Next year’s Fort William Mountain Festival programme has been revealed and promises five days of outdoors action and adventure, as well as some indoors inspiration and entertainment.

The festival once again takes place at the heart of the Outdoor Capital of the UK, Lochaber, from February 18 to 22. The weather is likely to be more wintry than spring-like, which means there will be plenty of opportunity for walking, climbing and (hopefully) even skiing amid Scotland’s snowy landscape.

The programme includes ski mountaineering, hill running races, mountain skills workshops and some inspirational speakers from the climbing and mountaineering world.

Mike Pescod, chairman of the Highland Mountain Culture Association, organisers of the festival, is reckons the Fort William Mountain Festival is a great way to celebrate a wild Highlands landscape and the opportunities it presents.

He said: “The festival is guaranteed to inspire, entertain and educate. The mountains and glens that surround us influence our culture in many ways. We want to promote the value of the landscape of Lochaber as the best destination in the UK to live, work and play.

“The mountain festival includes a superb line up of top climbers and explorers, mountain films, inspirational speakers and skills workshops. But it’s not just for adventure addicts. Anyone who appreciates the landscape of the Outdoor Capital of the UK will find something for them in the Festival.”

Fort William Mountain Festival programme

Festival Launch Night – 18/02/15 – A torch lit ski and mountain bike procession down Aonach Mor followed by the opening event at the Nevis Range Pinemarten Café.

European Outdoor Film Tour – 19/02/15 – Some of Europe’s best outdoor and adventure films in one action-packed night. See EOFT

Spink and Span, Let’s Go Wild! – 20/02/15 – An evening of film and chat with talented hill runner and mountaineer Finlay Wild (the Cuillin Traverse runner extraordinaire) plus Ramsey Round record holder Nicky Spinks.

Paddling Night – 20/02/15 – An evening with Dean “Deano” Dunbar, a registered blind adventurer with a history of more 17 years, 80+ challenges and setting over a dozen world firsts. This is followed by Mick Hunter’s adventure: Prying, Crying & Just About Surviving: Canoeing 1000km across Scotland. 

Climbing Night with Ines Papert and Martin Boysen – 21/02/15 – This evening include a talk by elite climber Ines about her on a journey to new height in Africa, the Arctic and the Alps.

Martin Boysen started climbing on the sandstone outcrops of Sussex over 55 years ago and rapidly became one of Britain’s outstanding rock climbers. He extended his climbing to the Alps and Greater Ranges, taking part in several important Himalayan climbs, including the first ascent of the South Face of Annapurna in 1970.

On this evening of the festival, the 8^th recipient of the Scottish Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture will also be formally announced alongside the 1^st Scottish Youth Award recipient.

Bike Night – 21/02/15 – Stu Thomson, the man behind Cutmedia. As a director, Stu has followed his passion for incredible cinematography and story telling, most notably working alongside his close friend Danny Macaskill to create several mega-viral videos and achieving millions of Youtube hits. These include the 2011 Channel 4 film “Industrial Revolutions” and Danny’s most recent viral hit “Imaginate”.

The Best of Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour Film Night – 22/02/15 – The best in award winning mountain films from around the world, including extreme expeditions and challenges, remote cultures and the world’s last great wild places. Banff Mountain Festival

Get active at Fort William Mountain Festival 2015

• The first ever Runduro (Feb 21) will take place in and around Fort William.
• Skimo Scotland will hold their ski mountaineering races at Glencoe Mountain and Nevis Range.
• Mountain skills workshops
• Indoor climbing and ice climbing skills workshops at Kinlochleven’s Ice Factor.

To find out more about the Fort William Mountain Festival 2015 and to buy your festival tickets see Mountain Festival.

The Fort William Mountain Festival is presented by Jöttnar, technical clothing for mountaineering, winter climbing and all-mountain skiing.