Sir Chris Bonington took the Olympic torch to the summit of Snowdon in May

The Olympic torch that Everest summiteer Sir Chris Bonington took to the top of Wales’s highest mountain is being auctioned to raise cash for a charity that helps Nepalese porters and their families.

Bids are now open for the torch, which the mountaineer carried to the 1,085m (3,560ft) summit of Snowdon in May as part of the Olympic torch relay.

Proceeds from the auction will go to Community Action Nepal, the charity founded by fellow Everest climber Doug Scott.

Organisers of the auction estimate the torch has a value of between £8,000 and £12,000. The auction winner will also receive a signed photograph of Sir Chris with the torch on Snowdon’s summit.

Bids can be made online and the auction closes at 12.30pm next Wednesday. Postal bids are also being accepted.

The winner will be announced at the Royal Geographical Society’s London headquarters during the First on Kanchenjunga event. The torch will also be on display during the event.

CAN is a mountaineers’ charity which helps the mountain people of Nepal help themselves to raise their standard of living and strengthen indigenous, community-based culture.

It operates mainly in the Middle Hill Regions of Nepal from where the majority of the porters originate. The charity said it is the porters who make it possible for walkers and climbers to enjoy the peaks and passes of Nepal.

Doug Scott, founder of Community Action Nepal

Sir Chris, who is a patron of CAN, said: “It’s an amazing organisation, that’s done an incredible amount for the people of Nepal, which is one of the poorest nations on the planet.”

The mountaineer said after his Snowdon Olympic torch relay: “For me this was a sentimental journey. My climbing roots are around Snowdon; it was where I started to climb over 60 years ago, did some of my best routes and spent many months over the years amongst these lovely mountains.”

Bids for the torch can be made via the Community Action Nepal website.