There are several unique items on the schedule for Kendal this year. There’s a young bloods/old bloods theme developing, with the likes of Leo Houlding and Dave MacLeod representing the younger generation and Eric Jones, George Band and Doug Scott on the ‘older and wiser’ side. Somewhere in between, Alan Hinkes is planning a one-off lecture that’s somewhat different to his current series. He’ll be considering what completing the 8,000ers meant to him, the friendships he has formed with his Sherpa companions and his future plans – what next?
There’s a world premiere at the Festival with the first showing of a film about the life of iconic climber Dougal Haston. Still in the cutting room, the film will be just completed in time for the Festival and will be shown at Kendal before its first broadcast by the BBC.
A real one-off will be Leo Dickinson recounting ‘Being in the Wrong Place at the Right Time with Eric’, a tale of one of Britain 's most successful Alpine solo climbers - Eric Jones - as told by one of Britain 's greatest film makers and adventurers.
Plus there’s the opportunity to hear world-class mountaineer, guide and ‘working mum’ Kitty Calhoun takes a humorous and very personal look at the world of high mountains.
The main weekend of the event is 18-20th November.