Death on Annapurna | Chris Bonington's Lethal Himalayan Expedition | ITN Documentary (1970)

On 26 June 1970, ITN broadcast a special documentary, Annapurna '70, chronicling the 1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, led by Chris Bonington, which became a landmark in Himalayan mountaineering history. The team achieved the first ascent of the technically challenging South Face of Annapurna I (8,091 meters), utilising innovative rock and ice climbing techniques at previously unprecedented altitudes.​ On May 27, 1970, expedition members Don Whillans and Dougal Haston reached the summit, marking a technical and psychological triumph for global climbing. However, tragedy struck as the team prepared to descend; Ian Clough lost his life to a falling serac. The expedition received international acclaim for its daring and innovation, while the poignant loss of Clough deepened the legacy of this remarkable ascent. The programme was an ITN–Thames Television co-production presented by John Edwards and recorded by cameraman Jon Lane, sound recordist John Soldini, and climbers in the expedition. It features interviews with Bonington, Whillans, Haston, and other members of the expedition. #Himalayas #Himalayan #Mountaineering #Annapurna #AnnapurnaBaseCamp #ChrisBonington #History #Everest #Nepal #BaseCamp #Documentary #Climbing #RockClimbing #ClimbingLovers To license the footage featured in this clip, follow the link below: https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/search/... To search the ITN Archive collection on Getty Images, follow the link below: https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/footage... 🎥 Subscribe to our YouTube channel (tap the bell icon and stay up to date with all the latest ITN Archive videos!) -    / @frontlinebyitn   🎥 Follow us on Twitter -   / itnarchive   🎥 Like us on Facebook -   / itnarchiveitnp   🎥 Check out our TikTok -   / itnarchive1955