Our Committee have worked all year to create this years phenomenal lineup and our Festival Chair, Anna from @wildrootsguiding is here to tell us what her perfect day at the festival looks like! With so many inspirational speakers and films, as well as immersive workshops and guided sessions to get you outside in nature, it’s hard to choose just one day of events! You can find out what your perfect lineup of events would be by checking out our full programme online at www.mountainfestival.co.uk or you can hit the link in our bio! 🏔️#fwmf2024 #mountainculture #festival #getoutside #20thanniversary
We are so excited to start sharing some of our incredible Golden Axe Award film entrees 🪓 🏔️
This evening we are treating you to a very popular “runner up” film by Clare Johnson called “The Climb”- a tale of two rattus, as they attempt a daring approach to a big wall tree and are then faced with the worst horror of all...
While Golden Axe films are limited to 2 mins we are showing you the extended version of “The Climb” which was shown at our Family Films event ⏱️🌈🏃♀️🍰
We hope you enjoy and once again thanks to everyone who supported this very special competition in honour of Rob Brown 💛💚🧡💙
We are delighted to announce Stephanie McKenna (22) from Fort William, an inspirational campaigner who works tirelessly to empower members of the Lochaber community to engage with nature, the environment and outdoor activities, is the ninth recipient of The Scottish Youth Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture, sponsored by UHI West Highland 🌟
Steph currently works part time, both as the Young Start Coordinator for Lochaber Hope and as Marketing and Sales Assistant for Off Beat Bikes. Alongside her day job, she volunteers for Lochaber Hope as a mentor, is a co-founder and volunteer committee member of the Fort William Foxes and a volunteer at Lochaber Yacht Club.
As a seasonal Nevis Ranger for the John Muir Trust in summer 2022, Steph McKenna demonstrated her commitment and boundless motivation towards protecting the environment.
Steph grew up in Fort William where she attended Lochaber High School. She graduated recently from UHI Inverness with a first-class honours degree in Psychology. Her final-year dissertation on the psychological impact of wild swimming - 'An Interpretation of wild swimming in the Scottish Highlands. The relationship between flow, the therapeutic landscape and wellbeing' - won The Jonathan Sime Award from the University of Surrey.
On hearing she had won The Scottish Youth Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture, Stephanie McKenna said: "I am so excited and grateful to be the 2023 recipient of the Youth Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture. I'm so proud to be joining such an incredible group of young people. It means so much to be given the opportunity to share my enthusiasm and love for Lochaber at the Fort William Mountain Festival. Thank you to everyone who nominated me.
Lydia Rohmer, Principal and Chief Executive, UHI West Highland, said: “We are once again delighted to be sponsoring The Scottish Youth Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture. And, of course, we are even more pleased to be presenting this to a recent UHI
#FWMF2023 Paddlesports Film Session 🌿🌊
You have the chance to see the Winner of the Best Mountain Sports Film award “Wild Waters” at our Paddlesports Film Session.
Adventurer, competitor, daughter, friend, pioneer, hero, and badass human are all words used to describe French kayaker, Nouria Newman. In Wild Waters, we follow Nouria as she prepares to become the first female to run a 100ft (30m) waterfall; we watch her grow from a young, keen Olympic hopeful to one of the greatest kayakers of all times – male or female.
However, running some of the world’s hardest whitewater isn’t Nouria’s biggest life challenge. Realizing that the expectations placed upon her as both an athlete and as a woman weight heavily on her decisions and ambitions, she pushes back to make her own path.
It is this central aspect of her life— this refusal to conform to others’ expectations— where Nouria is able to use kayaking as a way to transform into her truest self, and become a once-in-a-generation kayaker.
🎟️ Adult £15 Concessions £12
📌 The Highland Cinema
📆 16.00-18.00, Friday 17th February 2023
More info and booking: https://mountainfestival.co.uk/ticket/events/paddle-films-wild-waters/ 🙌🥳
It’s festival week! 🥳🏔️ #FWMF2023
Events are filling up quickly so get your tickets now to avoid missing out!
🏔️ Fort William Mountain Festival
📆 16th-19th February 2023
🎥 Films, workshops, events and entertainment to get you excited for adventure!
Offering a celebration of the outdoors with an incredible and varied lineup- there’s something for everyone!
Tickets available NOW: https://mountainfestival.co.uk/tickets/events/ 👏
Starting with our sold out Launch Night with Trek & Mountain on Thursday 16th February we have 3 full days of epic events curated by our volunteer FWMF committee. You don’t want to miss it! 🎟️
We are delighted to announce that David Whalley BEM.MBE, one of the UK's most experienced mountain rescue experts, whose distinguished service at the forefront of mountain rescue and mountain safety education in Scotland has spanned more than 40 years, is the 16th recipient of the Scottish Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture, sponsored by JAHAMA Highland Estates 🌟👏
David Whalley known to most by his nickname, Heavy, was a member of the Royal Air Force (RAF) Mountain Rescue Service for 37 years. The team's primary task was to attend to aircraft crashes, whilst training in the mountains all over Scotland. He was Team Leader of RAF Leuchars, RAF Kinloss, and Deputy Team Leader at RAF Valley in North Wales. He spent the last four years of his RAF career working in the Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre at RAF Kinloss.
After leaving the RAF he joined the Torridon and Kinlochewe Mountain Rescue Team (MRT) serving with them for 3 years until he retired.
On the Scottish Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture, David Whalley said: "To be put forward for this award and named in the same group as the past winners of the Fort William Mountain Festival is so humbling. It is a great honour, thank you.
Alvance British Aluminium Managing Director, Tom Uppington, commented: “As the sponsors of this prestigious Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture, we are delighted that Dave ‘Heavy’ Whalley has been recognised for his inspirational work and tireless devotion to public safety. Dave’s passion for a lifetime of selfless dedication, putting others safety before his own, makes him a worthy recipient of this award.”
Read more here: https://mountainfestival.co.uk/culture-awards/david-heavy-whalley-2023/
You can watch the full award films, created by Dave MacLeod and see David be presented with this prestigious award at the #FWMF2023 Climbing Night- tickets are available now 🎥➡️ https://mountainfestival.co.uk/ticket/events/climbing-night/
Al
#FWMF2023 Ceilidh Night 🥃🎉
Join us for the great, traditional Fort William Mountain Festival Ceilidh held at The Alexandra Hotel Fort William on Saturday 18th February 10pm.
This is a free event and booking is not required.
The ceilidh night is a festival highlight every year- see you there! 🥳
https://mountainfestival.co.uk/ticket/events/official-fwmf-ceilidh/
#FWMF2023 Bike Night 🚵♀️🌿
Travel far and wide and then right back home again on our Bike themed night! From jaw dropping freeriding in Alaska to the home grown boys Joe and Ferg.
Showing at our Bike Night is “By The Midnight Sun”. Five professional freeride mountain bikers travel to Alaska to explore the backcountry in search of unridden peaks. The discover and ride some of the longest freeride lines on the planet.
There will also be a chance to chat to another local hero, Ben Cathro, who will be doing a Q&A session. Ben will be looking back on an exciting season of Downhill racing, team managing and filming with the boys behind @sleeper.co 🚴♀️
If you love all things biking you won’t want to miss this evening 🌿👇
🎟️ Adult £15 Child £12 Student £12
📌 Nevis Centre, Studio
📆 19.00-22.00, Saturday 18th February 2023
Tickets are available to purchase now.
https://mountainfestival.co.uk/ticket/events/bike-night/
#FWMF2023 Climbing Night 🧗♀️🌿
Come long to experience an evening of climbing adventures with Patagonia athletes Robbie Phillips and Carlos Casas!
🌿 Robbie Philips is a professional climber and storyteller from Edinburgh. A self-confessed lifer, Robbie’s heart well and truly belongs to climbing.
🌿 Carlos Casas is one of the founding members of Colour Up Bristol, a community group that celebrates diversity within the climbing community.
Featuring Robbie’s storytelling and a viewing of his new film “Stacked” to Carlos’ passion for increasing representation within the climbing community- this is bound to be a night worth remembering!
🎟️ Adult £15 | Child £12 | Student £12
📌 The Nevis Centre, Main Theatre
📆 Saturday 18th February 2023 @ 7pm-10pm
Tickets available now: https://mountainfestival.co.uk/ticket/events/climbing-night/
Check out our stories to hear from Robbie Philips 🎞️🙌
What to look out for at #FWMF2023 #4 🌿🏔️
Our “Top Picks” series introduces you to our volunteer festival committee and lets you know what they are looking forward to at our 2023 festival.
Today we are hearing from Jon 🙌
Fringe events: https://mountainfestival.co.uk/tickets/fringeevents/
🪓 #FWMF2023 Golden Axe Award- just over a week to get your entry in! 🪓
Festival coordinator Anna has put together her own Golden Axe film to show you how easy it is to make your own. Next time you go out for adventure (big or small) why don’t you document it for us 🏃♀️🏔️
There are 4 simple rules to entering your film:
Your film must be no lingers than two minutes
… and must include bright colours, outdoor adventure and food 🍰🏃♀️🌈
We encourage filmmakers of every kind to enter. Please email entries to [email protected] as a video file, or via www.wetransfer.com, or ask for advice on how to send. Entries will close on Tuesday 31st January, 2023.
Thank you to Grivel who are kindly sponsoring this special award which honours a truly valued member of the FWMF committee, Rob Brown.
For more information on prizes and entries visit : https://mountainfestival.co.uk/competitions/the-golden-axe-award/
Grivel
The Outdoor Capital of the UK
