The lion in winter

Mountaineer Chris Bonington talks to ‘Lounge’ about first ascents, difficult climbs and his remarkable career

- Shail Desai

In another life, Chris Bonington was a margarine salesman. Climbing was an affair that had started out in his teens. Yet, the stability of a job brought in more practical considerations. The mountains would have to wait.

In 1962, after making the first British ascent of the North Face of the Eiger alongside Ian Clough, Bonington had settled into the office. It all came to a head later that year when he landed an invitation to climb in Patagonia. But the message from his boss at work was clear—he could either go on the expedition or hold on to his job.

“And I chose to climb,” Bonington says, breaking into a smile while sitting easy at the new Himalayan Club office that he inaugurated in Mumbai last month.

Bonington cuts a dashing figure at 91 years, standing tall like he once did at the base of some of the biggest mountains of the world. Over the years, the British mountaineer, who is based in Cumbria, has authored several books, including I Chose to Climb (1966), Everest, the Hard Way (1976) and Ascent (2017).

Bonington grew up in Hampstead, London, and started climbing at 16, mostly during the holidays. His coyness disappeared the moment he roped up with anyone he could learn a thing or two from. The pocket money handed out by his mother, Helen, was never enough. But hitchhiking was a handy tool to travel to the far north of Scotland and Wales.

By the time Bonington was pulling off first ascents on technical rock climbs in the early 1950s, a mad dash for Everest (8,848m) had unfolded after Nepal opened its borders to foreigners. In 1951, the British expedition had the first opportunity to approach the mountain from the south; the following year, the Swiss got as high as about 8,600m. Finally in 1953, Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary reached the summit, a feat that was celebrated around the world.