The Trustees of Mountain Heritage Trust (MHT) are delighted and proud to celebrate their former chairman and current patron, John Innerdale, who has been awarded an MBE in the new year’s honours list.

John was a founder trustee of the Mountain Heritage Trust, its vice chairman under Sir Chris Bonington and chairman of the trust from 2005 to 2008. John’s passion for the rich heritage of mountaineering and climbing was translated into the highly praised and successful National Mountaineering Exhibition that ran at Rheged in Cumbria from 2001 to 2007.

Under John’s chairmanship MHT grew and established itself, with its own archivist. He succeeded, from a standing start, in catapulting MHT to the forefront of mountaineering heritage in less than a decade and vitally important collections that might otherwise have been sold or disbanded are being preserved for future generations.  His determination to share with as wide a public as possible the extraordinary richness of British mountaineering heritage is bearing fruit.  Since 2010 he has been negotiating with the National Trust to form a relationship between the two organisations and bring mountaineering’s rich history to a wider audience.

John has been a member of both Langdale and Penrith Mountain Rescue teams.  He has fund-raised on behalf of his local yacht club and with local volunteers in Sockbridge and Tirril to build a community play area. He is also a keen apiarist, giving freely of his time to advise and mentor beginner bee-keepers.

MHT chair Julie Summers said: “I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this award than John Innerdale. He has been a tower of strength and a power-house of energy on behalf of MHT. We congratulate him and his family with all our hearts and hope he enjoys this award.”

The BMC warmly supported John's nomination for the award, and also awarded him with the George Band Award for Exceptional Voluntary Contribution at the 2014 AGM in Dorset.  John is steeped in mountaineering; he is an active member of the Alpine Club and a much admired mountain artist.  He has spent a lifetime walking, climbing and painting in the UK, Alps, Norway, Pyrenees, Himalaya and Patagonia. He has also been artistic director of the Kendal Mountain Film Festival and a jury member at several mountain film festivals.

Congratulations to John Innerdale MBE.

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