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Everest the Hard Way: The first ascent of the South West Face
50th Anniversary Edition
Everest – the highest peak in the world, the ultimate challenge to a mountaineer's skill and endurance. It had been climbed before, but never like this. Chris Bonington and his team had ambitions to climb it – the hard way.
Yet before Bonington and his team set out in August 1975, even their well-wishers gave them only a fifty–fifty chance of success. The South West Face of Everest had already defeated five expeditions, including one led by Bonington himself.
Everest the Hard Way is an exhilarating story of courage, endurance and teamwork. Bonington's narrative celebrates the big moments and recreates the excitement and danger of the climb with vivid immediacy. He shares the logistical problems involved in keeping a large expedition moving, and the very real psychological ones of balancing and pairing lead climbers and giving each a chance to make the route on the face. He describes the constant avalanche threat which made the Western Cwm more dangerous than the ever-treacherous Ice Fall, and explains how lowering the sites of camps 4 and 5 solved a supply problem and kept the upward momentum for the attack on the notorious thousand-foot-tall Rock Band at 27,000 feet which had barred the way to the summit for all previous attempts.
Drawing upon his experiences and the first-hand accounts and diaries of his fellow climbers, Bonington gives us the first-time jitters and unexpected emergencies, the pressures of balancing egos and skills, the meticulous planning, and the undiluted joy of mastering a seemingly impossible climb which would see Britons stand on the summit of the world for the first time. It is an immensely absorbing narrative, stunningly augmented with photographs and maps, with eleven appendices on everything from communications and equipment to food and medicine.
How Bonington's team climbed on Everest in 1975 bears no relation to how Everest is climbed fifty years on, with endless resources and helicopter support. It was much riskier in 1975. Weather forecasts were threadbare and, although equipment was improving, it was much more basic than today, so the risk of frostbite was much greater for mountaineers in the 1970s. These climbers, the best of their generation, were leading hard new ground in the only style which gave them a meaningful chance of success. Chris Bonington's Everest the Hard Way is a beautiful, fascinating and tragic story of their legendary achievement.
Everest – the highest peak in the world, the ultimate challenge to a mountaineer's skill and endurance. It had been climbed before, but never like this. Chris Bonington and his team had ambitions to climb it – the hard way.
Yet before Bonington and his team set out in August 1975, even their well-wishers gave them only a fifty–fifty chance of success. The South West Face of Everest had already defeated five expeditions, including one led by Bonington himself.
Everest the Hard Way is an exhilarating story of courage, endurance and teamwork. Bonington's narrative celebrates the big moments and recreates the excitement and danger of the climb with vivid immediacy. He shares the logistical problems involved in keeping a large expedition moving, and the very real psychological ones of balancing and pairing lead climbers and giving each a chance to make the route on the face. He describes the constant avalanche threat which made the Western Cwm more dangerous than the ever-treacherous Ice Fall, and explains how lowering the sites of camps 4 and 5 solved a supply problem and kept the upward momentum for the attack on the notorious thousand-foot-tall Rock Band at 27,000 feet which had barred the way to the summit for all previous attempts.
Drawing upon his experiences and the first-hand accounts and diaries of his fellow climbers, Bonington gives us the first-time jitters and unexpected emergencies, the pressures of balancing egos and skills, the meticulous planning, and the undiluted joy of mastering a seemingly impossible climb which would see Britons stand on the summit of the world for the first time. It is an immensely absorbing narrative, stunningly augmented with photographs and maps, with eleven appendices on everything from communications and equipment to food and medicine.
How Bonington's team climbed on Everest in 1975 bears no relation to how Everest is climbed fifty years on, with endless resources and helicopter support. It was much riskier in 1975. Weather forecasts were threadbare and, although equipment was improving, it was much more basic than today, so the risk of frostbite was much greater for mountaineers in the 1970s. These climbers, the best of their generation, were leading hard new ground in the only style which gave them a meaningful chance of success. Chris Bonington's Everest the Hard Way is a beautiful, fascinating and tragic story of their legendary achievement.
495 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 24, 2025
1 person is currently reading
9 people want to read
About the author
Chris Bonington
110 books35 followersChris Bonington was educated at University College School, London and the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. He was commissioned in the Royal Tank Regiment in 1956. He spent three years in North Germany in command of a troop of tanks and then two years at the Army Outward Bound School as a mountaineering instructor.It was during this period that he started climbing in the Alps, making the first British ascent of the South West Pillar of the Drus in 1958 and then the first ascent of the Central Pillar of Freney on the south side of Mont Blanc in 1961 with Don Whillans, Ian Clough and the Pole, Jan Dlugosz. At that time this was one of the most difficult climbs in the Alps and even today is considered one of the great classics of the Mont Blanc region.He made the first British ascent of the North Wall of the Eiger in 1962.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 22, 2025
In an era when reaching the summit of Everest is no longer viewed (other than to the individual climbers of course!) as headline news, this new edition of Chris Bonington’s contemporaneous account of the first successful ascent of the notoriously challenging and treacherous South West Face of the mountain is a reminder of how truly pioneering that expedition was, and just why that achievement warranted the ecstatic international acclaim that it did.
To describe Chris Bonington’s descriptions of the logistical challenges and demands involved in planning for the 1975 attempt (following a failed attempt three years earlier) as meticulous and exhaustive would surely qualify as the understatement of the year! As quickly became clear in his detailed, step by step descriptions of what went into the planning of the expedition, the logistical complexities were immense, not only in terms of deciding what equipment and supplies would be needed for such a lengthy expedition, the planning required to transport it overland to Nepal and then, once on the mountain, ensuring that supplies needed for the various stages of the ascent were in the right place at the right time.
His choice of fellow climbers was, of course, equally important and I enjoyed the insights I gained into what influenced his choices as he attempted to put together a team with the necessarily wide range of skills and experience to make this attempt successful. Although I felt more emotionally engaged with the chapters which described the challenges of various stages of the climb, I think that my greater understanding of the ‘nuts and bolts’ of the level of organisation required to give the team the best chance of success intensified my appreciation of the vital importance of meticulous planning.
I liked the fact that the author included excerpts from the diaries of some of his fellow climbers as these offered insights not only into the challenges encountered at various stages in the climb, but also into the interactions between members of the team, including the moments of inevitable tension (and bad language!) when things went wrong. In his original ‘Author’s Note’ Bonington expressed the hope that by doing this he had been able to represent a ‘balanced, living account of the expedition … recreating the day-to-day emotions, fears, enjoyment and stress of a group of climbers on Everest’. In my opinion that is exactly what he achieved and I believe that this is a crucial element in making this such an interesting, enthralling book to read, with the spectacular photographs adding an extra dimension to my appreciation of the challenges being faced and overcome.
I felt that in his decision-making Chris Bonington managed to achieve a good balance between taking into account the individual views and contributions of members of the team, whilst remaining conscious of his ultimate responsibilities as the leader of the expedition to take decisive (if not always popular!) action when necessary. I was also impressed by the respect and admiration extended to the small army of Sherpa members of the team; their knowledge, courage and resilience made a vital contribution to the eventual success of the expedition.
I’m delighted that Vertebrate Publishing made the decision to publish a new edition of this remarkable book to mark the 50th anniversary (24th September) of the first ascent of the mountain via the South West face. There is no need to be a climber for a reader to appreciate the ‘edge-of-the-seat’ drama of the increasing dangers encountered as the summit looms closer and closer and weather conditions worsen and, for anyone who is contemplating organising an expedition, this would be a wonderful reference book as the various appendices contain detailed information about logistics planning, equipment selection, food, medicine etc.
To describe Chris Bonington’s descriptions of the logistical challenges and demands involved in planning for the 1975 attempt (following a failed attempt three years earlier) as meticulous and exhaustive would surely qualify as the understatement of the year! As quickly became clear in his detailed, step by step descriptions of what went into the planning of the expedition, the logistical complexities were immense, not only in terms of deciding what equipment and supplies would be needed for such a lengthy expedition, the planning required to transport it overland to Nepal and then, once on the mountain, ensuring that supplies needed for the various stages of the ascent were in the right place at the right time.
His choice of fellow climbers was, of course, equally important and I enjoyed the insights I gained into what influenced his choices as he attempted to put together a team with the necessarily wide range of skills and experience to make this attempt successful. Although I felt more emotionally engaged with the chapters which described the challenges of various stages of the climb, I think that my greater understanding of the ‘nuts and bolts’ of the level of organisation required to give the team the best chance of success intensified my appreciation of the vital importance of meticulous planning.
I liked the fact that the author included excerpts from the diaries of some of his fellow climbers as these offered insights not only into the challenges encountered at various stages in the climb, but also into the interactions between members of the team, including the moments of inevitable tension (and bad language!) when things went wrong. In his original ‘Author’s Note’ Bonington expressed the hope that by doing this he had been able to represent a ‘balanced, living account of the expedition … recreating the day-to-day emotions, fears, enjoyment and stress of a group of climbers on Everest’. In my opinion that is exactly what he achieved and I believe that this is a crucial element in making this such an interesting, enthralling book to read, with the spectacular photographs adding an extra dimension to my appreciation of the challenges being faced and overcome.
I felt that in his decision-making Chris Bonington managed to achieve a good balance between taking into account the individual views and contributions of members of the team, whilst remaining conscious of his ultimate responsibilities as the leader of the expedition to take decisive (if not always popular!) action when necessary. I was also impressed by the respect and admiration extended to the small army of Sherpa members of the team; their knowledge, courage and resilience made a vital contribution to the eventual success of the expedition.
I’m delighted that Vertebrate Publishing made the decision to publish a new edition of this remarkable book to mark the 50th anniversary (24th September) of the first ascent of the mountain via the South West face. There is no need to be a climber for a reader to appreciate the ‘edge-of-the-seat’ drama of the increasing dangers encountered as the summit looms closer and closer and weather conditions worsen and, for anyone who is contemplating organising an expedition, this would be a wonderful reference book as the various appendices contain detailed information about logistics planning, equipment selection, food, medicine etc.
September 26, 2025
I vividly remember selecting Everest the Hard Way from my local library, back when I was a teenager and had never been near a mountain higher than Yr Wyddfa/Snowdon. Bonington’s books were hugely influential for me, and I don’t know if I would have ever ended up making my own trips to the Alps, over a decade later, without discovering his books as a teenager.
With that in mind, I was thrilled to receive a copy of this edition, released to celebrate the 50th anniversary of this ascent. It’s a beautiful hardback edition, accompanied by a stunning selection of photos. The photos (surprisingly crisp and clear, given their age) give a real sense of the scale of the mountain and of the isolation that comes with being just one team – even such a large one – in such a huge and intimidating environment.
Of course, fifty years later, the scope, challenge, and isolation of this expedition is hardly recognisable. Hundreds of climbers go to Everest every year, some of them with such little experience that the idea of them heading to the mountains would have been laughable fifty years ago. Bonington’s story is an incredible look back at an age of mountaineering which now feels long distant. The appendices feature an incredible amount of information about the logistics behind the success of the expedition.
The text itself needs no commentary on; Bonington’s books are still a staple of every mountaineer’s bookshelf, and deservedly so. This edition comes with a new introduction from Bonington. It’s marked with his usual humility, and serves as an excellent tribute to the many climbers lost on these big expeditions. It’s a valuable reminder that the names in these pages aren’t just characters, but are loved friends and family members whose loss has left a real absence.
The introduction is followed by a lovely tribute to Doug Scott and to the incredible work his charity has achieved in Nepal.
It’s brilliant to see this book getting a new edition and hopefully making its way to a new group of readers.
(The only thing I was slightly disappointed to see was the blurb from Bear Grylls on the front cover. It’s a shame that this space couldn’t have been given to someone more well-known for their climbing or mountaineering achievements… but Grylls is a big name and publishers need to sell books, so I do understand it!)
With that in mind, I was thrilled to receive a copy of this edition, released to celebrate the 50th anniversary of this ascent. It’s a beautiful hardback edition, accompanied by a stunning selection of photos. The photos (surprisingly crisp and clear, given their age) give a real sense of the scale of the mountain and of the isolation that comes with being just one team – even such a large one – in such a huge and intimidating environment.
Of course, fifty years later, the scope, challenge, and isolation of this expedition is hardly recognisable. Hundreds of climbers go to Everest every year, some of them with such little experience that the idea of them heading to the mountains would have been laughable fifty years ago. Bonington’s story is an incredible look back at an age of mountaineering which now feels long distant. The appendices feature an incredible amount of information about the logistics behind the success of the expedition.
The text itself needs no commentary on; Bonington’s books are still a staple of every mountaineer’s bookshelf, and deservedly so. This edition comes with a new introduction from Bonington. It’s marked with his usual humility, and serves as an excellent tribute to the many climbers lost on these big expeditions. It’s a valuable reminder that the names in these pages aren’t just characters, but are loved friends and family members whose loss has left a real absence.
The introduction is followed by a lovely tribute to Doug Scott and to the incredible work his charity has achieved in Nepal.
It’s brilliant to see this book getting a new edition and hopefully making its way to a new group of readers.
(The only thing I was slightly disappointed to see was the blurb from Bear Grylls on the front cover. It’s a shame that this space couldn’t have been given to someone more well-known for their climbing or mountaineering achievements… but Grylls is a big name and publishers need to sell books, so I do understand it!)
August 16, 2025
A classic mountaineering expedition story given a new lease of life. Republished to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the landmark first ascent of the SW face of Everest, this edition features a new introduction by Chris Bonington and a chapter on the work of Community Action Nepal, a charity established by Doug Scott, one of the first to reach the summit.
It was great to re-read Everest the Hard Way and again become immersed in the world of a high altitude siege style expedition. You are returned to a time when all the 8000m peaks had been climbed and mountaineers were looking to the more difficult routes which offered fresh challenges to reach the summits. In this case that meant the SW face of Everest. Others had tried and failed before, including Bonington, but when a cancellation occurred (at this time the Nepalese government only issued a single climbing permit each season) Bonington jumped at the opportunity to mount another attempt.
Expeditions to the greater ranges were very different in 1975 and today's alpinists may recoil at some of the tactics but it is an expedition of it's time. Chris leads you through the expedition stage by stage and you share the angst as he juggles logistics, personalities, weather, fitness etc to orchestrate progress up the mountain. The book successfully blends Chris's own recollections with material from the diaries of several of the key climbers and in this way you really get a better flavour of the expedition as a whole. The struggle to surmount the key rock band is gripping as of course is the anxious wait for the climbers descending.
Despite being 50 years old the dialogue is still fresh and a pulsating read.
For those with the stamina the rear section includes many appendices covering, amongst many topics, bio-pics of the team members, logistics planning, equipment selection, food, medicine, photography, etc. Many of these are not unexpectedly dated as equipment etc has changed but nevertheless give a real understanding of what it takes to mount such an enterprise.
Don't dismiss this as an old book, dive in and you won't be disappointed.
It was great to re-read Everest the Hard Way and again become immersed in the world of a high altitude siege style expedition. You are returned to a time when all the 8000m peaks had been climbed and mountaineers were looking to the more difficult routes which offered fresh challenges to reach the summits. In this case that meant the SW face of Everest. Others had tried and failed before, including Bonington, but when a cancellation occurred (at this time the Nepalese government only issued a single climbing permit each season) Bonington jumped at the opportunity to mount another attempt.
Expeditions to the greater ranges were very different in 1975 and today's alpinists may recoil at some of the tactics but it is an expedition of it's time. Chris leads you through the expedition stage by stage and you share the angst as he juggles logistics, personalities, weather, fitness etc to orchestrate progress up the mountain. The book successfully blends Chris's own recollections with material from the diaries of several of the key climbers and in this way you really get a better flavour of the expedition as a whole. The struggle to surmount the key rock band is gripping as of course is the anxious wait for the climbers descending.
Despite being 50 years old the dialogue is still fresh and a pulsating read.
For those with the stamina the rear section includes many appendices covering, amongst many topics, bio-pics of the team members, logistics planning, equipment selection, food, medicine, photography, etc. Many of these are not unexpectedly dated as equipment etc has changed but nevertheless give a real understanding of what it takes to mount such an enterprise.
Don't dismiss this as an old book, dive in and you won't be disappointed.
September 1, 2025
Chris Bonington’s Everest the Hard Way is not just a chronicle of a climb—it’s a testament to human resilience, leadership under pressure, and the raw, unforgiving beauty of the Himalayas. It’s gritty, introspective, and deeply human, where Bonington recounts the 1975 British expedition to Everest’s South West Face—a route so treacherous it had repelled every previous attempt. The climb demanded not just technical brilliance but psychological fortitude. What struck me most was how Bonington balanced the logistical complexity of leading a large team with the emotional weight of responsibility. He wasn’t just climbing a mountain—he was navigating egos, exhaustion, and tragedy.
Bonington doesn’t shy away from vulnerability. He admits doubts, fears, and mistakes. That honesty makes the book compelling. His leadership style—firm but empathetic—comes through in moments of crisis, especially when the team loses Mick Burke, the expedition’s cameraman, near the summit. The grief is palpable, and Bonington’s reflection on that loss adds a layer of emotional gravity that lingers long after the final page. It made me reflect on ambition—the kind that pushes people beyond reason—and the cost of chasing something that might never be fully understood or explained. There’s a humility in Bonington’s voice, even as he recounts one of the greatest climbing achievements of the 20th century.
Everest the Hard Way isn’t just about climbing Everest—it’s about confronting limits. It’s about teamwork, sacrifice, and the quiet moments of introspection that come when you're perched on the edge of the world.
Bonington doesn’t shy away from vulnerability. He admits doubts, fears, and mistakes. That honesty makes the book compelling. His leadership style—firm but empathetic—comes through in moments of crisis, especially when the team loses Mick Burke, the expedition’s cameraman, near the summit. The grief is palpable, and Bonington’s reflection on that loss adds a layer of emotional gravity that lingers long after the final page. It made me reflect on ambition—the kind that pushes people beyond reason—and the cost of chasing something that might never be fully understood or explained. There’s a humility in Bonington’s voice, even as he recounts one of the greatest climbing achievements of the 20th century.
Everest the Hard Way isn’t just about climbing Everest—it’s about confronting limits. It’s about teamwork, sacrifice, and the quiet moments of introspection that come when you're perched on the edge of the world.
September 25, 2025
What an amazing book! Tells a tale that is scarcely believable and recounts the physical, emotional and organisational effort to get a large team up the world’s tallest mountain. This updated edition is split into two parts. After introductions which include a new introduction to the 2025 edition there is the section that recounts the climb itself. Reading each of the 16 chapters feels like you are part of the team creeping up the different parts of the mountain where six different camps were established. The tale does go into a lot of logistical detail and the author quotes throughout from extended passages from the diaries of other climbers showing the tensions and frustrations and tricky decisions about who would go for the summit and who wouldn’t. The final chapters recounting the bid for the summit and the tragedy that the team encountered as well as elation are deeply moving. The second part of the book includes a large section of appendices showing the amount of kit, food, medicine and personnel required for this methodically planned operation. Most amazing was the expedition that the supply drivers encountered driving trucks from the UK to Kathmandu via Turkey, Iran and Pakistan an unachievable task today. Perhaps the highlight of the book for me were the three batches of superb colour photos so sharp and crisp it looks like they were taken yesterday
An amazing book and historical reference
An amazing book and historical reference
October 3, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and it was very quickly inhaled! The writing is detailed yet succinct, Chris writes well and really makes you feel connected to his team’s adventure. Having different parts of the book written by other members of the team is great too, they offer a real insight to what it was like to be part the expedition. The descriptions of the environment and the challenges faced are great, it makes it feel very accessible as well as understanding just how dangerous the task was that they were undertaking and he writes with feeling and emotion about decision making, losses and coping with running and organising the people and expedition. Having the extra information about how the expedition was planned for was really interesting too - the processes and planning really are something. Great images in the book too, really gripping and interesting to read. Thoroughly recommended.
September 24, 2025
This is a great reproduction of the classic mountaineering book on its 50th anniversary. All the original maps and photos are included and there is a new foreword by Bonington himself. Makes a great gift for climbers and mountaineers!
December 6, 2025
Reprinted to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first ascent of the SW face of Everest, this book gives a tremendous insight into the old style of massive expediions. Detailed appendices are provided by the expedition members responsible for the equipment, logistics, transport, medical care, communications and so forth, which provide further fascinating insights, and some of the sidenotes and principles mentioned here will still be of surprising value to expeditions today.
Chris Bonington's account of the expedition incorporates the expedition diaries of many of the climbers and gives a vivid sense of the differing experiences and viewpoints of the expedition members.
This new edition also has a new introduction by Chris Bonington which is particularly interesting for his description of his changing feelings about Everest, and his own desire to summit. There is also a chapter on the work of Community Action Nepal by Trish Scott, and it was lovely to have this in mind when reading of Doug Scott's care for the Sherpa members of the expedition.
A fascinating lens on the history of mountaineering.
Chris Bonington's account of the expedition incorporates the expedition diaries of many of the climbers and gives a vivid sense of the differing experiences and viewpoints of the expedition members.
This new edition also has a new introduction by Chris Bonington which is particularly interesting for his description of his changing feelings about Everest, and his own desire to summit. There is also a chapter on the work of Community Action Nepal by Trish Scott, and it was lovely to have this in mind when reading of Doug Scott's care for the Sherpa members of the expedition.
A fascinating lens on the history of mountaineering.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews