Organisers are promising the biggest Kendal Mountain Festival yet. Photo: Kevin Moran
Organisers of one of the country’s top outdoors social gatherings say this year’s event will be the largest and most varied in its history.
With a little more than a week to go before the start of the Kendal Mountain Festival, the Cumbrian town is gearing up for more than 14,500 visitors for the four-day event.
The festival is centred on the Brewery Arts Centre and will have hundreds of film screenings. Organisers said these celebrate both the well documented and lesser-known feats of adventure, endurance and exploration. “The Kendal team have also worked hard to curate the very best and most entertaining schedule of speakers to accompany the films at this years’ event,” they said.
Among offerings are the world premiere of Blocheads. A festival spokesman said it was: ‘an all-action cinematic spectacular, revelling in the UK’s golden age of bouldering, presented by ace filmmaker Alastair Lee and friends’.
“Never before have there been so many indoor walls; so many climbers obsessed with training; so many beasts of superhuman strength.
The main Kendal Mountain Festival site at the Brewery Arts Centre. Photo: Bob Smith/grough
“That talent is not going to waste. Alastair Lee’s latest film follows the fearsomely strong Blocheads as they quest for new lines and push the limits of human ability. It’s a story of adventure, rocky passions and mutant fingers. It’s the story of a search for bouldering gold.”
Behind the Scenes – BBC Planet Earth II is natural history producer and director Justin Anderson’s and assistant producer Emma Brennand’s exclusive ‘behind the scenes’ look at the mountains episode of David Attenborough’s Planet Earth II.
“Four years in the making with 25 expedition shoots to the world’s greatest mountain ranges, they have plenty of stories to share,” the spokesman said. “From how you track a snow leopard in Ladakh, to revealing the secret life of pole dancing grizzly bears in the Canadian Rockies.”
Sir Chris Bonington, right, and Lake District national park boss Richard Leafe at last year's festival. Photo: Bob Smith/grough
The Sherpa Session will see adventurer Heather Geluk interview Pasang Lhamu Sherpa Akita. Both were in Nepal for the April 2015 earthquake and spent the months following the disaster aiding the relief effort in the country.
The festival spokesman said: “Hear about Pasang’s journey to becoming National Geographic adventurer of the year as they discuss their experiences in nature’s most challenging and beautiful landscapes.”
Festival-goers will be able to test their knowledge at the DMM Pub Quiz.
Organisers said: “The format is simple. Teams of four battle it out in a white-hot competition of mountain, outdoor and general knowledge for the honour of winning this prestigious prize.
“Hosted by ‘Big George’ Smith and his able assistant ‘Little Ben’ Bransby there’ll be fun, spot prizes and the team with the highest score will win a £400 DMM kit voucher.”
Kendal Mountain Festival runs from 17 to 20 November. More details and event booking are on the festival website.
