Doug Scott: Life and Hard Times

Doug Scott

Sunday 6 September, 7.30pm – presented by Threlkeld Cricket Club

Doug will show a fine collection of historical images illustrating his climbs and expeditions from Derbyshire gritstone in the fifties on to the big walls of Europe, Yosemite, Baffin Island and the Himalaya. Hear how his passion for climbing led him up Everest via the South West Face and on to help the village people who helped him and his friends climb some 45 peaks in Asia.  £13 (discounts £1 off); £10

Book now at the Theatre by the Lake

Joss Naylor – Interviewed by Eric Robson

Joss Naylor

Saturday 26 September, 4pm

Joss Naylor, the legendary Lake District fell runner and shepherd, will be appearing at Theatre by the Lake where he will be the subject of a special on-stage interview with writer and broadcaster Eric Robson.

There will also be an illustrated talk by Joss Naylor’s biographer Keith Richardson to launch his biography of Joss, The life and times of the legendary Lake District fell runner and shepherd.

Book now at the Theatre by the Lake

An Audience with Ben Fogle

Ben Fogle

Sunday 18 October, 3pm & 8pm in association with the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)

From Taransay in the Outer Hebrides to the Marathon Des Sables; rowing across the Atlantic and racing to the South Pole with James Cracknell; Countryfile to Wild in Africa; join much loved presenter Ben for a chance to hear him recount his expeditions around the globe.

£16 (discounts £1 off) £13; (RGS-IBG members £12.50)

Book now at the Theatre by the Lake

But….

What did Vicky from Haglofs say to James Cracknell when he visited their stand on the Adventure Base?

Hundreds of visitors took part in the huge programme of organised activities, which included the second Keswick Triathlon, adventure races, climbing, walking, Canadian canoeing, ghyll scrambling, navigation courses, mountain biking, family treasure hunts and much more!

In total we estimated having over 10,000 visitors to the event and nearly 5,500 booked and paid for activity places.  We would like to thank all of our sponsors, supporters, volunteers and all of you who took part -   without your support the event could not happen!

Since Keswick Mountain Festival 2009 we have been gathering statistics, creating a new DVD to give you a flavour of the event and getting images up on the website!

We can also confirm next year’s dates as Wednesday 19th – Sunday 23rd of May 2010.

Some statistics for you courtesy of Cumbria Tourism!

Cumbria Tourism

It appears that 65% of you were attending the event for the first time and 35% were repeat visitors, so be sure to tell your friends what a great time you had, after all word of mouth is the most effective form of marketing! It would appear that in 2009 our most popular events were the talks, walks and sporting events, closely followed by mountain bike activities.

73% of people recognised that Jennings and Ordnance Survey were the head line Sponsors.  It would seem that 57% of our visitors were male, so girls get yourselves to next year’s event so we can reverse this statistic!  The highest percentage of visitors were from the North West and North East regions.

So it would seem that despite the current economic climate  visitors were prepared to come and enjoy a range of activities at the event.  My advice would be plan a staycation ready for the 2010 event and mark the dates in your diary – Wednesday 19th May – Sunday 23rd May 2010

Read the full Visitor Survey and Economic Impact analysis of the Keswick Mountain Festival…

This trekking holiday offers varied and picturesque scenery, rugged trails, high pass crossings and the guarantee of a cheerful welcome from the Berber people at their pretty mountain villages. There is also time to explore the souks of Marrakech, with their colourful spices, carpets and leather goods. This is a relatively tough trip so let’s hope Jason is in training in order to reach the summit.  To find out more about KE Adventure Travel then take a look at their website at: http://www.keadventure.com

The correct answer to the question was….

What year did Haglofs win a gold medal in the Outdoor Industry Award?
2006!

The Keswick Mountain Festival Team were very grateful to Haglofs for their sponsorship at the 2009 event and the waterproof jackets certainly were put to the test!  Speaking on behalf of Haglofs, from its UK distribution base in Staveley, Neil Bradley said “Haglofs is excited to support the Keswick Mountain Festival as the event encourages people to get into the outdoors, to try new activities and have a great time. It also teaches a whole host of other skills so people are more knowledgeable, respectful and safe when they are enjoying all that Mother Nature has to offer.”

Haglofs

There’s no fear of facing the elements during this year’s Festival thanks to the generous support of leading outdoor brand HAGLOFS, who have kitted out the volunteers from head to toe. Haglofs are offering one person the opportunity to win a Mach Large Ruck Sack. It is the ultimate pack for day hikes with Haglofs adjustable AirBac suspension system, large U-shaped opening with robust zip pullers in the rubber. It carries 23 litres and much more.

All you have to do is answer the following question and send you answer to info@keswickmountainfestival.co.uk

What year did Haglofs win a gold medal in the Outdoor Industry Award?
Hint – The answer can be found on the Haglofs website www.haglofs.se

Entries close on 17th May 2009.

Speaking on behalf of Haglofs, from its UK distribution base in Staveley, Neil Bradley said “Haglofs is excited to support the Keswick Mountain Festival as the event encourages people to get into the outdoors, to try new activities and have a great time. It also teaches a whole host of other skills so people are more knowledgeable, respectful and safe when they are enjoying all that Mother Nature has to offer.”

Keswick Mountain Festival promised two free tickets to whoever ran the furthest to listen to round-the-world runner Rosie Swale Pope on Wednesday 13 May 2009.

Now organisers are wondering if anyone in the audience can beat Rosie’s own 17 mile run from Penrith Railway Station to Keswick to appear at the festival!

For a woman who spent four and a half years running around the world, the journey between the two Lake District towns, will provide little challenge – but a great opportunity to mark the opening of the third annual Keswick Mountain Festival (13-17 May 2009).

SEE ROSIE SET OFF AT 4PM 
TUESDAY 12 MAY 2009
PENRITH RAILWAY STATION

Wednesday 13 May

Love Food? Then try ‘A Jig on Latrigg’ – a three course meal will be served at altitude by local celebrity chef Peter Sidwell at 7.30pm. Funky folk band Stooshie will be playing while Si and Andy, Jesters from Ambleside will be providing entertainment. Booking essential.

Watch the Latrigg Fell Race – see whether anyone can beat Kenny Stuart’s amazing 16 minutes and 34 seconds record set in 1984. The racers would love to have your support on the summit! It starts at 7.30pm, Fitz Park Sports Pavilion.

Thursday 14 May

Splash and Dash! – a 400m swim in Derwent Water and then a dash around Crow Park. Give it a go or come and cheer them on. Competitors will brace the chilly waters at 7pm!

‘A Slice of Good Taste on Jenkin Hill’ – fresh coffee (not from a flask!) and muffins will be served on the site of the old White Hut on Jenkin Hill (NY 281263) on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Just walk up!

Friday 15 May

Adventure Base opens on Crow Park until Sunday – come and have a go at the latest craze ‘Mountain Boarding,’ the zip wire or the Water Wheelz and enjoy the stalls and the food on offer.

Saturday 16 May

Bike Village opens at the Rawnsley Hall – learn new tricks on the skills course with Cyclewise, try out demo bikes, join a guided ride or bring the kids for a treasure hunt by bike. For the brave among you, experience the freefall of a lifetime on the Powerfan – a first in Keswick!

Come to the Adventure Base on Crow Park at 8.30am to see former Olympian James Cracknell not only start the Triathlon, but compete in it too!

Sunday 17 May

Kids Fun Run – Saab Solomon have organised a three mile junior race starting from the Adventure Base at 2.30pm. £7 entry fee includes a free goody bag for all!

Film – our friends at Kendal Mountain Festival will share the best of Kendal Films 2008 at The Lonsdale Alhambra Cinema at 8pm. Three films featuring extreme climbing and cool mountain biking for £5.50!

Plus…..

Local activity providers have come up with hundreds of different ways to get you up on the fells, out on your bike or away on the water.

You can learn how to rock climb, spend a night wild camping, brush up on your navigation skills, learn bushcraft or just tackle some spectacular Lakeland walks with a guide. Water lovers can choose from learning to canoe or sail, guided days on the water, windsurfing, dinghy racing or family kayaking. Details of the activities on offer can be found in the full programme for this year’s Festival

With the wettest valley in England – Borrowdale – on our doorstep, it’s easy to take water for granted. Rain is our regular companion when out walking, with fresh, clear water flowing in the becks, filling the tarns and tumbling down the ghylls.  It’s often surprising to learn though that on a global scale water can’t be taken for granted.

Did you know that:

• q 97% of the earth’s water is sea water we can’t drink, 2% is locked up in icecaps and glaciers, and most of the remaining 1% is found underground
• q just 6 countries have half the world’s renewable fresh water supplies on their territories
• q you can fill 25 baths with the water it takes to grow the regular cotton for a t-shirt
• q the person you love is 72.8% water
• q it takes 5,000 litres of water to make just one kilo of cheddar cheese
• q one in six people around the world don’t have access to safe, clean drinking water

We didn’t.

We’re learning new things about water and the environment every day, helping us make better choices about the food, clothes and gear we buy. It really can make a difference.  We’ve learned that the disposable plastic water bottle hit the streets in the 80s, and now 200 billion litres of the stuff are sold every year.  That’s a lot of plastic bottles.  And only 1 in 5 is ever recycled. The rest ends up in landfills or out to sea.

We’ve learned that plastic bottles can leach chemicals into your drink, leaving not only an unpleasant taste but also unwanted additives for our bodies to deal with.

We’ve also learned that water is becoming the “new oil”, except there are alternatives to oil – there’s no substitute for water.

So what can we do?

Well, looking at how we use water day-to-day is a good place to start.  At home, reducing the amount of water flushed down your toilet, using a barrel to collect rainwater and choose a shower over a bath can help you save money and helps the planet.

Fancy a new T-shirt? Check out organic cotton ones instead of the water and pesticide thirsty regular stuff.  Wear it for an extra day and you’ll save there too – 82% of the energy used during the life of a T-shirt comes from washing and drying it.

When out and about, have a re-think before buying another plastic water bottle and sticking it in your backpack. Consider a re-usable bottle that can be re-filled on the go – it’s a healthier option for you and the environment.

Every little helps.

A new local brand providing re-usable water bottles as part of its range launches early June this year.  The brand called Millican, is inspired by local Borrowdale legend and self-styled “Professor of Adventure” Millican Dalton.

Way ahead of his time, Millican Dalton lived a life of simplicity and self-sufficiency, in a cave on Castle Crag during the early 1900s – growing most of his own food and making his own clothes, rucksacks, tents and sleeping bags.

More than just the company’s namesake, Millican’s attitude to sustainable living and appetite for adventure offers a wealth of inspiration for all of us looking to have a positive impact on people and planet, and explore the great outdoors.

Millican

There’ll be a local preview of Millican’s travel and outdoor bags and accessories at the Adventure Base from 15-17 May. Made using sustainable materials wherever possible, the products are built to last a lifetime of adventures (and then some)

Look forward to seeing you out there…

Jorrit & Nicky