Sir Chris Bonington is one of Britain's most famous mountaineers. Born in Hampstead in 1934, he joined the army after time at Sandhurst, and quickly discovered his love of mountains. He started climbing very seriously in the Alps, then moved to the Himalayas. In 1975 he was leader of the famous ascent of the southwest face of Everest. He has since explored mountains, oceans, and remote areas around the world. In 1985 he achieved a life time ambition and he reached the summit of Everest.