THERE is a rare chance to meet one of the world’s greatest mountaineers when Sir Chris Bonington brings his re-scheduled Life and Times audio visual lecture tour to the Regent Centre in Christchurch next month on Tuesday, January 27, at 7.30pm.

Sir Chris Bonington is Britain’s best-known mountaineer and one of the most successful expedition leaders in history.

He began climbing at the age of 16 and has undertaken 19 Himalayan expeditions, including four to the roof of the world on Mt Everest.

He is also renowned for having made many first ascents in the Alps and numerous other first ascents among the great mountain ranges around the world, including the infamous Ogre, on the south face of the Annapurna in the Himalayas.

Sir Chris’s other famous first ascent climbs include: the first British ascent of the South West Pillar of the Aiguille du Dru in 1958; the first ascent of the Central Pillar of Freney on the south side of Mont Blanc in 1961 and the first ascent of the Old Man of Hoy, the iconic sea stack off the coast of Scotland, in 1966.

Sir Chris re-climbed the Old Man of Hoy this year to mark his 80th birthday and to raise funds for Motor Neurone Disease.

Sir Chris was the first mountaineer to take to the lecture circuit, but it has been 20 years since he last toured regularly.

Next month, Chris will be presenting a Life and Times audio visual account, covering his 60 years spent in the mountains.

Using original images and raw footage from his journeys, this is a rare opportunity to hear about some of the greatest expeditions of the 20th century. Sir Chris Bonington – Life and Times is presented by Speakers from the Edge and is sponsored by Berghaus and Cotswold Outdoor.

The show will chart the achievements of a man who since the age of 16 has been a tank commander, a Yeti hunter, a caribou hunter with the Inuit on Baffin Island in the Canadian Arctic and of course, a master mountaineer.

n For tickets to the lecture, contact the Regent Centre, Christchurch on 01202 499199.