Join us in Banff for the 2009 Banff Mountain Film and Book Festivals from October 31 through November 8. Featured speakers include Ultramarathon Man Dean Karnazes, Swiss Alpinist Ueli Steck, the King of sport climbing, Chris Sharma, Conservationist Mike Fay, Climber and entrepreneur Royal Robbins, and more!

When he began his new role two years ago, David Cox, executive director of Mountain Culture and Environment at The Banff Centre had a vision. “With environmental awareness at an all-time high around the world, there is a huge opportunity to be highly creative – and the Centre has such amazing resources for the development of new ideas.”

Climbing is what sparked Majka Burhardt’s interest in Ethiopia but it’s the coffee that’s bringing her back.

A writer, climber, and guide, Burhardt first travelled to Ethiopia to research the country’s coffee industry, where she discovered instead a climber’s paradise. This mission resulted in her first book, Vertical Ethiopia: Climbing Toward Possibility in the Horn of Africa which was entered into the Banff Mountain Book Festival competition – and subsequently led to her coming to Banff as a guest speaker for the 2008 Banff Mountain Book Festival. She also participated in the 2008 Banff Mountain Writing Program, held during the festival.

Did you know there will be approximately 530 screenings of the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour this year. Find out what else you didn’t know.

Join us for our next speakers’ series event on Tuesday, September 8.  
http://www.banffcentre.ca/mountainculture/speakersseries/2009/slawinski.aspx
World-renowned Canadian climber Raphael Slawinski will shares stories and images from his summer 2009 expedition to the Hispar region of the Pakistani Karakoram. As winner of the 2009 John Lauchlan Award along with Eamonn Walsh, Ian Welsted and Dana Ruddy, Slawinski will attempt a new alpine route on the notoriously difficult 7000+m peak Pumari Chhish East. The team will encounter a 2400-metre route of continuous technical mixed climbing at high altitude and if successful will be a considered a pinnacle of …