Sir Chris Bonington chatted with his climbing companion Doug Scott at the event

A lecture evening by two of Britain’s best known mountaineers raised more than £4,000 for the rescuers who helped residents and visitors during last year’s floods in Cumbria.

A packed house listened to a talk-show-style event during which Sir Chris Bonington and Doug Scott were interviewed by Robin Ashcroft on Monday at the Rheged centre, near Penrith. The fundraiser was organised by the Wainwright Society, aficionados of the late guidebook author.

All 262 tickets for the lecture sold out within two weeks of the announcement the event would take place.

The Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association and Royal National Lifeboat Institution will benefit from the proceeds. Mountain rescuers and lifeboat personnel joined emergency services during the floods last November and their expertise proved vital to the massive rescue operation during the worst deluge the area had recorded.

More than 40 calendars signed by the two mountaineers were also sold.

The audience heard of the two men’s exploits together, particularly on the Ogre and on Everest. Doug Scott was also presented with honorary membership of the Wainwright Society; his fellow speaker Bonington is already an honorary member.

The owners of Rheged provided the venue free of charge.