When the call for the Kendal Mountain Festival came, I was up my backside in builders. Dust had found its way into every crevice and my lungs were a no go area. My office was piled high with boxes, but somewhere in the morass, I found my computer and typed that dangerous word – Yes. Of course I was coming…Read More »The Kendal Mountain Festival 2017 – Films, Floods and Flying Around…
What began as a beautiful autumn day, turned into an aquaplaning nightmare as I passed Manchester. The Peak District was resplendent in its glowing reds and golds, but the motorway was a silver-grey morass of dotted with beaming brake lights and dousing flood water. By the time I reached Kendal, darkness had fallen and drizzle filled the air. What did I expect..? It’s November after all.
Read More »The Kendal Mountain Festival 2016 – BBC, Mt. Blanc, Burton and The Bond…
The warm and wet autumn brought the risk of severe flooding in Kendal. Not good for the festival I thought, although it would bring the adventurous aspect of the weekend close to home..!
The first time I heard Leo Houlding speak was on a dark, rainy night at the Buxton Opera House. He had quite literary just returned from free climbing The Prophet in Yosemite and the excitement showed. He danced on the stage like a marionette, (reminding me of my childhood TV favourite Thunderbirds) which made for a strangely unnerving evening. Though we should bring emotion into our speaking, there is a time, a place and then a need for some control.Read More »Leo Houlding, Mountain Heritage and Facial Hair…
After a week of scorching July sunshine, I hoped for something a little cooler to wild camp the Cumbria Way. Working with facial skin grafts in the blazing sun is always a challenge…
Last friday I sat and watched the Channel 5 programme ‘The Limbless Mountaineer’. It was the story of Climber Jamie Andrew’s attempt to climb the Hornli Ridge on the Matterhorn, but it also covered much about his fateful accident in the Alps in January 1999. It seems that year was life changing for us both…
The run up to the 2013 Kendal Mountain Festival was filled with the usual barrage of emails, packed with ever-changing pdf’s and spreadsheets. This I could cope with. It was the last-minute call on the Thursday from Andy Perkins, regarding the Kendal for Kids session on the following morning that took me by surprise. Things had changed and I was suddenly asked to perform live before 150 Primary School children, after the last film was done. Thankfully as a presenter I always carry my kit with me and my mind is filled with plenty of ideas to fit any session. I love enthusing an audience about mountaineering and adventure..!
Read More »The Kendal Mountain Festival 2013 – Life’s great balancing act…
Where do I start? So much has happened during the past year, and I don’t want to miss anything. Good job I’m an avid diary writer…
Well it was that time of year again. Time to head to Kendal for the Mountain Festival and volunteer as a presenter. Volunteer you say??? Well, I may be a professional speaker, but there are times when the outdoor community comes together and works together. We all give our time for free for the good of the community, and work harder than any professionally paid staff. Working in engineering, I hear a great deal that ‘Money is the greatest motivator’. If only these people knew how wrong they were. Passion drives people, love drives people, people drive people. And it’s the people I meet at the festival who drive me…
Read More »The Kendal Mountain Festival – backflips, books, slacklines and grand prizes…
As the nights draw in, the evening speaking season begins. I have a busy November coming up, so here’s a couple of events if you fancy coming to say hi..! (Bring beer)