Kendal Mountain Tour 2024: Adventure Films + Guest Speakers

Prepare for an unforgettable night of adventure as the Kendal Mountain Tour 2024 comes to life!

Join us on a journey through the world’s most breath-taking landscapes with a selection of award winning films showcasing the year’s most daring feats of courage and tales of human resilience. Whether you’re a seasoned explorer or simply someone who appreciates the majesty of nature, this tour promises to ignite your sense of adventure and leave you with a renewed appreciation for the planet we call home. The films will be introduced by a member of the Kendal Mountain Presenting team.

Get ready to be thrilled, inspired and moved at the Kendal Mountain Tour 2024 – where adventure begins at your doorstep…

Guest Speakers:

Alongside the collection of films we’re joined byAsh Bhardwaj, one of the country’s top travel writers. Ash has penned articles for Condé Nast Traveller and The Times, amongst many others. His broadcast credits include the documentary series 'Expedition Borderlands with Ash Bhardwaj and Levison Wood' for Discovery. He is also co-host of the First Mile podcast and winner of the British Guild of Travel Writers’ Best Broadcast Programme of the Year.

Ash's debut book, 'Why We Travel: A Journey into Human Motivation' is published in April and he will be sharing insights from this informative and highly personal new title. In it Ash explores why humans yearn to travel, why we stay motivated and driven to do so, plus what we gain from venturing out into the world. Ash has incorporated many of his own remarkable and emotive journeys into the narrative, ranging from Ukraine to Sudan, and from New Zealand to Nepal. He also weaves in historical journeys and stories, drawing on insights from scientists, philosophers, athletes, soldiers and explorers to reveal their own origins and purpose. Through this, he explores how we can all curate new experiences and make the most of our own differing passions and motivations, both in travel and in life.

We're also joined byCommunity Group Evolve - The Cycling Network for Muslim Women. In affiliation with British Cycling, Evolve aims to make cycling more accessible and build confidence in women and children across communities. They currently operate in Greater London and Hertfordshire. The club is dedicated to inspiring riders from all communities to explore and reach their full cycling potential.

Films:

The White Giant- Krister Kopala dedicates his season to riding some of the most unforgiving lines on Jiehkkevárri, the highest and arguably most remote mountain in Norway’s Lyngen Alps. (22’)

Lando Steezy- Leo Smith is a self proclaimed bodge job and helper of people. Forging his own path in the bike industry, Leo is creating space in the sport for everyone. (6’)

La Gara- Journey into one of the world’s toughest mountain races in the Italian Alps with mountain runner Hillary Gerardi as she pushes herself to the limit, chasing after a dream. (15’)

SOUP- Discover the Sheffield Outdoor Plungers (SOUP) in this uplifting film exploring access rights and the cold water swimming community based in the Peak District. (6’)

An Eye For Plants- Plant blindness is our tendency to overlook and undervalue the plants around us. The inspirational 97-year old Dr Margaret Bradshaw champions doing the opposite. (4’)

Soundscape- Using beautiful animation, Soundscape shares the sightless experience of climbing a mountain featuring Erik Weihenmayer as he ascends a massive alpine rock face deep in the Sierra Nevada. (15’)

I Am Because You Are- Despite varying levels of experience, a fearless crew of six women venture into the wild and embark on their first mountaineering expedition in the Bugaboos. Together, they redefine the conventional mountaineering narrative, embodying the timeless African philosophy of Ubuntu. (17’)

Freya- Not your typical family holiday, but this is not your typical family. Climber Leo Houlding, his wife Jess, their two children Freya (9yrs) and Jackson (5yrs) climb Norway’s national mountain via a 2000ft big wall. (4’)