Mountaineering elder statesman Sir Chris Bonington was among those who didnt meet Gordon Brown

Mountaineering elder statesman Sir Chris Bonington was among those who didn't meet Gordon Brown

Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s summit meeting to solve the world’s financial crisis meant disappointment for Britain’s top mountaineers who had hoped to greet the premier in person.

The PM was diverted from a planned meeting with representatives of the British Mountaineering Council and other mountain luminaries at a Downing Street reception yesterday, Wednesday, evening. The event was hosted instead by sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe.

While Mr Brown tackled the country’s growing debt mountain and the renewal of hostilities with old Cod War adversary Iceland, the gathering of 120 mountain experts bathed in the warm glow of No 10’s hospitality, with BMC president Charles Clarke opening proceedings with a thank-you to mountaineering’s parliamentary friend John Mann MP, who had pushed for the chance for the mountain fraternity and sorority to have their day at the seat of power.

Rising mountaineering star Leo Houlding also spoke to the throng to give an insight into how he got into climbing and what good value the sport represents, with top climbers notoriously frugal in their pursuits.

As well as Leo Houlding, fellow British Everest summiteer Sir Chris Bonington attended the reception, which the BMC said was arranged in part because of Gordon Brown’s interest in hillwalking.

The BMC said: “These receptions tend to only happen for sporting teams returning from international successes so this event celebrated the culmination of mountaineering achievements over the years and showed how far the BMC has come in being recognised within government.”

MPs and representatives of Sport England also attended the Downing Street reception.