Submission for the 2024 Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature is now closed. There were 32 entries, with authors from 11 countries. The shortlist will be announced in early September.
Tickets for the Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature taking place at Kendal Mountain Festival on Friday 22 Nov are on sale now.
© Geoff Beatty
Catherine Moorhead, Doug Scott’s Biographer, writes about Pete, Joe and Doug on Kangchenjunga May 1979.
‘It was the best walk-in ever,’ opined Doug Scott. After Everest in 1975, Doug and Pete Boardman had settled on an Alpine-style ascent of Kangchenjunga (8586m), the ‘Five Treasuries of the Snows’. They invited Joe Tasker – none better after Pete and Joe’s ground-breaking ascent of Changabang’s West Wall in 1976; all three then invited the boisterous, volatile Georges Bettembourg. Ang Phurba bought theirsupplies in Kathmandu. Forty-eight porters were engaged and after a long jeep ride to Dharan, the long walk-in began.
Along the way, three big, highly literate egos needled each other about their choices of reading, particularly Doug’s selection of Carlos Castaneda. They continued to argue up to their highest snow-hole at around 8000m.
Georges’s big moment came when bouldering. He playfully pushed at Pete on top of a large boulder; Pete heard a crunch of broken ankle bone, his walk-in thereafter consisting mostly of being carted in a wicker basket by locals. Still, no shortage of magic mushrooms for pain relief…
Base Camp at Pangpema – at the junction of five large glaciers - was set up in early April. They were the first Westerners to camp there for fifty years.
With help from Ang Phurba and Nyima, well-stocked camps were set up in the shadow of The Twins (Gimmigela I & II, 7350m). They fixed ropes up the Kangchenjunga Glacier’s headwall, described by Joe as ‘Alpine TD, but somehow more than that’. Thanks to falling rocks, Pete injured his hand. Screaming winds met them at the North Col. Joe was not acclimatizing well and dropped back to Base Camp. The others forged on up the North Ridge, often unroped – they had had to borrow rope from a Czech expedition - to a snow-hole at about 7470m. Next day, they managed to reach a ledge at 7900m, where they pitched a tent. One of the worst storms in their experience blew up. The tent shifted towards the 2000m drop to the Zemu Glacier. A desperate night ensued. All three realized they had come close to destruction; they retreated to Base Camp.
A recovery enhanced by egg and chips encouraged all four to make a second attempt. The North Ridge route was laboriously retraced up to a couple of snowholes just on the 8000m contour. A high-altitude row then ensued but quickly blew over.
Thwarted again by violent winds, the party descended to their big snow-hole at around 7470m. Bettembourg believed himself to be played out and descended. The weather turned: on a starlit night, Pete, Joe and Doug reascended to 7900m and with only spare mitts, some fruit sweets, a bottle of water each and their cameras, set out for the summit.
Doug was wearing his old leather boots; high up, he had to take them off and thrust his feet inside Joe’s down suit to avoid frostbite. By late afternoon, they reached the point 100m below the summit where the ridges merged. They laboriously bypassed Joe Brown’s famous climb on the rock band just below the summit. At 5.30pm, they reached the top – although they remained 3m off it, out of respect for local religious sensibilities.
The descent to the upper snowhole was painfully slow: in the gloom, Doug stumbled twice and once tumbled down a small snow-covered outcrop. Pete’s sharper eyesight kept them on track.
The weather held. They lurched down the North Ridge, from brew to brew. Back at Pangpema, much rejoicing and fresh food. All that remained was a speedy return to home and the complications of domestic relationships…
This was one of the finest climbs in mountaineering history. It set new standards for ‘Alpine-style’ ascents. It is described in greater detail, with all of Doug’s other major climbs, in my biography of him, ‘Mountain Guru’, published last October by Birlinn and available from them or Amazon or Waterstones.
Catherine Moorehead
2024 is the forty fifth anniversary of Joe and Pete’s historic ascent of the North West Ridge of Kanchenjunga, climbed together with Doug Scott. This was one of the finest achievements ever by British climbers, being a new route on the world’s third highest mountain, climbed without the use of oxygen, the climb was a very bold and potentially dangerous one, and Doug regarded it as perhaps his finest achievement. As regards Joe and Pete, it ranks alongside their famous ascent of Changabang as their major contribution to the development of Himalayan climbing.
The three of them reached the summit on May 16th.
This article was published in 2019.
Image © Ian Smith
Image © Ian Smith
In the autumn of 1969, I walked into the 'Salad Bar' within the Leeds Student Union refectory. Still a boy, straight out of school and away from my parent's home for the first time, I stood nervously before a group of men.
'Is this where the climbing club meets? I'm Brian'. I stuttered nervously.
'Aye, have a seat', came a reply with a smile. Piercing eyes held my attention. Locks of tawny straight hair brushed his broad bare shoulders, which burst out of a tight-fitting tank top. Ridiculously flared jeans poked from under the table.
It was my first meeting with Bernard. He had already studied Geology at Leeds for a year and was among the climbing club's most active and enthusiastic members. At first, his acerbic wit put me off, but I soon realised it was a front I had to break through before entering what became a unique brotherhood of elite climbers. We developed a close friendship.
Born in Birmingham, he studied geology at Leeds and became a vital part of the University climbing scene in the 1970s, developing into one of the club's top climbers. He also enthusiastically edited the club's journal, which has become a piece of mountaineering literature folklore.
While we climbed, Bernard quietly took photographs, which were never posed or intrusive. His photos were about the character's personality rather than just a spectacular shot. Almscliffe was our favourite venue, and one day, we carried a barrel of beer to the cliff to enjoy while climbing. That day, he took a classic photo, which he called The Barrel, showing the group of us relaxing after climbing. It captured the moment of that anarchistic era of the early 70's. As did his portrait of John Syrett on Early Riser and later the iconic composition of Steve Bancroft on Strapadictomy and the thrill and jeopardy of Andy Pollitt on The Bells.
Mutual friends at Leeds, including Roger Baxter Jones, Alex MacIntyre, John Porter and myself, all enjoyed alpine and later Himalayan climbing. But Bernard's steel fingers, honed on the Leeds climbing wall, preferred rock routes. He was a star boulderer before bouldering became popular and prior to the use of pads. He on-sighted Downhill Racerwhen it was regarded as a Peak District test piece, and he was the first person I saw perform a one-arm pull-up.
On a road trip in '73, we drove like maniacs in beat-up vans, surviving on cheap vin ordinaire and baguettes to the French Alps, Provence and the Calanque. These were gloriously happy days, which I shared with Bernard and the Leeds team, including Syrett, Powell, Stainforth, Porter, and MacIntyre. In the Alps, Bernard and I were partners on his first alpine route. The Grepon's Mer de Glace face should have been straightforward until a ferocious storm hit us. We sheltered in a derelict wooden bivouac hut as hail drilled down all day and lightning lit the night. The next day, we abseiled down the ice-plastered face, thinking our lives were about to end. I am uncertain whether Bernard ever ventured onto an Alpine climb again?
After graduating from university, his strong views on climbing ethics were put to good use as he worked as editor of Mountain magazine. When it stopped publication in 1992, he joined Mountain Review and then became editor of Climber magazine from 1998 to 2007. Meanwhile, he was editor of the Alpine Journal and vice-president of the Climbers' Club. In journalism, his photography skills were matched by his writing and editing skills. His visionary talents were displayed when he collaborated with Ken Wilson to produce the book Extreme Rock. As a commentator on climbing, his views (whether one agreed or not) were always rational and to the point. His opinion was sought-after, exemplified by joining the judging panel on the Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature in 2011 and taking the role of Chair of judges in 2012.
To the end, he was active on rock, and it was on a climbing holiday in Spain with his wife Janine that he died of a heart attack.
So sad … one more member of the Leeds team has departed. Bernard, it was a privilege to spend so many happy times together.
I was very sad to hear of the death of my friend Roger Hubank. Roger grew up in Derby, as a boy was a particularly talented footballer. However, by the time he was studying at Cambridge in the late 1950s, Roger had become a keen and able climber. He climbed widely both in Britain and the Alps.
For many years Roger was a lecturer at Loughborough University. In 1978 his first novel ‘North Wall’ was published by Hutchinson and was described by Ken Wilson as ‘a work of genius’. It is an austere and harsh piece of work, never flinching from the hard reality of its subject.
Roger’s second novel ‘Hazard’s Way’, published in 2001 was set in Wasdale in the early part of the last century and deals with tragedy on the crags, and a young man’s struggle to find his place in life. To quote Jim Perrin: “Roger Hubank’s new book is simply a masterpiece – the finest piece of fictional writing about the subject of mountaineering ever to have been published in this country”.
‘Hazard’s way’ was an outstanding winner of the The Boardman Tasker Award for Mountaineering Literature in 2001, and also won the Grand Prix at the Banff Mountain Literature Festival (Canada). The book also received a Royal Society of Literature Special Commendation.
Roger added further novels each dealing with the mountains and wild places. ‘North’ was published in 2002, followed by ‘Taking Leave’ in 2004, and ‘Evening Light’ in 2009. His last novel ‘The Way of the Cuillin’ was published in 2021 and is set in 1938 with the shadow of war hanging over the country. Through the conversations of the characters, we gain insight into the political instability and psychological damage incurred from earlier conflicts, accentuated by anxiety and conjecture over the current crisis. The book is meticulous in its attention to historical settings: the bustle of Fitzrovia as London prepares for war and the Isle of Skye in the late 1930s. To my mind, this complex novel is perhaps Roger’s finest piece of work.
Mountaineering fiction is a difficult area to execute well, and there have been some poor examples in the past. Roger Hubank was a craftsman and tackles the challenge of this kind of work with great skill and sensitivity. All of his books are highly recommended.
Steve Dean
Tony Shaw, Kate Harris, Katie Ives, Roger Hubank
I was very sad last week to learn of the death of Roger Hubank, who was an ardent supporter of the Boardman Tasker Charitable Trust for many years.
Roger grew up in Derby and studied English at Cambridge University. He worked for many years as a Senior Academic at Loughborough University. In his youth Roger was a keen climber and maintained a keen interest in the mountains throughout his life.
Roger was known as a highly regarded novelist and wrote six books predominantly based in mountain settings. He first came to prominence in 1977, with the austere and bleak “North Wall”, a book that soon became regarded as a classic. Roger’s second novel ‘Hazard’s Way’ was the 2001 winner of the Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature. The book also won the Grand Prix at the Banff Mountain Literature Festival and was given a special commendation from the Royal Society of Literature.
To quote Jim Perrin: “Hazard’s Way is quite simply a masterpiece, the finest piece of fictional writing about the subject of mountaineering ever to have been published in this country.”
Roger wrote a total of six novels, the last one “Way of the Cuillin” was published in 2021. All of Roger’s books are highly recommended.
Roger was a Boardman Tasker Judge in 2018 and was Chair of Judges in 2019. At the 30th Anniversary of the Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature Roger gave a stirring speech in support of the notion of mountain literature and received hug applause.
Roger was delightful company and retained a great interest in mountaineering throughout his life. He was also to me personally, a wonderful friend.
Robin Campbell, Barry Blanchard & Martin Wragg
I was very sorry to receive the news from Dennis Gray that Robin Campbell had died. Robin was a Boardman Tasker Award Judge in 2014 and was Chair of Judges in 2015. Robin was a contemporary of Dougal Haston and Robin Smith in Edinburgh and was a major figure in Scottish Mountaineering since the early 1960s.
In 2015 when the Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature was presented to Barry Blanchard for his book “The Calling”, Robin gave a wonderfully humorous speech that had the audience at Kendal Mountain Festival in fits of laughter which resulted in loud applause afterwards.
Robin was a strong supporter of the BT Trust over many years and gave me help over matters on a number of occasions.
Steve Dean
Honorary Secretary The Boardman Tasker Charitable Trust
Maria is the new Chair of the Boardman Tasker Charitable Trust, our first female Chair.
Friday evening at the Kendal Mountain Book Festival. The Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature event was just getting underway. Our 40th anniversary. A full house. Everyone had been offered a glass of wine as they arrived, and told there would be a toast. Terry Stephenson, from Mountain Equipment, sponsor of the Kendal Mountain Festival BT Shortlisted Author’s event, was on stage giving a welcome speech. Behind him, a large projected image of Pete and Joe in the Himalayas, gazing up at a mountain, no doubt discussing a route. Terry invited us to raise our glasses, in memory of them, and in celebration of this award, their legacy. “To Pete and Joe!” he cried.
As the audience echoed his words, I suddenly spiralled back in time. 1981. London. The Alpine Club. Another room full of people, many of them grey haired men in sports jackets and suits. Waiters circling with trays of drinks. A hubbub of conversation. A toast. I have no memory of what that event was. I only remember standing very close to Joe, his arm around my waist, both of us gazing across the sea of heads and him saying to me, “I hope I end up like these old blokes, swigging gin and tonics with their mates, reminiscing about their climbs.” I thought, but didn’t say, “Oh Joe, I hope that too.”
In May of this year it will be forty two years since Joe and Pete disappeared on the Northeast Ridge of Everest. Those of us left behind had to find a way to make sense of their deaths, a light to help us through the dark. The seed that Pete’s mother Dorothy sowed – “Something good must come out of this”– was a big part of that light. It gave us a focus.
I have snapshot memories of the first meetings, when a core group of family and friendsdiscussed what the ‘something’ should be, and it began to take shape. Sitting on a high backed chair in Dorothy’s living room, gazing at the family photos on the mantelpiece, clutching a china cup and saucer. A few months later, in my house, tip-toeing around with a bottle, offering wine. The unreality of it all. I’m sure I wasn’t alone in half hoping that the doorbell would ring and they would be standing there.
Over the years, I missed many of the award ceremonies. I’d moved across the world, I’d married, I was going on my own big adventures with my husband. But the BT was always a touchstone. A connection to Joe. I’d also become a writer, and three times publishers and agents exhorted me to resign as a BT trustee, so I could submit my books to the award. I always refused. Being an integral part of the ‘something good’ was far more important than any potential prize.
BT has grown into an internationally recognised and valued award. Originally meant for books on climbing and mountaineering, its mandate expanded to include any work in the English language whose central theme involves the mountain environment. Sometimes there has been controversy over this, especially when the prize has been awarded to nature writers, to a long distance cyclist. But Pete and Joe would approve. They were explorers and perfectionists, not just in their climbing, but in their writing. Literary merit mattered to them. Had they lived, I’m sure their work would have taken new directions – and maybe Joe would have penned the novel he occasionally talked about.
Last November, when I snapped back to the present, Stephen Venables was starting his interviews with the short listed authors. I thought – ‘Joe and Pete would love this.’ The festival buzz, the award in their names, the big ceremony. Hanging out and reminiscing with some of their old mates. And enjoying seeing the past pushing into the future in new ways - their climbs and their writing the inspiration for that.
Maria Coffey
Chair of the Boardman Tasker Charitable Trust
Great photos of Doug Scott and Stephen Venables.
Two great friends of the Boardman Tasker Charitable Trust.
Photo 1 by Noel Dawson, photo 2, modified by Stephen!
Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, and fellow mountain enthusiasts,
Welcome to the Kendal Mountain Festival, a gathering that celebrates the unyielding human spirit and our profound connection with awe-inspiring mountain environments.
I am Terry Stephenson, and I’m here representing Mountain Equipment; we are proud to haveworked with Pete and Joe and are honoured to be a long-time supporter of this Award.
The Boardman Tasker Award, named in memory of the legendary mountaineers Pete Boardman and Joe Tasker, pays tribute to their enduring legacy and celebrates the enduring impact of mountain literature.
Today, we mark the 40th anniversary of the Award and four decades of honouring exceptional literary works inspired by the mountains.
For the past 40 years, this award has been recognising authors for their ability to take us on adventurous journeys around the world through their accounts and stories. They have shown us the beauty of the mountains, the calmness of the wilderness, and the strength of the human spirit.
These stories serve as a bridge between the realms of adventure and literature, reminding us of the importance of preserving our natural wonders, fostering bonds of camaraderie, and embracing the challenges that come our way.
As we applaud the nominees and recipients of this year's Award, let us also take a moment to reflect on how great mountain literature has enriched our lives over the past 40 years.
These stories have ignited our imagination, instilled a sense of wonder, and reminded us of the extraordinary heights to which the human spirit can ascend.
So, let us celebrate the authors, the adventurers, and the dreamers whose words have carried us to the summits of the world's highest peaks and into the depths of our souls.
Let us honour their dedication, passion, and courage, for they have not only enriched our literary landscape but have also kindled the flames of exploration within each of us.
And now, I am delighted to introduce tonight’s master of ceremonies: a British mountaineer, a man whose courage, skill, and determination have left an indelible mark on the world of mountain exploration and literature. It is an honour to welcome Stephen Venables, a name synonymous with the spirit of adventure.
Stephen's mountaineering achievements read like a gripping novel, each climb a chapter in an epic tale of courage and determination. His notable ascents include the first British ascent of Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen, the first ascent of Panch Chuli V in the Indian Himalayas and a variety of new routes and summits in Peru, Bolivia, Patagonia and South Georgia.
These climbs are not just records in the annals of mountaineering; they are testaments to skill, endurance, and passion for the mountains.
In addition to his remarkable climbs, Stephen is also an acclaimed author, capturing the essence of his adventures in words that transport readers to the heart of the world's most challenging and awe-inspiring peaks.
In fact, it is worth noting that Stephen received the Boardman Tasker Award in 1986, for his book Painted Mountains about the highs and lows of first ascents in the Indian Himalaya.
Thank you, Stephen, for your extraordinary climbs, your literary contributions, and your irresistible spirit of adventure. May your legacy continue to inspire generations of mountaineers and readers alike.
But before we welcome Stephen to the stage, I’d like to invite you all to raise your glasses in memory and celebration of Pete and Joe and their enduring legacy, which is the Boardman Tasker Award…
To Pete and Joe…
