Sir Chris Bonington: A Life of Great Heights

Born in 1934 in Hampstead, England, Sir Chris Bonington began scaling the walls of Scotland and Wales at the age of 16. He was instantly hooked. “I loved it passionately from that very first moment,” he says.

After climbing avidly in the British Isles as a young man, he began venturing into the Alps and soon, the Himalaya. His passion for climbing went on to shape his life.

Today, the mountaineer, writer, photographer and lecturer continues to enjoy one of the most enduring and illustrious careers climbing has ever seen. His lofty accomplishments include the first British ascent of the North Wall of the Eiger, leading the team that made the first ascent of The South Face of Annapurna and leading the expedition that notched the first ascent of the Southwest Face of Everest.

He has written about his exploits in some 17 books, has lectured worldwide and in 1996, was knighted for services to mountaineering. And some 69 years after he was first introduced to the sport, he still climbs walls with the same drive and enthusiasm that has long fueled him.

Bonington — the subject of Bonington: Mountaineer — will join veteran climbing writer Bernadette McDonald for this conversation about a life spent in the mountains, which will be paired with a screening of the film.