In September 2024, at the age of 68 and 74 respectively, renowned British mountaineers Mick Fowler and Victor Saunders made the first ascent of Yawash Sar, a 6,258m peak in Pakistan known as the ‘Matterhorn of the Khunjerab’. This daunting mountain had withstood attempts from previous teams. It took Fowler and Saunders a total of 7 days to climb.
These Pioneering Pensioners are coming to Rheged to tell the story of their long history of climbing together. They first travelled together to Pakistan nearly 40 years ago and have an unequalled record of serious alpine ascents together in the Himalaya. In the Autumn of 2026, they are attempting an unclimbed face on a 19,000 peak in China and the Rheged audience will be the first to hear their story of this climb alongside all the others.
Mick Fowler, also known as ‘the climbing taxman’, spent his career working for HMRC. Around his day job. Part of Mick’s story is his remarkable recovery from two bouts of bowel cancer. He is a three-time recipient of the Piolets d’Or or ‘Golden Ice Axe’, sometimes referred to as ‘the Oscars of mountaineering’ and author of many books, all short listed for the Boardman Tasker.
Victor Saunders is a mountain guide based in Chamonix. In 1987, he shot to fame alongside Fowler when the pair made the first ascent of the ‘Golden Pillar’ on Spantik, a 7,027m peak in the Pakistani Karakoram. He has summited Mount Everest six times, climbed the seven summits and is the author of a number of books, including the Boardman Tasker winning Elusive Summits.
2h (Inc Interval)
These Pioneering Pensioners are coming to Rheged to tell the story of their long history of climbing together. They first travelled together to Pakistan nearly 40 years ago and have an unequalled record of serious alpine ascents together in the Himalaya. In the Autumn of 2026, they are attempting an unclimbed face on a 19,000 peak in China and the Rheged audience will be the first to hear their story of this climb alongside all the others.
Mick Fowler, also known as ‘the climbing taxman’, spent his career working for HMRC. Around his day job. Part of Mick’s story is his remarkable recovery from two bouts of bowel cancer. He is a three-time recipient of the Piolets d’Or or ‘Golden Ice Axe’, sometimes referred to as ‘the Oscars of mountaineering’ and author of many books, all short listed for the Boardman Tasker.
Victor Saunders is a mountain guide based in Chamonix. In 1987, he shot to fame alongside Fowler when the pair made the first ascent of the ‘Golden Pillar’ on Spantik, a 7,027m peak in the Pakistani Karakoram. He has summited Mount Everest six times, climbed the seven summits and is the author of a number of books, including the Boardman Tasker winning Elusive Summits.
2h (Inc Interval)