-formatting of some pages from the original chapters, but this is made up for by the crispness, colour and contrast of this expanded edition. The 5 extra chapters bring a further 120 or so new photos to the party, although many are small and more like holiday snaps than the big hitters in the original. This is my only criticism of an otherwise excellent addition to the Bonington tales.
He’s lost a lot of friends in the mountains, because they are dangerous places – avalanche, rock fall, storm, altitude sickness, cold and exhaustion are not risks that can be 100% managed. Boningtons’ accounts of the loss of friends are written with emotion, openness and self-examination. He is as courageous when tackling personal grief in his writing as he was on his hardest climbs, and his brief account of his wife’s death from Motor Neurone Disease and his subsequent finding of love at 82 with the widow of an old friend is the mark of a man who has faced life with fortitude and positivity.
This book is a visual feast for climbers and non-climbers alike, and the text tells each story with a refreshingly light and easy style. Highly recommended.
December 5, 2025
What a man!
January 10, 2025
I know we’re talking about Sir Chris Bonnington here but I’m blown away by one persons lifetime accomplishments.
It’s staggering reading through the climbing record at the back of the book.
At this point, sure - you’ve read 250 pages recounting those trips but to see them as a list is quite something. I’d certainly be content with one page of achievements. Chris has three, and these are just his climbing records.
Very inspiring. A true legend.
As a side note. The photographs are fantastic. More so considering Chris was using film and exposing his kit to some extreme conditions.
It’s staggering reading through the climbing record at the back of the book.
At this point, sure - you’ve read 250 pages recounting those trips but to see them as a list is quite something. I’d certainly be content with one page of achievements. Chris has three, and these are just his climbing records.
Very inspiring. A true legend.
As a side note. The photographs are fantastic. More so considering Chris was using film and exposing his kit to some extreme conditions.
January 6, 2025
A great book with amazing visuals really giving some insight into the high altitude climbing. Really enjoyed it and will hopefully read through it again for inspiration.
April 11, 2019
Sir Chris Bonington is a figure that transcends the small world of climbing and mountaineering to being a household name. By ‘choosing’ to climb back in the 1960s he pioneered the notion of a climbing career through writing articles and books, photography, giving lectures and t.v. appearances. But in order to do these things you have to first climb something worth talking about, and Bonington has done an extraordinary amount of significant climbing throughout his long and illustrious climbing career.
Mountaineer is a collection of photo-essays arranged thematically rather than chronologically. Such is the longevity and high standard of Bonington’s climbing throughout his life that this book reads like a history of post war British mountaineering; look closely at the pictures and you can see the developments in gear over the decades. Written with great honesty and humility these essays are reflections on adventure, risk, success, failure, exploration, relationships, aesthetics, loss and ageing. Although perhaps best known for his Himalayan climbs, these tales and pictures reveal his exploits in Britain, the Alps, South and North America, Greenland, Antartica and New Zealand. All of which are sandwiched between two accounts of ascents of the Old Man of Hoy: Bonington’s first ascent in 1966 with Tom Patey and Rustie Baillie, a significant climb for its day. And his subsequent ascent with Leo Houlding in 2014, at the the age of 80. Wow.
Bonington really has spent a ‘lifetime’ climbing and this book is a warm and heartfelt reflection of the people and the places over the years, and he makes it clear that the people are as important as the places. This book is an absolute must for anyone with an interest in British mountaineering history, climbing around the world or an exploration of what a single minded man can achieve.
Mountaineer is a collection of photo-essays arranged thematically rather than chronologically. Such is the longevity and high standard of Bonington’s climbing throughout his life that this book reads like a history of post war British mountaineering; look closely at the pictures and you can see the developments in gear over the decades. Written with great honesty and humility these essays are reflections on adventure, risk, success, failure, exploration, relationships, aesthetics, loss and ageing. Although perhaps best known for his Himalayan climbs, these tales and pictures reveal his exploits in Britain, the Alps, South and North America, Greenland, Antartica and New Zealand. All of which are sandwiched between two accounts of ascents of the Old Man of Hoy: Bonington’s first ascent in 1966 with Tom Patey and Rustie Baillie, a significant climb for its day. And his subsequent ascent with Leo Houlding in 2014, at the the age of 80. Wow.
Bonington really has spent a ‘lifetime’ climbing and this book is a warm and heartfelt reflection of the people and the places over the years, and he makes it clear that the people are as important as the places. This book is an absolute must for anyone with an interest in British mountaineering history, climbing around the world or an exploration of what a single minded man can achieve.
May 8, 2019
The mountaineer your Gran will have heard of and this visual feast of a book gives a glimpse into the ascents, places and the relationships forged in these often unforgiving places that have made Bonington the legend that he is.
The book with its rich and geographically varied photos will appeal to all with an interest in adventure, for climbers the book offers a real illustration of Chris's place in the changing nature of Alpine/Expedition climbing, away from the summit at all cost, logistic heavy sieges towards smaller more self supported expeditions.
My one criticism of the book would perhaps be that whilst these changes are hinted at in the text Chris does not explore them very much, as such those with a little knowledge already won't learn much more about him, or have the general impression of him as the stable expedition organiser particularly altered.
Perhaps his other publications fill this role however the text which goes alongside the photos is very much an explanation of events rather than an attempt to describe the wider context in which they took place. This seems a shame as the breadth of Chris' experience are sure to lead to some interesting insights into how the game of climbing has changed.
Nonetheless for anyone in love with the mountains this book, and especially the photos from so many hard won places offers an entertaining and rather inspiring look at the amazing places the spirit of adventure can take you.
The book with its rich and geographically varied photos will appeal to all with an interest in adventure, for climbers the book offers a real illustration of Chris's place in the changing nature of Alpine/Expedition climbing, away from the summit at all cost, logistic heavy sieges towards smaller more self supported expeditions.
My one criticism of the book would perhaps be that whilst these changes are hinted at in the text Chris does not explore them very much, as such those with a little knowledge already won't learn much more about him, or have the general impression of him as the stable expedition organiser particularly altered.
Perhaps his other publications fill this role however the text which goes alongside the photos is very much an explanation of events rather than an attempt to describe the wider context in which they took place. This seems a shame as the breadth of Chris' experience are sure to lead to some interesting insights into how the game of climbing has changed.
Nonetheless for anyone in love with the mountains this book, and especially the photos from so many hard won places offers an entertaining and rather inspiring look at the amazing places the spirit of adventure can take you.
Currently Reading
April 10, 2019This is a really great book – a pictorial autobiography of one of the world’s greatest mountaineers. It’s a timely revision of the 1996 first edition, which, with the addition of chapters covering the last two decades, brings the reader up-to-date with Sir Chris Bonington's incredible mountaineering and photo-jounalistic career. The book is a vivid and glorious photo-chronology of a lifetime climbing the greatest mountains on earth. It also, and perhaps more significantly, presents Sir Chris's legendary achievements to the next generation of climbers and mountaineers. It stands as an “on the shoulders of giants” testament, allowing today's conquests to be seen with a perspective that demonstrates what was done and at what cost by Bonington and his companions in the Alps, Patagonia, the Karakoram and Himalayas. And the list of Bonington’s team-mates reads like a roll-call for the very best of British mountaineering from the defining, groundbreaking decades between 1950 and 1980: MacInnes, Whillans, Patey, Clough, Haston, Estcourt, Rouse, Burke, Scott, Boardman, Tasker… to name but some… This 2nd edition is poignantly dedicated to Ken Wilson, the voice of British mountaineering, who edited the first edition and who died in 2016.
April 9, 2019
This is a visually stunning summary of Sir Chris's expeditions, climbs and more. Progressing from early days in the uk and the alps to the big Himalayan giants Chris is probably most famous for.
Every chapter is engaging and well written as you would expect but the real treat is in the visuals. Its simply stunning with well reproduced crisp visuals of parts of the world that I know I'll never venture in as a mountaineer. There are many historical shots of stories I'd read before but with a new take on the subject.
Really recommended if you want to read and view the highs and lows of mountaineering and adventure.
Every chapter is engaging and well written as you would expect but the real treat is in the visuals. Its simply stunning with well reproduced crisp visuals of parts of the world that I know I'll never venture in as a mountaineer. There are many historical shots of stories I'd read before but with a new take on the subject.
Really recommended if you want to read and view the highs and lows of mountaineering and adventure.
April 6, 2019
Mountaineer is Chris Bonington's photographic autobiography and gives and account of many of his climbs accompanied by some amazing photographs of these adventures. These really help convey the beauty of the high mountains and other areas described as well as being wonderfully evocative of their era. It's really impressive that many of them had been taken at all given the difficulty of getting to many of these places let alone taking photos.
October 2, 2020
Fantastic photographs and a window into a life full of adventure. You are bound to have serious wanderlust after reading this one!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews