There will be a healthy dose of adventure at the legendary Keswick Mountain Festival coming to you 20th to 22th May. This unique event has got it all: beautiful views, family friendly activities, buckets of adventure and groovy tunes. Plus, it all takes place in the magical Lakeland landscape. If you’re planning on coming, don’t forget to stop by our Mountain Skills tent!
The BMC is once again teaming up with Montane to bring you a jam-packed schedule of awesomeness. Inside our tent, we’ll be running a Skills Camp all weekend, with mega movie sessions, talks, quizzes, free drinks for current members and free gifts for anyone who joins us as a new BMC member.
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Mountain Training will also be on hand to talk about their exceptional award schemes and training courses, as well as giving you some top tips to take on your adventures.
Anyone who visits our tent over the weekend will get free use of Cotswold Outdoor's Imbox footwear protection machine. We will also have a Recycle My Gear box with us. Together with Cotswold we're encouraging you to ditch the landfill and bring along any old outdoor gear items to have them sorted for recycling or re-use.
A big thanks to our recommended clothing and pack partner Montane, plus Mountain Training for helping us create this event.
BMC Members get festival discounts
BMC members get 20% off all sport entries and festival weekend tickets until the end of April. Just use code BMC20_KM2022 at the checkout.
Top BMC Highlights
BMC x Montane Skills Camp
We’re running a number of free mountain skills sessions covering everything from Emergency Scenarios, to First Aid including medical kits, and of course, Navigation in partnership with Mountain Training. We’ve even got a Canines in the Fells workshops for pet owners to equip you with the right skills to respond to any pet first aid emergencies on the fells.
Montane and Special Guests
Join Montane and their special guests and hear from Jenny Tough sharing her stories of her worldewide fastpacking challenge to run a significant mountain range on each continent, extreme adventurer and bestselling author Jordan Wylie explores what ingredients make up the best adventures and Katy Parrott just back from the Montane Lapland Arctic Ultra - an extreme climate endurance challenge.
BMC and Montane Mountain Pub Quiz
Headliner for the weekend Anna Taylor will be recounting how she spent last summer cycling around Britain and climbing all the Classic Rock routes in one push and will also tell of her time in the Guyanan jungle free-climbing the Prow
Don't miss Frit and Frankie sharing their experiences of creating a meaningful adventure and heat the behind the scenes tales from the Penrith Mountain Rescue team as Team Leader Sharon Kennedy sheds light on what it's like to be part of the team. Plus take part and test your knowledge during our mountainous pub quiz on Saturday afternoon with epic prizes from Montane.
Full Festival Schedule
Read the full schedule below to make sure you don't miss anything and remember to bring along your membership card (and ID!) to claim your free tipples at the BMC x Montane Mountain Pub Quiz; the drinks will be on us.
Friday
12:30 Mountain Skills Session: Navigation
Navigation is the key to adventure. If you can navigate well, you can enjoy a good walk anywhere! It’s a fun skill with some very simple principles, and this practical session is the perfect introduction. Suitable for beginners or improvers. Provided by Mountain Training.
13:30 BMC TV Mountain Film Session
Enjoy a selection of the latest and biggest BMC TV films: Operation Moffat - award winning portrayal of Britain's first female mountain guide Gwen Moffat - and The Big Bang - the story of Britain's hardest female sport climb ascent. Provided by BMC TV
14:30 Mountain Skills Session: Emergency Scenarios
You’re enjoying an adventure in the mountains when the unexpected happens. What should you do? Learn how to stay safe in the mountains by preparing for all kinds of emergency scenarios, from flooded rivers to how to call for help, during this fun yet informative session. Provided by Mountain Training.
15.30 Behind the Scenes at Penrith Mountain Rescue Team
Sharon Kennedy is the Former Deputy Team Leader and will be shedding light on what a year in the life of the team looks like. Come along with your questions.
16:30 Mountain Beer Tasting Session with Timothy Taylor's
Sample a selection of beers during this tutored tasting session with Tom Slack, Senior Brewer at Timothy Taylor’s. Come along to find out about what goes into making that unique Taylor’s taste. Provided by Timothy Taylor's.
Sign up in advance via Eventbrite for the free taster session. Please bring ID with you (18+ only).
Saturday
09:30 Mountain Skills Session: Emergency Scenarios
You’re enjoying an adventure in the mountains when the unexpected happens. What should you do? Learn how to stay safe in the mountains by preparing for all kinds of emergency scenarios, from flooded rivers to how to call for help, during this fun yet informative session. Provided by Mountain Training.
10.30 Katy Parrott: Adventures from the Montane Lapland Arctic Ultra
In 2015, Katy put her love for sport and fitness to the test and signed up to the BBC series Special Forces: Ultimate Hell Week. Since then she has started ultra-running and endurance events and took part in the 2022 Montane Lapland Artic Ultra (MLAU). She’ll be sharing her experience from running the extreme climate challenge. Provided by Montane
11.30 Frit and Frankie: Adventure Planning with a Purpose
Filmmaker Frit Tam and adventure creative Frankie Dewar know first-hand what it’s like to have purposeful adventures. In 2021 Frit roller-bladed and biked around the UK in his #GlideForPride project visiting historical LGBTQIA+ sites, charities, and interviewing people along the way whilst a year earlier Frankie cycled 3175km around entire loop of UK interviewing adventure women and non-binary folk for her podcast ExtraordinaryOrdinaryYou. This weekend, they’ll share their insights into what they’ve learnt from using adventures to make a change.
12.30 Living vertically in the Lost World: An expedition up Mt Roraima, Guyana with Anna Taylor
With incredible tales and footage straight from the jungle, adventure climber Anna Taylor recounts the expedition to climb Guyana’s incredible Mt Roraima. Starting with a parachute drop into the Guyana rainforest, then a trek through the pristine jungle to reach the fabled mountain, they eventually reached the climb itself up Roraima’s imposing 1,300 ft wall.
13.30 Canine First Aid in the Fells
Talk and interactive workshops for pet owners. Do you have the knowledge and skills to respond to First Aid emergencies on the fells, ensure you have the correct equipment and consider your pet’s fitness, breed type and ability when planning your routes. Get some training tips as well! All dogs welcome! Provided by Oak Tree Animals’ Charity
14.30 Mountain Skills Session: Navigation
Navigation is the key to adventure. If you can navigate well, you can enjoy a good walk anywhere! It’s a fun skill with some very simple principles, and this practical session is the perfect introduction. Suitable for beginners or improvers. Provided by Mountain Training.
15.30 Mountain Beer Tasting Session with Timothy Taylor's
Sample a selection of beers during this tutored tasting session with Tom Slack, Senior Brewer at Timothy Taylor’s. Come along to find out about what goes into making that unique Taylor’s taste. Provided by Timothy Taylor's.
Sign up in advance via Eventbrite for the free taster session. Please bring ID with you (18+ only).
16.30 BMC & Montane Mountain Pub Quiz + free beer
Back again for 2021. Join us for an hour of beer and banter as the BMC & Montane skills camp transforms into your local pub. With free beer up for grabs and some marvellous Montane goodies to be given away, don’t miss this chance to test your mountain knowledge.
(Free beer for BMC members aged 18+ only)
Sunday
09:30 Mountain Skills Session: Emergency Scenarios
You’re enjoying an adventure in the mountains when the unexpected happens. What should you do? Learn how to stay safe in the mountains by preparing for all kinds of emergency scenarios, from flooded rivers to how to call for help, during this fun yet informative session. Provided by Mountain Training.
10.30 Biking Britain: Rediscovering the WILD with Abbie Barnes
Abbie Barnes is a filmmaker, presenter, and adventurer, and the founder of Spend More Time In The WILD, an organisation that seeks to inspire and empower individuals to get outside the the benefit of mental and physical health. Abbie is perhaps best known for her flourishing YouTube Channel where she is building an archive of hiking videos exploring trails around the world. Most recently in 2021 Abbie cycled from Dunnet Head and John O Groats to The Lizard Point and Lands End via each the UK's 15 National Parks and their highest peaks. Her journey of 2000 miles took 55 days, and along the way she and her partner Anna sought to raise awareness the importance of getting outside for mental health and highlight what we can all do to protect our wonderful green spaces.
11.30 Mountain Skills Session: Navigation
Navigation is the key to adventure. If you can navigate well, you can enjoy a good walk anywhere! It’s a fun skill with some very simple principles, and this practical session is the perfect introduction. Suitable for beginners or improvers. Provided by Mountain Training.
12.30 Jenny Tough: Run the World Mountains.
Jenny Tough is an adventurer, writer, film-maker, endurance athlete and Fastpacking pioneer, she has run across a major mountain range on each continent. Jenny shares her stories from her solo mountain adventures. Provided by Montane
13:30 Wear and Care for you kit with Grangers and Montane
Grangers have been protecting your outdoor adventures since 1937. The brand is celebrating its 85th anniversary this May and what better way to celebrate than by talking all things aftercare with Montane at Keswick Mountain Festival. With a guest talk from a key brand ambassador as well as a representative from Montane, why not pop along to learn about how to take care of your gear so that it lasts for years to come. #WithGrangersYouCan. Provided by Grangers and Montane
14.30 Jordan Wylie: Which Ingredients Make a Great Adventure?
Extreme adventurer and bestselling author Jordan Wylie explores what ingredients make up the best adventures. Still fresh (literally) from the North Pole and Antarctica, the Army Cadets national ambassador and Channel 4’s Hunted star will be sharing his experiences from around the world to inspire our audience and spark some interesting discussions. Don’t miss out as there will be some prizes up for grabs too! Provided by Montane
15:30 BMC TV Women in Adventure Film Session
With a tiny one fifth of the films screened at ShAFF (Sheffield Adventure Film Festival) 2014 featuring female protagonists and a strong desire to see more adventurous women on the big screen, the BMC TV Women in Adventure film competition was born. Check out the highlights from the last seven years and get inspired for your next adventure! Provided by BMC TV
What else is on at Keswick Mountain Festival
Not to be missed are the Theatre by the Lake speaker sessions. Highlights include author and TV presenter Cameron McNeish, ultra runner Sabrina Verjee, film maker Terry Abraham and adventure film maker and photographer Frit Sarita Tam.
Plus each evening there will be live music on the Keswick Mountain Festival stage
Join online today by Direct Debit and save 25% on your first year's membership.
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