On November 27th the Royal Geographical Society in London will host a reunion of four climbers who will, for the first time in 30 years, relive an epic climb and descent on The Ogre.
Mountaineering legends Chris Bonington, Doug Scott, Tut Braithwaite and Clive Rowland will discuss their harrowing first ascent of the mountain known as "The Ogre", a 24,000 foot peak in the Karakorum. However, getting to the top was just the start of their adventure, as on the descent, Scott managed to break both of his ankles, on the first abseil no less. Over the course of the next week, the four men struggled to make their way down the mountain, in foul weather most of the time. Bonington ended up breaking two ribs and contracting pneumonia in the process as well. In the end, they all made if off safely, and the story of their survival has become mountaineering lore.
With this reunion, the men will be together to tell their tale for the first time since the incident occurred. It's part of a fund raising effort to support the Sherpa Heritage Museum and it's efforts to preserve Sherpa homes. You can read more about the event over at OutDoorsMagic.com.
If you have the opportunity, I'd strongly urge you to attend this event. The money goes to a good cause, and you'll have the rare chance to see these legends first hand. If you can't make the event, then I'd highly recommend Clint Willis' book The Boys of Everest to not only learn more about this event on the Ogre, but also why Bonington, Scott, and the rest of their crew are considered legends of mountaineering. Great book.
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