CELEBRATE the wild at The Fort William Mountain Festival 2015, presented by Jöttnar, five days of inspiration and entertainment, action and adventure! Staged in and around the bustling Highland town of Fort William, in the heart of Lochaber, The Outdoor Capital of the UK, from Wednesday 18 to Sunday 22 February 2015, this is an experience not to miss.
Enjoy the best winter walking, climbing and skiing conditions of the year and be inspired by the packed programme of films, speakers, workshops and exhibitions.
As the people of Lochaber call on the Snow Giants to bring snow to the mountains the full programme for the 2015 Fort William Mountain Festival has been announced. Some of the best inspirational speakers made up of top climbers, and mountaineers, together with adventure film screenings, ski mountaineering and hill running races and mountain skills workshops.
Mike Pescod, chair of the Highland Mountain Culture Association, organisers of the Festival, said: “The unique landscape found in The Outdoor Capital of the UK is the best place to experience the outdoors. The Fort William Mountain Festival celebrates our wild landscape and the opportunities it presents. It’s guaranteed to inspire, entertain and educate.
“The mountains and glens that surround us influence our culture in many ways. We want to promote the value of the landscape of Lochaber as the best destination in the UK to live, work and play. The Mountain Festival includes a superb line up of top climbers and explorers, mountain films, inspirational speakers and skills workshops. It’s not just for adventure addicts though, anyone who appreciates the landscape of the Outdoor Capital of the UK will find something for them in the Mountain Festival.
“Celebrating the landscape that surrounds us in Fort William is the inspiration behind the Mountain Festival. Whether it is the beauty of the landscape, our engagement with it or the opportunities we find in it, celebrating our natural capital is the vision of The Outdoor Capital of the UK.”
To find out more about the Fort William Mountain Festival 2015 and to buy tickets go to – www.mountainfestival.co.uk/ (and see Notes to Editors below).
The Fort William Mountain Festival programme includes:
Festival Launch Night – Wednesday 18/02/15 – The message from the mountains descends Aonach Mor by ski and mountain bike in a torch lit descent to kick it all off. Then, at the Nevis Range Pinemarten Café outdoor enthusiasts will hear stories of ‘Mountain Magic, Mountain Rescue, Mountain Hospital!’ David Sedgewick and Mick Tighe host an evening with Ben Nevis films from 1935 to 2014, our film competition winners and first hand stories from Ben Nevis.
European Outdoor Film Tour – Thursday 19/02/15 – The best outdoor and adventure films in one action packed night. http://www.eoft.eu/
Spink and Span, Let’s Go Wild! – Friday 20/02/15 – Findlay Wild and Nicky Spinks.
The Festival welcomes back the highly understated and talented all round hill runner and mountaineer Finlay Wild, and introduce the legendary hill runner, farmer and Ramsey Round record holder Nicky Spinks for an evening of film and chat.
Paddling Night – Friday 20/02/15
Spend an evening with Dean ‘Deano’ Dunbar, a registered blind adventurer with a history of over 17 years, 80+ challenges, and setting over a dozen world firsts. Followed by Mick Hunter’s adventure: Prying, Crying & Just About Surviving – Canoeing 1000km across Scotland.
Climbing Night with Ines Papert and Martin Boysen – Saturday 21/02/15
Ines Papert: Neuland. Climbing in Africa, the Arctic and the Alps. Elite climber Ines Papert will take audiences with her on a captivating journey of new heights. Papert’s captivating, multi-media presentation follows on her a journey to climbing success, first ascents, enthralling travels and deep friendships, where the question of climbing style is contemplated as much as the longing for newness.
Martin Boysen: Hanging On. Martin Boysen started climbing on the sandstone outcrops of Sussex over 55 years ago and rapidly became one of Britain’s outstanding rock climbers. He extended his climbing to the Alps and Greater Ranges, taking part in several important Himalayan climbs, including the first ascent of the South Face of Annapurna in 1970. In the long course of his climbing life Boysen has met and made friends with many of the leading climbers of his generation, including Joe Brown, Don Whillans, Pete Crew, Baz Ingle, Nick Estcourt, Doug Scott and Chris Bonington.
The eighth recipient of the Scottish Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture will also be formally announced alongside the first Scottish Youth Award recipient.
Bike Night – Saturday 21/02/15
Stu Thomson, the man behind Cutmedia. As a director Stu has followed his passion for incredible cinematography and story telling, most notably working alongside his close friend Danny Macaskill to create several viral videos and achieving millions of YouTube hits. These include the 2011 Channel 4 film ‘Industrial Revolutions’ and Danny’s most recent viral hit ‘Imaginate’ which was Red Bull’s biggest film of 2013 gaining over 20 million views in the first 12 months. Starting with the early days as a downhill racer Stu will share his journey so far, his relationship with the bike industry and the phenomenal success of Cutmedia.
The Best of Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour Film Night – Sunday 22/02/15 – The best in award winning mountain films from around the world – extreme expeditions and challenges, remote cultures and the world’s last great wild places. http://www.banffcentre.ca/mountainfestival/
Get Involved – come along and join in or spectate as top level mountain athletes compete in events throughout the weekend. The first ever Runduro event will take place in and around Fort William and Skimo Scotland will hold their ski mountaineering races at Glencoe Mountain and Nevis Range.
Mountain Skills Workshops – There will be plenty of opportunity for both novices and experts to hone their mountain skills through a series of workshops in avalanche awareness and winter walking with Abacus Mountain Guides. Indoor climbing and ice climbing skills workshops will also be on offer at Kinlochleven’s Ice Factor Indoor Climbing Centre plus understanding our mountains through the Gaelic language workshop.
Social Media:
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/fort.william.mountain.festival
Twitter – https://twitter.com/FW_MountainFest
Useful websites:
Fort William Mountain Festival 2014 – http://www.mountainfestival.co.uk
Outdoor Capital of the UK – http://www.outdoorcapital.co.uk/
Ends
Media Contact:
Paddy Cuthbert | Littlehouse Media |T: 07913951717 | e: paddy@littlehousemedia.uk.com
If you are keen to attend the Fort William Mountain Festival for a commissioned travel feature or adventure / activity feature please contact Paddy Cuthbert to discuss a funded press trip to The Outdoor Capital of the UK.
Notes to Editors
The Fort William Mountain Festival is presented by Jöttnar, technical clothing for mountaineering, winter climbing and all-mountain skiing. http://www.jottnar.com/
“We were in the Norwegian mountains during a fierce Arctic winter when inspiration took hold: the development of a technical outdoor clothing range that would protect against the raging brutality around us, but also capture the purity and elegance of the Scandinavian landscape.
“As mountaineers, as well as former Royal Marines, we knew the importance of creating our products with the most savage conditions in mind.
“Our clothing has since withstood the demands of the most exacting users in the most ferocious conditions.”
The Nevis Landscape Partnership. Ben Nevis and Glen Nevis represent one of Scotland’s most treasured landscapes, yet one which is seriously under-resourced. The Nevis Landscape Partnership, constituting a wide range of stakeholders and communities, is cohered around a shared vision: to protect this unique place for the future; to manage it collectively; to view it holistically; and to give voice to its diversity and many communities. http://www.nevispartnership.co.uk/
The Fort William Mountain Festival wish to thank the following sponsors and supporters – Outdoor Capital of the UK, Ellis Brigham, Marine Harvest, Rio Tinto Alcan, Corpach Boat Builders, The Nevis Landscape Partnership, Hotscot, Cotswold Outdoor, Nevis Range, John Muir Trust, Allround Signs, Abacus Mountain Guides, The Granite House, No Fuss Events, Bill Scott Architects.
The Outdoor Capital of the UK – http://www.outdoorcapital.co.uk/ Formed in 2003, The Outdoor Capital of the UK is a community-focused not for profit membership company with a volunteer board of directors and a salaried staff of three. Through a range of collaborative marketing intiatives and activities the organisation promotes Fort William and Lochaber as the best place in the UK for everyone to experience the outdoors; with a view to developing local jobs and wealth and encouraging sustainable economic growth.
The organisation currently has over 110 member businesses which range from accommodation, food and drink and activity providers to non-tourism focused businesses which support the aims of the Outdoor Capital and acknowledge that tourism is crucial to the local economy. Many of these businesses are SMEs and by pulling resources and working as a team the Outdoor Capital achieves the positive results that individually the members couldn’t otherwise reach.
Visitors interested in the outdoors are increasingly important to economy and community of Lochaber. There are over 65 different activities to choose from in an amazing landscape that encompasses the small isles to Ben Nevis with white water rivers, sea, lochs, beaches, forest, glens, cliffs and mountains in between.
Festival Organisers: The Highland Mountain Culture Association Limited, is a not for profit organisation, whose aim is to promote the understanding and appreciation of the world’s mountain places and people, by creating opportunities for people of all ages to share their mountain experiences, ideas and visions. To showcase these ideals, it stages annually a programme of events within the Lochaber area, called The Fort William Mountain Festival.
MEDIA RELEASE issued by Littlehouse Media. You too can post your story ideas for journalists (aka Press or media releases), on allmediascotland.com. Email info@allmediascotland.com for more information.
Check out twitter.com/nonstopstories for your very own media releases feed…
Also, twitter.com/allOutdoorsPR.com, comprising outdoor pursuits-related media releases on allmediascotland.com.
To catch up on all the media releases recently posted on to allmediascotland.com, you need only click the link icon that you see towards the bottom right of our two media release ‘gateway boxes’.
It’s this icon, here. It’s your route straight into the rich archive.
—
Littlehouse Media’s contact details…
Contact: Paddy Cuthbert
Email: paddy@littlehousemedia.uk.com
Website: http://www.mountainfestival.co.uk/
