KERRYCLIMBING WINTER LECTURE SERIES IS BACK...
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We are delighted to announce yet another series of exciting talks by more Top Adventurers, Mountaineers and Climbers....
Now into it's 3rd year, our highly successful series of evening lectures have in the past had a host of top climbers such as Andy Kirkpatrick, Johnny Dawes, Dermot Somers, Ricky Bell, Paul Swail and Iain Miller entertain and inspire us with crazy tales of first ascents and vertical adventures from both home and abroad...
To date these talks have raised over €2100 for Mountain Rescue and climbing related beneficiaries and this year proceeds will be going to Kerry Mountain Rescue team.
7:30pm in the BOOLE THEATRE, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CAMPUS, CORK
(click on names to check out their web-sites)
Wed 11th Dec : STEPHEN VENABLES
Thurs 16th Jan : MIKE O' SHEA
Thurs 13th Feb : NICK BULLOCK
All talks hosted in association with UCC Mountaineering club
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STEPHEN VENABLES -
MOUNTAINS OF SEVEN
CONTINENTS
A lifetime of
climbing adventures and first ascents
When Stephen led a sailing-climbing expedition to the Antarctic Peninsula this year
he finally achieved his dream of climbing on all seven continents. In this talk he includes highlights from over
forty years climbing around the world, from the Eiger to Everest, Tierra del
Fuego to Uganda, the Hindu Kush to the Southern Alps, Namibia to the
Rockies.
Stephen Venables is a writer and
lecturer, former President of the Alpine Club and mountaineer, who has
pioneered many new routes around the world.
In the Himalaya his first ascents include Kishtwar Shivling, Solu Tower,
Panch Chuli V and new routes on Kusum Kanguru and Pungpa Ri. In 1988, with a four man
Anglo-American-Canadian team, he climbed a new route up the Kangshung Face of
Everest, reaching the summit alone, without oxygen. He has also climbed in the Alps, North
America, New Zealand, Africa, South America and on the sub-antarctic island of
South Georgia.
He
has published 12 books. His first book, Painted Mountains, won the 1986 Boardman Tasker Prize. His most recent, Higher than the Eagle Soars, won the Mountain Literature Prize at
the Banff Festival, and Himalaya Alpine
Style, won
the Grand Prize.
He
has appeared in several television documentaries for BBC, ITV and National
Geographic, and appeared in the IMAX film Shackleton’s
Antarctic Adventure with Conrad Anker and Reinhold Messner. He also wrote the screenplay for the IMAX
film The Alps, which featured John
Harlin following his father’s steps on the North Face of the Eiger.
He has
lectured all round the world and appeared at many mountain festivals. During 2013 he has been busy leading a
sailing-ski mountaineering expedition to Antarctica, chairing the Piolets d’Or
Awards in Chamonix and taking part in the Everest 60th anniversary
celebrations, with speaking engagements throughout Britain, Denmark,Hong Kong and South Africa and now Ireland!!!
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MIKE O SHEA -
A YEAR CHASING ICE
Irish Adventurer Mike O Shea will be telling tales of his amazing recent expeditions. Facing temperatures as low as minus fifty degrees centigrade and howling gales that confined him to his tent for days on end, Mikes personal crusade to cross all of the major icecaps of the world is certainly extreme. His talk will cover his travels to the worlds largest lake , frozen Lake Baikal in Northern Russia , the rarely attempted North Patagonian Icecap and his almost fatal attempt on the North Pole.
Mike O’ Shea has travelled extensively throughout the world and has spent 5 summers in the European Alps and 1 winter, primarily in the Chamonix area, with routes like the Frendo Spur and Gervasutti Pillar to his credit. He has climbed a number of times in Scotland in the winter, primarily focussing on ice & mixed routes on Ben Nevis.
Internationally he has participated in a range of expeditions in Africa (Kilimanjaro & Mt Kenya), Nepal (Island Peak & Ama Dablam), Pakistan (K2), New Zealand (Mt Cook) and has also travelled to a wide range of countries on trips to far flung areas including Irian Jaya.
A keen skier also and has been visiting the Alps, Canada & America over the last 20 years as well as being a very experienced and acclaimed Paraglider/Paramotorist.
NICK BULLOCK - INTO THE FIRE
Winter climbing in Scotland, New Routes and Hard repeats, Thin Ice-Climbing in New England and an attempt at the unclimbed North face of "Chamlang" and the successful first ascent of "Hunku" both in Nepal.
Nick started climbing in 1993 while working as a Physical Education instructor in the prison service. This was a tough job, but it did leave Nick well placed to deal with the harshness of modern alpine climbing and ultimately propelled him forward into an extraordinary climbing lifestyle. Nick gave up the prison service in 2003, by which time he was already fully immersed in the climbing scene.
When not away on expeditions Nick bases himself in North Wales. The location suits his preference for exciting traditional routes and he has amassed an impressive head count of E7s, especially on the North Stack wall at Gogarth.
In 2006 he climbed the first ascents on Clogwyn Du, while north of the border he made the first ascent of Avenging Angel VII 8 on Ben Nevis.
In the recent strong winter seasons he has made quite an impact both in Wales and in Scotland, with a string of first ascents and hard repeats. Nick has also spent a lot of time playing on the steep icefalls around the world, ticking off numerous WI 6 routes in Canada and near Morzine in France.
Yet it is on the bigger routes were Nick has really shown his class.
His alpine record is exceptional, particularly in the Chamonix valley where he climbed the first ascent of Border Line ED3, VII 8 on the Sans Nom and the first free ascent of Omega ED3, VIII 8 on the Petites Jorasses, as well as a whole host of repeats on the north face of the Pelerin.
Nick has been on over 20 expeditions to places as far flung as Peru, Nepal, Pakistan and India, bagging many first ascents including Fear and Loathing ED3 VII 6+ A2 on Jirishanca in Peru, Central Buttress Direct ED2 VII 7 on Quitaraju in Peru, and in a 5 day alpine-style push the ED+ Central Spur of Chang Himal in Nepal.
And despite what you’ve read here Nick’s life is not all climbing; he still finds time for writing, albeit partially focussed on his favourite pastime.
Happy Days!!!
