[Closed] Kendal Mountain Festival

Might go to this - Mountain & Music - mainly because Mrs G knows the singer. https://www.kendalmountainfestival.com/events/mountain-and-music?eventinstanceid=949727

We're talking at bike night on Friday and on Saturday evening on the Columbia stage if anyone wants to hear about our Tour Divide trip.

Are you stopping over Rich, or heading home after?

Hi Simon, We're stopping over on Friday night, not sure where though yet.

I’ll be toddling round Kendal prior to talk if you fancy a brew or a pint after?

I’ll be toddling round Kendal prior to talk if you fancy a brew or a pint after?

Might be tight for time before, but defo a beer after.

Sorry, I worded that badly. I meant before or after the talk I’m going to on Saturday.

Haha, yes about on Saturday before and after Emily's talk.

I have signed up for the 10k run, I expect to be there making up the numbers😀. Planning on wandering around the Brewery site... is it free to enter? I know some of the events need tickets but I wasn’t sure if everything needed booking

is it free to enter? I know some of the events need tickets but I wasn’t sure if everything needed booking

There's usually some talks in the basecamp area that are free.

Post weekend update...

Enjoyed the RSF archive slideshow on Saturday morning then Emily Chappell on her Trans Con book, she was highly articulate and engaging, both sessions well steered by Max Leonard (who I've just also discovered was behind the Big Ring Riding twitter feed).

In contrast the Rapha road bike session was the most excruciating thing I've ever sat through at Kendal (and I was there for John Redhead's show years ago, bless him). Two hours with Lachlan Morton and Emily Chappell (again) parked on a sofa while a pair of smug coat-tailing Rapha cockwombles burbled inane stream-of-consciousness marketing platitudes about their "mission" (seemingly to move in on gravel and ultra racing now they've milked everything they can from pure roadies) and sport needs completely re-inventing and lets revolutionise content delivery to make it more relevant yeah? Occasionally they remembered Lachlan was there but though he's clearly a lovely laidback guy he didn't really have that much to contribute. *Very* occasionally they remembered Emily - the second time (45 minutes in!) she only managed two or three sentences before the subordinate Rapha droid cut her off, jumped off his sofa and started throwing out free hats in exchange for guessing Lachlan's shoe size (or something).

Just awful. About the only (relative) highlights were the heavily-branded and been on youtube for months videos of Lachlan doing the GBduro and Three Peaks, and the final audience question at the end which was, have any of the panel accidentally filled their shorts while riding?! I don't mind corporate headline sponsored events in general so long as they put on a decent show but for the love of god don't let *anyone* from Rapha on stage again next year...

Richpips, really enjoyed your talk, your son came across exceptionally well, didn’t seem fazed by the crowd whatsoever, I’d have been umming and erring and all wobbly voiced!
Well done to both for the ride too, serious undertaking for any serious adult rider, let alone a 14year old lad, I’m lucky if I can drag mine off his PS4!

elliptic

Member

In contrast the Rapha road bike session was the most excruciating thing I’ve ever sat through at Kendal

Worse than the Bike Night about 3 yrs ago where the 50:1 crew got really pissed and leary and Ed Oxley decided that a beer tasting on stage (for the presenters only) would be a good plan??

I wasn't there but at least it sounds like a spectacle 🙂 this was like being stuck in some nightmare corporate sales conference with a couple of trophy athletes getting hung out to dry on stage...

I agree about the Rapha session. It was painful. The Raphabot that was presenting failed to understand that we went to hear the stories and see the films of road / adventure riding, not to hear him and his mate repeat the same stuff about how the world is changing and the world tour is dying. But don’t forget Rapha is our friend, making cycling and racing accessible for all (if you can afford their overpriced kit).

The rest of the festival was good as always.

I enjoyed the Road Bike session overall, but definitely would've like to see more of the films on the big screen and given Lachlan and Emily more time to talk about their experiences. I wished I'd booked tickets for Emily's session as I thought she was very erudite and interesting.

Bike night was a laugh, enjoyed the wide range of stuff and thought Rob Warner and T-Mo made a good presenting duo. I was very taken with the clips from Return To Earth but my favourite two pieces were Just Be (Monet Adams & co ride nice places in Norway and Sweden) and The Postman (Sam Needham & Tom Hill explore a historic trail on the Isle of Harris).

Eastbound (Jenny Graham RTW film) premiere was fantastic. A thoroughly enjoyable video capturing what it took to get that done.

The Rough Stuff Fellowship session was well done, I thought Max gave a great account of what the archives were trying to achieve and just how mad the beginnings were. Plus I had a fantastically weird conversation with @charliedontsurf afterwards.

Rich & Tom were fab and thoroughly inspiring plus very generous with their time afterwards too.

More appreciation here for Rich and Tom's talk through their Tour Divide ride.

Felt a bit sorry for some of the raffle prize winners who missed out because the draw was taking place whilst Warner was creating carnage with the freebies 😂

Does anyone know the name of the film maker or film about the couple retracing his grandfathers bike tour of Norway? They showed some of it at bike night.

Does anyone know the name of the film maker or film about the couple retracing his grandfathers bike tour of Norway? They showed some of it at bike night.

@gastromonkey - it's a lovely chap called Matty and his girlfriend Claire. If you do instagram, he's on there as getwildmatty.

Felt a bit sorry for some of the raffle prize winners who missed out because the draw was taking place whilst Warner was creating carnage with the freebies

I don't. I won a hoodie haha

Thanks Tom.

I was going to road bike session but ditched it for some time in the Shackleton Tent, sounds like that was a good call.

Rich and Tom did a good talk, with not being on here much for a few years Tom's achievements have past me by. Got the full picture at one of the Alpkit talks the other weekend. Suitably blown away.

Not really sure what to make of Bike Night - thought snow eclipsed it this year. The raffle was a bit chaotic - did feel for the guy who missed out as well. Not super impressed by the ragging up a dirt track bit in a flipping huge 4wd - didn't feel that sat well with an event that's pushing sustainability ethos. There's accepting the ambiguities of riding trips and then there's just trashing the place. The waterfall race seemed a bit contrived but full credit to Rob Warner for doing the abseil.

Jenny Graham - definitely see the film or even better if you get the chance to see her to a talk jump at it. Very funny.

Liked life of Pie - can't really go wrong with a bit of mountain biking granny action or the healing power of pie.

Worse than the Bike Night about 3 yrs ago where the 50:1 crew got really pissed and leary and Ed Oxley decided that a beer tasting on stage (for the presenters only) would be a good plan??

I remember being at that one - it was more than 3 years ago, in fact I think it may have been pre-hack on here because I remember there being a lengthy and very critical forum thread on it. On the same subject, apparently Rob Warner was pissed this year while presenting?

I've not been for a couple of years - the ones I have been to sort of blur into one and there's long been a theme of some really exceptionally good stuff, some really mediocre and, in the case of a pissed-up / dull presenter, some of it cringingly awful. Various friends went to this year's one and that seems to be the theme from them as well.

Went to one of the Rich & Tom talks they did at an Alpkit store a few weeks ago, that was a really good evening, their talk and the accompanying photography is great. I'll try and catch Emily Chappell at one of her book talks, there's a few still to come.

Snow night was poor. Too many trailers and not enough films, the presenters obviously hadn’t done any research so the Q&A wasn’t very good and I’m fairly sure the x rated stand up went down badly with the parents. It seems they know the night will sell out so don’t try hard enough to get films or they are happy to premier them elsewhere in the festival. Bike night was better but I was annoyed the Jenny Graham film didn’t get shown.