'Very few books have been published that illustrate comprehensively the mountaineering struggle in its tight arena of stark challenging savagery, and provide some hint of the sheer scale of the peaks and a feeling for their moods.' - Ken Wilson Chris Bonington's Mountaineer is a photographic autobiography of his 30 years of climbing on the world's most challenging mountains. In the 420 photographs collected here we are permitted a frank perspective into the surreal, majestic, mundane and occasionally tragic corners of Bonington's incredible mountaineering career. Whether in the Arctic, the jungle, or on an 8,000-metre peak, these pictures provide the detail of daily life on expedition, the action of the climbing and the majesty of the mountains. Few climbers can match Bonington's consistent success rate. He ranked among the world's most accomplished mountaineers for over 30 years. Today, he is one of the most famous and respected climbers in the world. This photographic autobiography underlines his characteristic openness and, of course, his unparalleled successes.From his 'foundations' - climbing in the Lakes, Yorkshire and Scotland - Mountaineer takes us to the Alps and on to an expedition apprenticeship in 1960s Kathmandu. This quickly leads to trips to Patagonia, the Karakoram, the Amazon, Baffin Island and the River Nile, before the meat of Bonington's career begins with Himalayan big walls and 8,000-metre peaks. Accompanying Bonington's photographs are morsels of climbing and exploration history. His prose is conversational; the reader could be flicking through a photo album with Bonington giving an explanation of each shot from just over his or her shoulder. The overall result is a penetrating insight into the motivations and fears of a driven climber who set out year after year from a life of comfort and success to test himself amongst the world's most savage mountains. A beautiful book, Mountaineer is a must for anyone with a love of or interest in exploration or climbing.