Live Speaker and Adventure Films

Kendal Mountain Events returns for another season of adventure and human connection. Experience the best of the world’s stunning landscapes through a curated selection of Kendal Mountain festival award-winning short adventure films. But it’s not just about exploration, storytelling is at the heart of this event. Alongside these powerful films, adventure speakers and local community groups will take the stage to share their own personal stories, offering a deeper connection to the people behind the adventures. Whether you’re an avid explorer or simply someone who cherishes the power of storytelling and the beauty of nature, the Kendal Mountain Tour 2026 promises to leave you inspired and moved by the shared human spirit of adventure.

 Speaker: Monisha Rajesh

Award-winning journalist Monisha Rajesh has experienced the world through a captivating series of train journeys. Her latest book, Moonlight Express: Around the World By Night Train, takes readers on an eloquent, humorous, and beautifully observed account of navigating the globe after dark. This presentation is more than just a travel talk; it is a celebration of wonder, wanderlust, and the unhurried romance of the railway, offering stories that connect us across continents, cultures, and time zones.

Films:

Swim Sistas

Swim Sistas is a poetic, visually stunning love letter to water, sisterhood, and the enduring strength of Black women across generations.

Featuring the voice of Academy Award nominee Naomie Harris (Moonlight) as Mami Wata, part deity and part ancestral memory, the film flows across generations: from a young girl diving into joy, to Great Britain’s first and only Black female Olympic swimmer breaking historic barriers, to a woman learning to swim at 54, defying a legacy of inherited fear.

It is a celebration of connection, resilience and hope, told through the lens of the rising tide of Black women reclaiming their place in the water, and in history.

Cat White

11 mins

Skate Like a Lass

Female established inclusive grassroots Skateboarding communities based in the North, UK. From mountains in Lake District to Blackpool promenade. These skate collectives were created to provide a safe space & welcoming environment for female & LGBT+ skaters in the area.

Juliet Klottrup

3 mins

Lost Boys of Carbis Bay

A daring band of unlikely explorers embarking on a quest to uncover the forgotten mines of Cornwall, only to unearth an unexpected journey of self-discovery. For this motley crew, the pursuit of the unknown serves as a cathartic release, allowing them to momentarily cast aside their worries and reset for the challenges of everyday life. Transcending mere adrenaline urges, the group becomes a vital means of connection and understanding, underscoring the importance of community in our lives.

29 mins

Breaking Trails

Two mountaineers, Tom and Maud, explore risk, motivation, and loss, confronting why we seek extremes and how experience reshapes our relationship with adventure.

Breaking Trails is a standout series that sees the GORE-TEX brand partner with pioneers from around the world who are breaking barriers and pushing for a more inclusive and respectful future in the outdoors.

12 mins

Trango: Presented by The North Face

After a two-year attempt, ski mountaineers Christina ‘Lusti’ Lustenberger and Jim Morrison, joined by Nick McNutt and Chantel Astorga, ski the first descent of the Great Trango Glacier. They navigate risk, grapple with grief, and face physical danger as they push the limits of human experience. At 6,000 meters, constant exposure tests their resolve, but it’s the unspoken trust and support within their expedition team that allows them to face the unimaginable together.

Leo Hoorn

45 mins

Venue: Auditorium, Exeter Phoenix

*Subject to a £1.50 ticketing system charge. We don’t charge this to make a profit. Find out more >>