Tickets are still available for the Triumph and Tragedy on the Eiger lecture with Sir Chris Bonington and Ueli Steck on Thursday 1st December at the Royal Geographical Society, London.
Tickets cost £25.00 and proceeds from the evening will be donated to the Mountain Heritage Trust.
Of all the great challenges of the Alps, the North Wall of Eiger stands supreme, both for the richness of its history and for the dramas, many of them all too tragic. Chris Bonington experienced this directly in his various attempts and final success in making the first British ascent and in his involvement in the dramatic story of extreme climbing and the extraordinary media circus that accompanied the first ascent of the Eiger Direct in the winter of 1966. The intervening years have seen great achievements, culminating in the supreme performance of athletic excellence and technical skill that accompanied Ueli Steck’s incredible solo ascent in 2008, when he set a new speed record on the Eiger North Face, climbing the Heckmair Route in a staggering 2 hours, 47 minutes and 33 seconds.
Sir Chris Bonington has enjoyed a climbing career spanning six decades. In 1962 he became the first Briton, with Ian Clough, to climb the North Wall of the Eiger. He has climbed and led expeditions all over the world, most notably in the Himalaya in the 1970s and 1980s, making first ascents of the South Face of Annapurna, Changabang, the South West Face of Everest, the Ogre, Kongur and many other smaller peaks. He is the author of 18 books and the recipient of numerous awards.
Ueli Steck was born in Emmental, Switzerland, in 1976. As an 18-year-old he climbed the north face of the Eiger, and the Bonatti Pillar in the Mont Blanc massif. In June 2004, he climbed the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau within 25 hours with Stephan Siegrist. In 2008 he set a record for the fastest climb of the Heckmair route and recently climbed the South Face of Shishapangma solo in 10 1⁄2 hours.
The Mountain Heritage Trust was founded in 2000 with the aim to record and preserve Britain’s rich heritage in the fields of climbing, mountaineering and mountain culture. Second to none in terms of breadth, Britain has a proud legacy in the Alps, the Himalaya and the other great mountain ranges as well as closer to home on British rock. Pioneers in techniques from the earliest days, Britain’s climbers and mountaineers have also led the way in preservation and conservation of traditions, culture and mountain heritage. The trustees all firmly believe that Mountain Heritage matters for now and for the future.
For information go to www.mountain-heritage.org or www.worldexpeditions.co.uk. Alternatively telephone 020 85459030.
