Cash crisis axes mountain exhibit

The exhibition was supported by mountaineer Sir Chris Bonnington

An exhibition highlighting Britain's mountaineering heritage has been forced to close because of a lack of funds.

The National Mountaineering Exhibition at the Rheged visitor centre, near Penrith, Cumbria, was opened six years ago by then prime minister Tony Blair.

Despite attracting tens of thousands of visitors, Rheged has been unable to find £250,000 needed to keep it going.

Visitor numbers peaked in 2003, with an exhibit marking the 50th anniversary of the first ascent of Everest.

Exhibition manager, Robin Ashcroft, said: "This has been a great shame because the exhibition has been a great success.

"Running museums and exhibitions is always going to be commercially challenging and the brutal reality is that we desperately needed to refresh the exhibition."

Exhibition items, many of which are owned by the Mountain Heritage Trust, are to be returned.

A trust spokesman said: "The Mountain Heritage Trust is proud of its support for the National Mountaineering Exhibition and of what has been achieved through exhibitions and lectures at Rheged.

"The Mountain Heritage Trust continues to develop its database of the British archives of mountaineering, to advise clubs and individuals via its archivist and to expand its own collection."