Rheged Hosts Kangchenjunga Exhibition

Most OUTDOORSmagic members will be aware that right now, Alan Hinkes is on his way to attempt Kangchenjunga, the final peak in his project to become the first Briton to climb all 14 of the 8,000-metre peaks. What you may not realise is that this year is the 50th anniversary of the first ascent of the mountain by British climbers Joe Brown and George Band.

To celebrate the anniversary of one of the great British Himalayan first ascents - Hinkes, with modern equipment and prior knowledge has failed on the mountain twice - the National Mountaineering Museum at Rheged is currently running a new exhbition called 'Kangchenjunga - The Untrodden Peak'.

The exhibition was very appopriately opened earlier this month by Brown and Band - above - who then lectured a capacity audience about the climb. Band explained the 'Untrodden Peak' label by pointing out that on the first ascent he and Brown had stopped a few feet short of the summit in deference to the local 'local Sikkimese people who revered the mountain as the home of their gods.'

Chris Bonington emphasised the hardness of the mountain when he commented: "While I'm slightly biased, as I was so closely involved with Everes,but, I know that Kangchenjunga really is a very demanding and dangerous mountain. Probably more so than even Everest - and that's saying something."

The new exhibition is the first within a new temporary exhibition gallery within the Helly Hansen National Mountaineering Exhibition which will allow the museum to host new exhibitions on a regular basis so that there's always something new to see.

The Rheged guys are also hoping to pull off something fo a coup with a newly returned Alan Hinkes due to lecture about his experiences on Kangchenjunga this spring on 1 and 2 July. If all goes well, it will be one of his first lectures about the final peak in his Challenge 8000 quest.

Alan commented before he departed, "I'm under no illusions, Kangchenjunga is a difficult and dangerous mountain, and as I always say no mountain is worth a life or a digit, but- and it's still a very big 'but' - if I climb it I'll have pulled off something that's quite significant. After all more people have stood on the moon than climbed all these peaks. And it would be nice to be the first Brit to do it. Although like George and Joe I'll be leaving those final few feet untrodden - as a Yorkshireman I respect tradition!"

We're bringing you news on Alan's climb as we get it, or follow his progress on the Berghaus web site.