The Mountain Heritage Trust is delighted to present the first exhibition celebrating the life and achievements of pioneering mountaineer Joe Tasker. Savage Arena: The Legacy of Joe Tasker is a Heritage Lottery Fund funded exhibition and launched on Thursday 8th September 2016. It is now open to the public at Keswick Museum and Art Gallery until the end of May 2017.

Joe Tasker’s disappearance on Everest with Pete Boardman in 1982 remains a mystery but his legacy as a pioneering mountaineer, as well as a writer, thinker, photographer and filmmaker lives on. This exhibition explores Joe’s life and achievements from family life, school and early adventures in the Scouts and exploring the Lake District; to expeditions on the world’s highest mountain and Joe’s continued influence as a writer through his books Everest the Cruel Way and Savage Arena.

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The exhibition forms part of a Heritage Lottery Fund funded project to catalogue, preserve and make accessible Joe Tasker’s archive. It features original clothing, equipment, letters, photographs and film footage. Many of the items have never previously been on public display – highlights include Joe’s first climbing diary, his original handwritten draft for Savage Arena (still cited by many as one of the top-ten books on mountaineering) and the rucksack used by Joe on his final expedition.

There’s also a chance to get involved by trying on a down suit (kindly loaned by Mountain Equipment), testing your knowledge with a mountain naming challenge (there are plenty of clues if you’re not an expert!), or adding your thoughts about Joe to the ‘Did you know Joe?’ memories book.

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