Guest Speakers

For 2011 we are lucky to have:

Greg Child

Debbie Chambers

Steve Gurney

Steve Eastwood

Lydia Bradey

Click here for Workshops

Greg Child
Greg's climbing roots lead back to his native Australia, where he was a teenage collector of snakes. When a deadly tiger snake bit him, he turned to safer activities, such as rock climbing.

This kicked off a 30-year climbing career, conquering

some of the highest peaks in the world, including Mount Everest and K2, the world’s second highest peak. He is also an accomplished big wall climber and has established several first ascents on well-known walls such as Yosemite's El Capitan.

8,000-meter peaks, A5 big-walls and 5.13 sport climbs are all a part of Greg Child's climbing repertoire. It's no wonder that many consider him to be one of the most accomplished all-around climbers in the world. Perhaps more significant than his climbing is Child's gift of being able to bring those experiences home to the rest of us.

He is considered an especially literate mountaineering storyteller. He was honored with the American Alpine Club's Literary Award for his prolific and insightful mountaineering literature. His book Postcards From the Ledge took home the Banff Mountain Festival Book Award in 1997. He also won an Emmy for his video Hitting the Wall in 1998.

Career Highlights:
Winner of an Emmy for video in Hitting the Wall, 1998
First ascent of Great Snail Peak in Baffin Island, 1998
Winner of Banff Mountain Festival Book Award for Postcards From the Ledge, 1997
Ascent of North Ridge of Everest, 1995
First ascent of "Wall of Shadows" on Mount Hunter in Alaska, 1994
New route on Trango Tower (20,500 ft.) in Pakistan, 1992
Oxygenless ascent of K2 North Ridge, 1990
First ascent of Northwest Ridge of Gasherbrum IV (26,000 ft.) in Pakistan, 1986
Himalayan successes include a new route on Shivling (21,500 ft.) in India, 1981
Two first ascents on El Capitan: "Aurora" and "Lost in America"

Debbie Chambers
Debbie will be talking about the sport of Adventure racing, what it is, why I do it, and lessons learnt over the past 11 years. I will also be sharing some stories and experiences of racing in the Amazon Jungle, the glaciers of Argentina, beaches in Brasil and rainforests of Australia.

Debbie has been involved in the outdoors all her life. Her most memorable adventure was cycling through Asia from Japan to New Zealand in 1993. She has been competing in the sport of Adventure Racing since 2000. Over the past decade she has competed in numerous races ranging from 24 hours to 7 days both locally and internationally. Her AR exploits have seen her racing through the New Zealand Alps in the Southern Traverse, the Amazon jungle in the EMA, coastal and inland regions of Brazil in the Ecomotion and through the outback and wilderness of Australia in the XPD and Geoquest.

She started her racing career with Team sportzhub.com but in more recent times has been the driver of Team Macpac - Girls on Top, which is New Zealand’s most successful all women’s AR team. She loves the teamwork aspect of Adventure Racing the most, but also raves about the freedom of being able to race through the night and the amazing places you get to explore. “There is nothing more satisfying than completing a grueling 750 km Adventure Race that takes you through the most incredible scenery and pushes you and your teammates to mental, physical and emotional extremes.”

When not adventure racing, cycle touring or out in the outdoors training she manages the girlsontop.co.nz website and helps organise fortnightly runs around Auckland. Her passion for being in the outdoors is infectious.

Debbie is based in Auckland and works for Tourism Auckland where her job is to promote Auckland as a study destination for International students.

Steve Gurney

Steve Gurney is different.  Some know him as the champion athlete and nine time Coast to Coast winner. Others recall his death-defying comeback after surviving Leptospirosis from the bat-cave in Borneo. Others remember the nutty aerodynamic bike pod speeding across the Canterbury plains. Many know him as an inspirational speaker and passionate adventurer.

Steve Gurney and fellow adventurer Steve Moffatt have been examining the origins of NZ adventure. You will recall their first amateur Doco, "A most Ambitious Journey" from the 2009 NZ Mountain Film Festival, where they re-enacted the 1889 Coast to Coast journey of the Park brothers with Rob-Roy kayaks. Their second, rather more ambitious journey re-enacts Marmaduke Dixon and George Mannering's 1890 attempt to be the first to the summit of Mt Cook Aoraki, followed by kayaking out to the east coast near Oamaru. Unlike most TV shows where the hosts comment from the seat of a 4WD or helicopter, on how extraordinary the pioneer must've been, Gurney and Moffatt have instead gone for a much more realistic approach. They have experienced every detail by re-enacting the trip as closely as they possibly can. Moffatt uses the clothing, equipment food and attitudes of the original explorers, whilst Gurney creates the maximum extreme comparison he can by using the most modern equipment, techniques, food and attitude. They have experienced some unexpected drama and risk.

Gurney and Moffatt have been surprised at what they've discovered and each successive adventure they re-enact has produced even more questions about what adventure means to our nation. Steve will share with you a summary of their findings to date and the questions that continue to perplex them. Their current documentary is being professionally produced for international sale, and you'll get to see a 5 minute teaser of this stunning footage at the 2011 festival.

Lydia Bradey  ‘A Year in the Life’
In 1988 Lydia became the first woman in the world to climb Mt Everest without supplementary oxygen and remains the only New Zealander to have done so. Lydia is a mountaineer and mountain guide living at Lake Hawea, with partner Dean. Her passion is the mountains, whether they are in the Himalayas, NZ’s Southern Alps or farther afield.

Lydia’s talk will be on a random gathering of experiences, laughs and good stories from around the world. She’ll talk on her trip to sail from Ushuaia, Argentina, down to the Antarctic Peninsula and climbed a classic new route on the First Sister of Fief. There’ll be Himalayan stories, NZ tales, and photos on where ever else she happens to travel to in ‘a year in the life’ of Lydia.

Steve Eastwood

Steve Eastwood is just your typical well traveled Kiwi skier. Well almost, he's a very motivated skier when it come's to getting in good lines, and has travelled the world extensively skiing,climbing and shooting professional snow photography. Steve will take us on a tour to Chamonix, France otherwise known as "Cham". Chamonix is the spiritual home of Ski Mountaineering and Steep Skiing. Host of the first Winter Olympics in 1924 and hemmed in by glaciers, this place is dripping in history and the scenery will take your breath away. The Chamonix Valley is approximately 20 kilometers long with the Aiguilles Rouges mountain range on the north side, and the Mont-Blanc mountain range on the south side, which includes Mont Blanc itself, the highest peak in the European Alps at 4808m.

The highest lift in the valley is the Aiguille De Midi cablecar which brings you to an incredible 3842m elevation. The top station of the Aiguille De Midi cablecar has a spectacular panorama of Chamonix, the Mont Blanc, the Mer De Glace glacier, the surrounding area, and is the access point to high elevation skiing and climbing routes in the Mont-Blanc mountain range, including the world famous Vallée Blanche. Chamonix has five major ski stations with lift systems that operate most of the year, Les Grands Montets, Le Brévent, La Flégère, Le Tour, and Les Houches.

Workshops

Workshop: #1 Ski/Snowbaord Tuning Sponsored by Racers Edge
Venue: Meet at Foyer of Lake Wanaka Centre

When: Saturday Afternoon

Cost: $10

3:00 - 4:00pm Learn from the local experts at the Racers Edge Workshop on how to wax your own snowboard or skis, sharpen the edges, p-tex holes and generally care for your gear. No need to bring gear.

Workshop: #2 Rock Climbing

Venue: Base Camp
When: Sunday

Cost: $10

12:00 - 1:00pm Ever wanted to have a go at rock climbing? Well here’s your chance. Head around to Base Camp and get an introductory lesson in the art of rock climbing under the safety and supervision of the instructors.

Workshop: #3 Yoga

Venue: Armstrong Room
When: Sunday Afternoon

Cost: $5

4:00 - 5:30pm Last year's yoga session was enjoyed and attended by a large group. So we've put on another. Come along this year to limber up after a tense session of on the edge of ya seat films. This year it is run by Sem who will be teaching a Vinyasa Flow style yoga class. Sequences movement with breath for the ultimate unity with the self / universe. Some mats provided or bring your own.

Avalanche Awareness Workshop

When: Monday Evening
Venue: Armstrong Room, Lake Wanaka Centre

Cost: Free

6:30-7:30pm The back country skiing around Wanaka is amazing, but you'll need a few tips to keep you safe. This workshop focuses on tips to improve your safety and will give you a head start into the art of avalanche forecasting. The lecture is run by local avalanche forecaster Matt Gun who keeps himself busy managing the and Aspiring Avalanche Dog group.