Chris’s Blog

Thursday 7th November 2019

MEF ANNUAL LECTURE: Everest on Film

An evening of historic Everest films introduced by Sir Chris Bonington at the Royal Geographical Society, London at 7.00pm
Berghaus Bonington: Mountaineer Speakers from the Edge Royal Geographical Society

www.rgs.org/events/autumn-2019/everest-on-film/ ... See MoreSee Less

6 days ago

Loreto and I attended Zakopane Mountain Festival in Poland with two of the wonderful helpers who looked after us at the Festival Spotkania z Filmem Górskim, Zakopane Berghaus ... See MoreSee Less

1 week ago

Giving my lecture ably translated by Maciej to a huge and appreciative audience. I got a standing ovation at the end Spotkania z Filmem Górskim, Zakopane Berghaus ... See MoreSee Less

1 week ago

I had to dress up for a special montage of the principal speakers celebrating the 50th anniversary of the festival Berghaus Spotkania z Filmem Górskim, Zakopane ... See MoreSee Less

1 week ago

Zakopane is the most visited National Park in the World nestling below the magnificent Tatra mountains Berghaus Spotkania z Filmem Górskim, Zakopane ... See MoreSee Less

1 week ago

Signing books and posters with my brilliant translator, Maciej Krupa who looked after us throughout the Festival Spotkania z Filmem Górskim, Zakopane Berghaus Bonington: Mountaineer ... See MoreSee Less

1 week ago

I met many old friends and great climbers during the festival. The is Urs Stoeker from Germany who made the second ascent of The Ogre with Thomas Huber 20 years and after 20 attempts by other teams after the first ascent by. Doug Scott and my self in 1977, a sign of how difficult a climb it is. Berghaus Spotkania z Filmem Górskim, Zakopane ... See MoreSee Less

1 week ago

Mousehole Penzance Berghaus ... See MoreSee Less

2 weeks ago

Down to Frenchman’s creek off the Helford river, to find the cottage I had stayed in , in the summer of 1945, when I was 11. Berghaus ... See MoreSee Less

2 weeks ago

We were well looked after at Dartington, near Datmoor, where I was speaking at Ways with words festival in July. Berghaus Ways With Words ... See MoreSee Less

2 weeks ago

Visiting Mary Lambert, widow of Chris Lambert with whom I served in 2nd Royal tank regiment in Germany back in 1956. He was doing his national service and became an architect and retired to their lovely home is Topsham. Berghaus ... See MoreSee Less

2 weeks ago

It’s been a wonderful summer meeting old friends.

Martin and Margaret Henderson, Martin was finance director of Jardines Mathesons who sponsored our expeditions to Kongur and north east ridge of Everest in 1981 and 1982 and has been a good friend ever since Berghaus ... See MoreSee Less

2 weeks ago

Birthday celebration continues with my youngest son Rupert and his lovely wife Ann, and Loreto. Berghaus ... See MoreSee Less

3 weeks ago

Celebrating my 85th birthday with my Cumbrian family Berghaus ... See MoreSee Less

3 weeks ago

www.mef.org.uk/news/annual-lecture-everest-on-film on 7/11/19 at RGS in London Berghaus Simon & Schuster Bonington: Mountaineer ... See MoreSee Less

3 weeks ago

More Christmas stock just arrived, Ascent by Chris Bonington to order www.bonington.com Bonington: Mountaineer Simon & Schuster Speakers from the Edge Berghaus ... See MoreSee Less

9 months ago

Signing books at a packed house in Chelmsford Speakers from the Edge Berghaus Bonington: Mountaineer Simon Ashton ... See MoreSee Less

9 months ago

Full house in Chelmsford Speakers from the Edge Berghaus Bonington: Mountaineer Simon & Schuster ... See MoreSee Less

9 months ago

Less than 24hours left to give the gift of adventure this Christmas. Donate to Bendrigg Trust before 12pm Tues 4th Dec & not only will you help people with disabilities to achieve through adventure but your donation will be DOUBLED bit.ly/Bendrigg @chrisbonington Berghaus Simon & Schuster ... See MoreSee Less

9 months ago

Great nights at High Wycombe with audience of 500 and 400 at Horsham. Thank you everyone! @TheRealBerghaus #mountaineer @SpeakersEdge @ChrisBonington @simonschusterUK ... See MoreSee Less

10 months ago

It's #GivingTuesday and #donations to @BendriggTrust are being #doubled today! Please join me in helping them raise vital funds to enable disabled people to achieve through adventure. Donate here: bit.ly/Bendrigg ... See MoreSee Less

10 months ago

“ I have lived at Nether Row for over forty years and have come to love its gentle hills and the villages of Caldbeck and Hesket Newmarket with a real passion. To focus on Caldbeck it has everything a village should have, a Church, a school, a village hall, green and duck pond, a pub, a shop, a post office and so much more - a warm, friendly communal spirit that has led to a cricket, bowling and tennis and Amateur dramatics club with quite a few more thrown in. It has such a rich history both industrial and rural that goes back to Roman times,and whose traces can be traced to the present day in the diversity of its architecture and society, the successful blending of different waves of incomers. ~This is truly a unique and very special village society in so many ways.”

This is a 300-page history of Caldbeck titled 'Caldbeck -A Special Part of Lakeland'.Launch event Saturday 17th November in the Parish Hall at 11am for further details contact Tony vauxt@aol.com ... See MoreSee Less

10 months ago

It’s a wonderful, exuberant festival that packed 2000 happy people into the Award ceremony. #23FG #ladekmtnfest Simon & Schuster Mountain Heritage Trust Speakers from the Edge #chrisbonington Keith Partridge Brian Hall Bonington: Mountaineer ... See MoreSee Less

11 months ago

All the prize winners with Andre Stremelj, the brilliant Slovenian mountaineer, winner of the 2018 Life Time Achievement in the centre Sir Chris Bonington​ Keith Partridge​ Brian Hall​ Simon & Schuster​ Ladek Mountain Festival​ @23FG Bonington: Mountaineer​ ... See MoreSee Less

11 months ago

I had the great pleasure of presenting Frédéric Degoulet, Niçois Benjamin Guigonnet and Hélias Millerioux the Piolet d’Or for their superb Alpine Style Ascent of a new route on the South Face of Nuptse, of which I made the first ascent in 1961. #ladekmtnfest #23FG Bonington: Mountaineer Keith Partridge Brian Hall #berghaus Simon & Schuster Speakers from the Edge ... See MoreSee Less

11 months ago

Here I am, somewhat battered from tripping over in a walk in Little Langdale and landing on my head, just before coming out to Ladek. Brian Hall on my left, who with Keith Partridge produced his autobiographical film Mountaineer, Victor Saunders, Alpine Club and Joanna Croston, Program Director Banff Mountain Festival. Some great. socialising!! #23FG #ladekmtnfest #chrisbonington Brian Hall Keith Partridge Berghaus Simon & Schuster Vertebrate Publishing Bonington: Mountaineer ... See MoreSee Less

11 months ago

Film available from today to buy DVD www.bonington.com and download #BoningtonMountaineer #berghaus ... See MoreSee Less

2 years ago

Collecting donations with the local Mountain Rescue Team at Kendal Mountain Festival. #mountainrescue #KMF17 #chrisbonington #Ascent #BoningtonMountaineer #berghaus #simonandschuster #vertebrate #climbing #mountains ... See MoreSee Less

2 years ago

Here I am with some of the Kendal Mountain Film Festival organisers. Thank you for a wonderful festival. #kendal17 #berghaus #ascent #chrisbonington #BoningtonMountaineer ... See MoreSee Less

2 years ago

Packed audience at Q&A at #kendal17 #berghaus #ascent ... See MoreSee Less

2 years ago

Book signing at the Berghaus stand #kendal17 #berghaus #ascent #simonandschuster #vertebrate ... See MoreSee Less

2 years ago

We had a wonderful night at the UK Premiere of Bonington: Mountaineer at #kendalmountainfestival On stage with #eddouglas and #keithpartridge DVD is for sale at the festival this weekend, and out on www.bonington.com from 20th November #berghaus #chrislines ... See MoreSee Less

2 years ago

Have a look at this great book, published today written by Jo Woolf @sandstonepress @TheHazelTreeUK #greathorizon @rkbookpublicist @RoyalScotGeoSoc ... See MoreSee Less

2 years ago

Little-known fact: 20,000 lovers of all things mountain-related will be descending on Banff for the next #nineepicdays. We had a whopping 382 films submitted from 36 countries and whittled them down to 82 finalists. For book enthusiasts, we had 171 books from 11 countries and managed to pick the top 28 articles and books now in competition for the grand prize.

There are tons of free events to take in now until November 5th👌Head here to check 'em all out → goo.gl/5wJjEv ... See MoreSee Less

2 years ago

Come and meet Sir Chris Bonington at Kendal Mountain Festival this weekend.

Life & Times Lecture Saturday 19th November
in Kendal Town Hall 12noon - 1.30pm

Book Signings - Chris's revised edition of Mountaineer published November 2016 with five new chapters!

Berghaus Stall at the Brewery Arts Centre - Saturday 19th November 4.30pm - 6pm

Vertebrate Stall at The Brewery Arts Centre - Sunday 20th November 12noon - 1pm

Q & A at Basecamp Brewery Arts Centre - Sunday 20th November
1.00pm - 2.00pm ... See MoreSee Less

3 years ago

Mel Nicholls - Wheelchair Racer, many thanks for these wonderful kind words about my lecture at Brecon. Meeting you, after the lecture was every bit as inspiring for me. What you have achieved since those strokes you had, matches climbing six Everests or more.

Your courage in adversity, your determination to reach the top in your chosen Paralympic sport which led to your amazing success in the London Olympics, but you know, to me the most impressive of all is the way you handled being forced by illness to drop out of the finals in the Rio Paralympics. When we met after my lecture at Brecon, you radiated a wonderful positiveness and warmth or spirit that I know you have given to so many people. You truly are an inspiration and I do hope our paths cross in the future.I knew I would thoroughly enjoy and be inspired by my trip to Theatr Brycheiniog to see Sir Chris Bonington talk his 'Life and Times', but I was not prepared for an emotionally raw, spell binding journey that hit me hard to the point of tears and has left me moved and inspired by a man, a father, a husband, a grandfather and Britain's greatest ever mountaineer.
His accounts of first ascents of the North Wall of the Eiger, the South Face of Annapurna and being the First Briton to summit Everest from the SouthWest face were humble and real, the true bravery and danger taken by the climbers and the perilous mountains so often shown, comrades and close friends taken time and time again, this was very real and emotional and I found myself asking in my head "why does he keep going back to the mountains?" But as Chris continued to tell his story, he tells of his wife who became ill and after 52 years of marriage he lost to Motor Neurone Disease in 2014. My eyes could not hold back a tear and it was at that point I'd answered my own question. I knew every mountaineer, returning to the mountains, I knew that was what they loved, their passion and their dreams and that as awful as losing someone to the mountain, perhaps it was better doing what you love than to a cruel disease that breaks lives and takes dreams.
I wish I had the vocabulary to express just how incredible Sir Chis Bonington and his Life and Times is, I have never been moved to tears by a speaker before, and he himself also became visibly emotional.
He is now 82 years young, and shares the same mindset as myself, speaking on film from his recent climb of The Old Man of Hoy. He knows age is no barrier, he talks about by keeping going then there's no reason you can't keep doing it, this climb, at the age of 80, 48 years after his first ascent, Chris talks about wanting most, to make every single day of his eighties mean something. A long way from my eighties yet but no lesser truth in these words, about making every day count, making every day mean something. His next words rang true as they may for many no matter what age.. "Don't give up, just go for it, it's making life as rich and exciting as you can that keeps you going and gives you hope".
I was very fortunate to speak to Chris afterwards. Those that know me know my love for adventure and my love of mountains, Everest was always a dream growing up, and to me now the highest point on earth signifies so much to me personally. Something I was told while in hospital always stuck with me, the stroke rehab team telling me to take one step at a time and not try and climb the whole mountain in one, again, those that know me know I have never listened to their advice.
We spoke about my strokes and the games and how I was moved by his own story of London 2012 and what it meant to him to carry the torch up Snowdon where he first began his love for the mountains and would return with his whole family with the torch before his wife passed away.
He really was wonderful to talk to. To shake the hand of a first British ascent of the worlds highest mountain was something very special to me and his words back to me will stay with me for my lifetime. He smiled and said "well, you've climbed your own Everest", I smiled back. Because I know I have only just begun.

A truly wonderful evening and if anyone gets the chance to see him, do. ... See MoreSee Less

3 years ago

Exclusive #ClimbforCAN T-shirt available in all sizes - minimum donation £7.50

There are also a limited number of signed #ClimbforCAN T-shirts by Sir Chris Bonington and Doug Scott - minimum donation £25

How to buy?
You must either pop into the King Kong Climbing Centre or call them on 017687 75907 to double check that the item is still available.

If it is then donations can then be made in cash, cheque or via Just Giving and if you would like your item(s) posted you must also add £10 to cover P&P

Any remaining kit will be sold in an auction to be held at the King Kong Climbing Centre on Friday 26th June, 6.00pm where Doug Scott will give a short talk and act as auctioneer.

Refreshments and beverages will also be available.

Supported by:
Berghaus @King King Kong Climbing Centre Mountain Fuel - Peak Performance Nutrition Dodd Accountants Slug & Bull Right Lines Communications H&H Reeds Printers EventbriteUK Eden Lighthouse Keswick Mountain Festival Keswick the lake district Trail magazine Petzl Salewa Black Diamond Wanderlust travel magazine ... See MoreSee Less

4 years ago

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4 years ago

Great view from my dining room table as I enjoyed dinner and a catch up with my son Rupert.Dinner and catch up with dad at Caldbeck, accompanied by a great sun set! ... See MoreSee Less

4 years ago

Yesterday I had a lovely gentle walk from Friar Row, Caldbeck along the banks of the Caldew and the Cumbrian Way towards Sebergham. With the gorse just beginning to bloom and new born lambs Spring is definitely here! In the background is my local and favorite fell, High Pike on the sky line. ... See MoreSee Less

4 years ago

Referring to my earlier post this is young Paul Ross on left with Hamish right just after he had been hit on the head with a stone. It was 1958 so Paul was just 22 at a time and I was a youthful 24. Nobody bothered to take a picture of me! ... See MoreSee Less

4 years ago

Our next Film/Lecture evening!

Sir Chris Bonington will be in with his brand new talk "Life & Times" which features his astounding ascent of the Old Man of Hoy, at the age of 80!

12th May, at the usual start time of 7pm at £12 per ticket. ... See MoreSee Less

4 years ago