Women Headline At Keswick Mountain Festival

A bit of an advanced date for you diary with this year's Keswick Mountain Festival scheduled to run from 14 to 18 May 2008 and featuring a line-up headed by three trail-blazing women from different disciplines.

Dervla Murphy is an Irish nurse turned travel writer, who has ventured to some of the most remote landscapes in the world - on bicycle, pony or foot. Starting in 1963, she's been all over the world and will be interviewed on stage by Eric Robson.

Justine Curgenven is an award-winning film maker and expedition kayaker who is currently attempting to circumnavigate New Zealand's South Island. If all goes well she'll be finished in April, just in time to premiere a documentary based on the trip at Keswick.

Last but not least, Jo Gambi entered the Guinness World Records for the fastest female ascent of the Seven Summits, the highest peaks on each of the seven continents.  She is also only the second British woman to have climbed Everest's North/North East Ridge.

She's tackled the Seven Summits alongside her husband Rob whilst he was in remission from cancer for the second time, something she'll be talking about at the Festival.

There's lots more besides. Current outdoors TV flavour of the month Julia Bradbury will be speaking at the theatre by the lake alongside mountaineering legends Chris Bonington and Doug Scott, Andy Kirkpatrick and Mick Fowler.

You can find full details of the programme, ticket booking etc at www.keswickmountainfestival.co.uk. The event is sponsored by Cumberland Ale by the way.