From his rock climbing days in the UK through to visionary ascents on the high peaks of the Himalaya and shares the remarkable and poignant life of one of the world's best-known mountaineers.

Bonington: Mountaineer

Everest: The South West Face

The legend of Hamish MacInnes began early. At 16 he climbed the Matterhorn. At 17 he built his first motor car – from scratch. He attempted Everest in 1953 with his friend Johnny Cunningham, and almost stole the peak before Hillary and Tenzing. As an explorer, expedition leader and engineer he achieved world fame. As inventor of the all metal ice axe, author of the International Mountain Rescue Handbook and founder of Glencoe Mountain Rescue he has been responsible for saving hundreds of lives, if not thousands. But at the age of 84, his accomplishments could not save him from being institutionalised against his will, suffering from delirium. After a spell in psychogeriatric detainment in a hospital in the Highlands of Scotland, during which he made many escape attempts – he emerged to find his memory gone. This film tells the story of his life by mirroring his greatest challenge: to recover his memories and rescue himself.

Final Ascent: The Legend of Hamish MacInnes

Four Slovak mountaineers decide to climb the hardest route on Mount Everest via alpine style, which was claimed impossible by Chris Bonington.

Everest - The Hard Way

Everest Revisited 1924 - 2024, uses extensive historical footage, as well as interviews with Everest scholars and mountaineers, to tell the story of the 1924 Everest expedition and to ask questions about what the mountain means to climbers and Nepalis 100 years on from this famous expedition.