SPEAKERS PROGRAMME

Stephen Venables
Sponsored by Mountain Equipment.
Stephen Venables, mountaineer, writer, broadcaster and public speaker, has been adventuring for over 40 years now. He has visited most continents in his search for adventure, making first ascents of many previously unclimbed peaks. He was the first Briton to climb Everest without supplementary oxygen. He reached the summit alone, after climbing with a small American-Canadian team, by a new route up the gigantic Kangshung Face.
www.stephenvenables.com

Dave MacLeod
Sponsored by Mountain Equipment.
Anyone who climbs will have heard of Dave MacLeod, a prolific climber, he is based in the west highlands of Scotland. He is well known for his personal climbing achievements. He has climbed trad routes that have broken a new level of world class difficulty with Rhapsody E11 and Echo Wall E11. He has also climbed V13 in bouldering, 9a in sport climbing and XI in Scottish mixed climbing. His blog is one of the most popular climbers’ blogs in the world and he has written extensively on training and improvement in climbing on his site and various other publications. His other main working activities are running a shop via his website, coaching climbers, and giving lectures. Dave and his wife Claire run Rare Breed Productions, making films, books and other creative things. Dave has a BSc in Physiology & sports science and an MSc in Medicine & science in sport & exercise.

The Lecture: 'How Soon is Now' Having climbed the world's hardest and riskiest trad routes for several years, Dave MacLeod asks himself why the desire to keep taking risks and looking for harder rock climbs to attempt keeps getting stronger. Dave will try to show us why he loves the very delayed gratification of impossible seeming climbs so much, why getting to the top is one of the least important parts of the picture and show us some E11 climbing, on pitch 18 of his current project.
Dave will also be holding a masterclass on the Sunday.
www.davemacleod.com

James MacHaffie
Courtesy of Plas Y Brenin: Grand Capucin Lecture.
James is one of those climbers who generally manage to stay ‘under the radar’. However due to the sheer number of new and hard route repeats he has achieved that is all changing now. With an engaging character and down to earth nature he has many stories to tell, we hope to prise one or two from him this year.
The Lecture: 'Jungle Rock, Radical Rock, Alpine Roc' One of Britain ’s current rock superstars takes us on an extreme rock tour from Llanberis to Madagascar and on to an impressive ascent of the Petit Route on the Grand Capucin. 

Pete Catterall, Adam Harmer and Jon ‘Spike’ Green
The Lecture: 'Below and Beyond Machu Pichu' There will be an introduction and then film, which tells the story of the first descent of the Rio Concebidayoc from the high Andes to the tropical rainforest.

Mike Raine
The Lecture: ‘The Best Crag in the UK ’
Mike will be giving a short presentation, voicing his opinions and giving 'a brief eye opener about Fairhead'.

Martin Chester
Courtesey of Plas Y Brenin: Ski Touring Lecture.
Martin has been around for a while now. By that we mean over 10 years at Plas Y Brenin, the National Mountain Centre. Martins CV and qualifications are extensive, too extensive for the room we have here. Needless to say he knows what he’s doing and we hope to get a little of that knowledge from him when he gives his lecture.
The Lecture: 'Ski Mountaineering'. From what it is, to skiing peaks on expeditions. Martin will also be talking about guiding an Eagle Ski Club expedition to Kalanag (6385m) in the Garwhal, and the first subsequent ski descent; as well as a 'bus-mans holiday' in BC where four British Guides explored the Homathko icefield on skis.
www.martinchester.com

Hosey B
Also known as Mark Dicken, Hosey is one of the local activists and if you want to have an adventure you go climbing with Hosey. There are not that many people that know the slatemines better and when it comes to forging pioneering routes of an adventurous kind, Hosey is your man.
The Lecture: The Daddy Club - How to have an epic and still be back for bathtime. Hosey covers coming to terms with fatherhood, and finding the balance between nappies and a rather large obsession with adventure at its most esoteric.
www.hoseyb.org.uk

Paul Gannon
Geology in Snowdonia.
Paul recently brought out a book called Rock Trails Snowdonia that went down a storm. It managed to achieve where most books failed, explaining how geology has shaped the landscape of Snowdonia. By using guided walks Paul takes you on a trip to show you the visual footprint of Geology.
The Lecture: Mountain Geology - A User's Guide Incandescent volcanic eruptions, crashing tectonic plates and immensely powerful glaciers have combined to create the mountain playground of Snowdonia. Paul Gannon, author of the popular Rock Trails Snowdonia and Rock Trails Lakeland, presents a fascinating illustrated account of how the climber, hillwalker and mountain lover can spot the signs of these horribly violent events in the stunning scenery we love to venture into.

Oliver Sanders
Lecture: Arctic Dreams and Screams. Olly will be giving the lowdown on climbing new alpine routes using a sea kayak as transport while in Greenland. Polar bears. Loose rock and big bergs in a remote setting.

Rocio Siemens
Rocio Siemens will be presenting the Bugaboos to Rogers' Pass Grand Ski traverse slide show, which is one of the many adventures Rocio had in Canada in winter 2009. This 12-day epic saw a team of eight begin the classic 130km journey in British Columbia of which only three finished. Rocio, a Llanberis resident, is originally from Spain. She has suffered most aspects of climbing and mountaineering worldwide, including an ascent of the Cassin Ridge on Denali. She works for Plas y Brenin during the summer months and helps run Ibex Mountain Guides, based in Llanberis, with her husband Owen. She is currently in training to become a British Mountain Guide.
The Lecture: ' Bugaboos to Rogers' Pass Grand Ski Traverse, ski touring...Canadian style!'

Elvyn Jones: The Lecture:Snowdon Rescues - adventures gone wrong or avoidable mishaps?
George Smith: 'A Reading'. George will be doing his slot in the Dolbadarn on Saturday Evening, the time will be announced soon.
John Cousins: Canadian Canoeing in Canada.