Everest exhibition a 'treasure trove of memories'

Sir Chris Bonington said the exhibition brought back vivid memories

Fifty years ago, a British expedition reached the summit of Everest via a route which had never been climbed before.

The anniversary is being marked by an exhibition featuring photographs and equipment, some of which has not been on public view before.

Speaking at its opening, mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington, who led the expedition and now lives in Cumbria, described it as a "treasure trove" which brought back "vivid memories".

The exhibition will run at the Heaton Cooper Studio in Grasmere until 14 September.

Previous attempts to climb the world's highest mountain via its south-west face had ended in failure.

However, after meticulous planning the team led by Sir Chris was successful in September 1975, a pivotal moment in British mountaineering.

While he did not reach the summit himself, he did so 10 years later at the age of 50, briefly becoming the oldest person to do so.

Speaking of the 1975 trip, he said: "It stretched me to my absolute mental limits, managing an expedition of that size.

"There was that moment of sheer, absolute relief, it was just sheer, absolute joy.

"We've done it, that was it."

Many of the items on show are normally held in private collections

He described the exhibition as a "treasure trove of memories".

"As I look back at each picture, suddenly vivid images of those moments come into my mind," he added.

Curator David Nightingale said: "These items have never been together in this format before and many of them are being shown to the public for the first time because most of them are in private collections."