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combative view begins to be adopted, and Bonington writes that “the climb was developing
into a slow war of attrition, which we seemed to be losing” (200). This is a statement
that, though containing an awareness of defeat, could have come from Herzog’s account.
A principle difference from his predecessor’s ascent is Bonington’s failure to
reach Annapurna’s summit. Some of Bonington’s original ideals are communicated
through the words of climber Dougal Haston. In allowing Haston to represent this part
of the expedition, Annapurna South Face attempts to provide an alternative to the military
framework by allowing a different defi nition of success. Though Haston and partner
Don Whillans do engage in the expected ritual of photographing each other on the summit,
there is little else to convey the accomplishment in conventional terms. Instead,
Haston remains focused on the activity of climbing, perhaps anticipating the diffi cult descent:
“We didn’t speak. There was no elation. The mind was still too wound up to
allow such feelings to enter” (Bonington 279). This absence of emotion even moves
into disappointment, as, due to cloud coverage the panoramic view of the Himalayan
chain, which Haston was looking forward to, was obscured. Compared to Herzog’s
elation, Haston’s description of his mental state challenges the dominant representation’s
equation of victory to the summit. But Haston’s ideal is merely personal, and
contains none of the public attraction of Herzog’s nationalistic motivations; as Haston is
only a part of Bonington’s team, the last word ultimately lies with the expedition leader.
Bonington’s conclusion to his account provides the fi nal reiteration of Herzog’s
ideals and the martial framework. In order to justify the ascent of the south face, Bonington
has to reduce the importance of the French expedition’s efforts; however in order
to provide his expedition with an equal level of meaning, Bonington repeats Herzog’s
metaphysical claim: “I know my life will be a constant search for Annapurnas and, having
found one, I shall feel forced to seek the next” (292). Wishing for an endless series of
challenges, Boninton only considers his efforts meaningful when they result in conquest.
Even if his personal ideal is satisfi ed through the act of climbing, in representing the experience
in an account, the conventional ideals of domination become more important.
The next generation’s ideals attempted to balance some of the conventional aspects
of past expeditions with personal motivations, such as those suggested by Haston. As Ortner
has argued, the military model of expeditions was beginning to wane by the end of the 1970s.
With most of the major peaks in the world having been climbed and documented, climbers
began considering the style of ascent and the make-up of their team to provide signifi cance.
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