London, 1971, 1st UK edition. 334 pp, illustrations. The first ascent of Annapurna's SW Face presaged a new era of extreme climbing in the Himalaya. Bonington's finest book. Hardcover with dust jacket. Book and jacket are Near Fine.
In 1970, Chris Bonington and his now-legendary team of mountaineers were the first climbers to tackle a big wall at extreme altitude. Their target was the south face of Nepal’s Annapurna: 12,000 feet of steep rock and ice leading to a 26, 454-ft. summit. As serious armchair climbers will tell you, Annapurna South Face is better than all but a handful of equally gripping classics.
The Climbs of Chris Bonington: (From Wikipedia, July 2025)
Notable climbs[edit]
1960 Annapurna II (First ascent) with Richard Grant and Sherpa Ang Nyima
1961 Central Pillar of Freney, Mont Blanc (First ascent) with Ian Clough, Don Whillans and Jan Długosz
1962 North Wall of the Eiger (First British ascent) with Ian Clough
1963 Central Tower of Paine, Patagonia (First ascent) with Don Whillans[13]
1964 Cime de l'Est NE Ridge, Dents du Midi, (First ascent) with John Harlin and Rusty Baillie[14][15]
1965 Coronation Street, Cheddar Gorge (First ascent)
1966 Old Man of Hoy (First ascent) with Tom Patey
1973 Brammah (6,411 metres (21,033 ft) (First ascent) with Nick Estcourt
1974 Changabang, Garhwal Himalaya (6,864 metres (22,520 ft) (First ascent) with Don Whillans, Doug Scott and Dougal Haston
1975 Southwest face of Mount Everest (8,848 metres (29,029 ft) [8]
1977 Baintha Brakk (7,285 metres (23,901 ft) (First ascent) with Doug Scott
1981 Kongur Tagh (7,719 metres (25,325 ft) (First ascent) with Joe Tasker, Al Rouse and Pete Boardman
1983 West Summit of Shivling, Gangotri (6,501 metres (21,329 ft) (First Ascent)
1983 Vinson Massif (4,897 metres (16,066 ft) (First British ascent – solo)
1985 Mount Everest as member of Norwegian Everest Expedition
1987 Menlungtse (7,181 metres (23,560 ft) attempted FA of main peak via South Buttress, to 6100 metres; 20,013'; w/ Odd Eliason, Bjorn Myrer-Lund, Torgeir Fosse, Helge Ringdal (all Norwegian) and Jim Fotheringham (UK).[16]
1988 Menlungtse West (7,023 metres (23,041 ft) FA via West Ridge, (expedition leader). Summit attained by Andy Fanshawe and Alan Hinkes (both UK), with David Breashears and Steve Shea (both USA) in support.[17]
1995 Drangnag Ri (6,801 metres (22,313 ft) (First ascent) with Ralph Høibakk, Pem Dorjee Sherpa, Bjørn Myrer Lund[18]
2014 The Old Man of Hoy (137 metres (449 ft) to mark his 80th birthday and to raise funds for motor neuron disease charities[19]
As Expedition leader
1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, successful, summit reached by Dougal Haston and Don Whillans; death of Ian Clough
1972 Mount Everest, (south-west face), unsuccessful
1975 British Mount Everest Southwest Face expedition, successful, summit reached by Doug Scott, Dougal Haston, Peter Boardman, Pertemba Sherpa and Mick Burke; death of Burke
1978 K2 (west face), unsuccessful; death of Nick Estcourt
1982 Mount Everest (north-east ridge), unsuccessful; death of Peter Boardman and Joe Tasker
Although expedition leader, Bonington did not reach the summit of these peaks on these expeditions
