On the 21st April 1985 Chris Bonington reached the summit of Mount Everest at the age of 51. He was a member of the Norwegian Everest Expedition. He was the leader of the 1972, 1975 and 1982 British Mount Everest expeditions, and has travelled all over the world, making him become one of Britons most successful and loved mountain climbers.

1. You reached the summit of Mount Everest while on a Norwegian expedition, would you of preferred it to of been on a British expedition with some of your climbing colleagues?

I don’t regret going to the top with a Norwegian Expedition because I made so many life long friends in the course of the expedition, especially Odd Elliassen and Bjorn Myrer Lund with whom I went to the top. And of course, Pertemba Sherpa, who is one of my dearest friends also went to the top with me – he was our Sirdar in 1975 on the South West Face. Apart from anything else, it’s great making climbing friends from around the World.

2. As the leader on the 1972, 1975 and 1982 British Everest expeditions, did the media or anyone else ever try to blame you for the ones that perished and never came home?

NO, there was never any question of that.

3. Are you happier climbing or sat in Base Camp running the expedition as a leader?

I’ve never sat at base camp during an expedition. I believe the best position as leader of a big siege style expedition is to be in the camp just behind the lead climbers. In this way you can have a real feel of what the problems are out in front and also how the supply line is working, getting the big picture of what is going on through out the expedition. I have always done a bit of lead climbing, mainly because that is what I love doing but also, once again to get a feel for the climb. It’s a mistake to spend too much time out in front however because you tend to think tactically and loose sight of what else is going on.

4. What have been your most favourite climbs?

Climbing the West summit of Shivling with Jim Fotheringham – It was a 2 man trip, completely spontaneous, Alpine style, interesting technical climbing to a lovely pointed summit and a scary descent down the other side. Another greast trip was when Charles Clarke and I went into NW Tibet to find Sepu Kangri – this was real exploration – not much climbing, but fascinating country and exploration.

5. Over the years you have sadly lost some very close friends to the mountains. Has it ever made you stop and think why am I doing this (climbing)?

You never get hardened to losing good friends but I love the process of climbing and everything about the mountains so much that I have never thought of giving up.

6. What do you think about all these 'stunts' that happen on Everest? For example the fastest ascent, oldest person, youngest person, snowboarding, wedding vows and even standing naked on the summit.

Thank goodness I got up before the “Stunt “ era. It is of no real significance to mountaineering, but it is a great personal achievement for anyone who gets to the top, and certainly to snow board, parapont, ski from the summit, or for some one wioth a disability, or over 70 to reach the top is also one hell of an achievement. I think this trend is inevitable in the evolution of things.

7. Your wife, Wendy must of hated it every time you said your goodbyes before hopping on a plane for another expedition. Did she ever try and talk you out of going on any?

Wendy has always been 100% behind me on all the climbs I have been on. She fell in love with a mountaineer and has never wanted to change me.

8. Its been nearly 24 years since you reached the summit of Everest. What one item do you think has technically advanced in some way to make climbing Everest easier today than in 1985?

It’s really the arrival of commercial expeditions that run a line of fixed rope from bottom to top and then look after the clients and help them up. Improved oxygen gear and lighter bottles certainly have helped.

9. There are more commercial expeditions on Everest than ever before now. I know that they all bring much needed money into the area, but do you think that there should be a restriction on how many should be allowed on Everest in any one season?

I think there does need to be a level of regulation on Everest both in terms of numbers going on the mountain and also on a code of conduct and guiding qualifications. It seems ironic that guiding on Mont Blanc is very strictly (quite rightly) regulated with the guide needing proper qualifications that demand a long and thorough training, and the guide only having a maximum of, I think it is three, on his rope, whilst on Everest which is infinitely more serious and dangerous, there are no regulations at all.

And finally, my last question.

10: Do you think that George Mallory and Andrew Irvine climbed the Second Step?

I think it is very possible that Mallory climbed the Second Step. He was a very good rock climber, but I think it is unlikely that he and Irvine reached the summit, but you can never be sure, and let’s hope that remains a tantalizing mystery.

If you would like to find out more about Chris Bonington then head over the his website at www.bonington.com

The above Questions & Answers are (C) Copyright of Mount Everest The British Story

* Source : - http://www.everest1953.co.uk/ChrisBonington

** zapraszam na relacje z wypraw polskich himalaistów.

Other Routes – part 2.

American expedition, led by Norman Dyhrenfurth. First ascent by an American: Jim Whittaker; first ascent of the West Ridge on May 22, 1963 by Americans Tom Hornbein and Willi Unsoeld.

1963: American Expedition with Norman Dyhrenfurth as leader and including A. Auten, Barry Bishop, Jake Breitenbach, J. Corbet, D. Dingman, D. Doody, R. Emerson, Tom Hornbein, Lute Jerstad, J. Lester, Willi Unsoeld, and Jim Whittaker. A huge expedition, costing almost $400,000 and supported by the National Geographic Society, over 900 porters carry 29 tons of food and equipment to the base of the mountain. Base Camp is established at the foot of the Khumbu Icefall on Mar 21 and the route through the icefall prepared soon after. Jake Breitenbach is killed by collapsing seracs in the Icefall but the expedition continues. The expedition splits into two parties – the West Ridgers and the South Collers.

First Assault: May 1 From Camp 6 at 27,450 feet (8370 meters) on the SE Ridge, Jim Whittaker and Nawang Gombu Sherpa reach the summit in strong winds at 1 PM. Whittaker becomes the first American to summit Everest.

Second Assault: After a tent at Camp 4W – including occupants – is nearly blown off the West Shoulder by hurricane force winds, Camp 5W is placed in the Hornbien Couloir at the foot of the Yellow Band at 27,250 feet (8300 meters). Tom Hornbein and Willi Unsoeld squeeze their way through the couloir and ascend a 60 foot (20 meter) headwall before emerging onto the upper summit pyramid at 27,900 feet (8500 meters). The pair then traverse across to the West Ridge proper, reaching the summit at 6:15 PM. They are forced to descend the SE Ridge where they meet Jerstad and Bishop who had summited at 3:30 PM. The four men descend to around 28,000 feet (8500 meters) before having to bivouac for the night on the ridge proper. They survive a long, cold night out in the open and descend safely to the South Col the next day. Unsoeld later loses most of his toes to frostbite. The first new route and the first traverse of Everest.

Droga amerykańskiej wyprawy z 1963r kierowanej przez Normana Dyhrenfurtha.
22 maja Tom Hornbein i Willi Unsoeld wytyczyli nową drogę po pokonaniu odcinka : zachodnim grzbietem, zachodnią granią i dalej kuluarem ( obecnie nazywanym Kuluarem Hornbeina ), który wcina się w północną ścianę, dochodząc w końcu do wierzchołka.

The British SW face expedition led by Chris Bonington. Summit reached by 2 teams made up with Doug Scott, Dougal Haston, Peter Boardman, and Sirdar Pertemba. BBC cameraman Mick Burke failed to return from a solo summit bid.

1975: Chinese Expedition led by Shih Chan-chun, leader of the 1960 Chinese ascent, and organized by a “Party Committee” that included Wang Fu-chou, one of the 1960 summiters. A military-style expedition that uses soldiers to carry supplies to the North Col and siege tactics to progressively reposition camps higher and higher up the mountain. A final assault camp is established between the First and Second Steps at 28,500 feet (8,680 meters) by the Mushroom Rock, and the Second Step is prepared with an aluminum ladder to overcome the final vertical headwall pitch. A team of nine climbers – eight Tibetan and one Chinese – reaches the summit on May 27, including the Tibetan woman, Phantog. Phantog becomes the second woman to summit Everest, losing this honor to Junko Tabei by only a few days. She is the first woman to summit from the Tibetan side.

1975: British SW Face Expedition (post-monsoon). Leader Chris Bonington and including H. MacInnes, Peter Boardman, Martin Boysen, P. Braithwaite, Micke Burke, M. Cheney, C. Clarke, Nick Estcourt, Dougal Haston, and Doug Scott. Base Camp is reached on August 22 and Advance Base is established on September 2. The expedition is blessed with good weather and smooth logistics, resulting in the steady placement of camps up the Central Gully to Camp 5 at 25,500 feet (7800 meters). The Rock Band is ascended via a gully on the left side by Estcourt and Braithwaite, who have some sporty moments when their oxygen runs out on dicey pitches at 27,000 feet (8200 meters). The upper icefield is reached via an awkward outward-sloping ramp; Haston and Scott establish Camp 6 a few days later at an elevation of 27,300 feet (8300 meters). The next day they fix 1,500 feet of rope on the upper snowfield, extending the route towards a gully leading up to the South Summit.

First Assault: Sept 24: Haston and Scott reach the South Summit at 3 PM after 11 hours of climbing. After preparing a snow cave and drinking a brew, they continue on to the summit which they reach at 6 PM. They descend to the South Summit and bivouac in the snowcave. After a freezing, oxygenless night complete with hypoxic conversations with feet, toes, and imaginary companions, the pair descend to Camp 6 safely, passing the second assault party on their way up.

Second Assault: Sept 26: Boardman and Sirdar Pertemba reach the summit and descend in a gathering storm, where they encounter Mick Burke just below the summit. They wait for him as long as possible before descending, but Burke is never seen alive again. He probably made the top but fell off of the heavily corniced summit ridge while descending in the deteriorating conditions.

Droga brytyjskiej wyprawy z 1975r kierowanej przez Chrisa Boningtona, wejście południowo – zachodnią ściana. 24 września na szczyt dotarli Dougal Haston i Doug Scott.

** Previous story :

- Routes to summit Mount Everest.

- Routes of Mt Everest part 1. Drogi na szczyt Mt. Everest cz.1. /Version english and polish/

- Routes of Mt Everest part 2. Drogi na szczyt Mt. Everest cz.2. /Version english and polish/

- Routes of Mt Everest part 3. Drogi na szczyt Mt. Everest cz.3. /Version english and polish/

- Routes of Mt Everest part 4. Drogi na szczyt Mt. Everest cz.4. /Version english and polish/

* Zapraszam też do oglądania albumu o Everescie, wystarczy kliknąć link : Odkrywanie Everestu

- oryginal post by : - http://himalman.wordpress.com/

** zapraszam na relacje z wypraw polskich himalaistów.