Films
All the Mountains Give
**When: **Thursday, November 20 @ 8pm; Friday, November 21 @ 9pm; Sunday, November 23 @ 9:45am.
Where: Brewery Arts
Before the age of nation states and the advent of hard borders, nomadic Kurdish communities in Kurdistan lived within the Zagros mountains, largely insulated from the outside world. But drawn lines have split them across modern day Iran, Iraq and Turkey, with vastly different conditions. With widespread poverty afflicting Kurdish cities in Iran, a dangerous form of smuggling known as Kolbari has developed, where household goods are carried across the border as a means to make a living for many. Hundreds of thousan…
Films
All the Mountains Give
**When: **Thursday, November 20 @ 8pm; Friday, November 21 @ 9pm; Sunday, November 23 @ 9:45am.
Where: Brewery Arts
Before the age of nation states and the advent of hard borders, nomadic Kurdish communities in Kurdistan lived within the Zagros mountains, largely insulated from the outside world. But drawn lines have split them across modern day Iran, Iraq and Turkey, with vastly different conditions. With widespread poverty afflicting Kurdish cities in Iran, a dangerous form of smuggling known as Kolbari has developed, where household goods are carried across the border as a means to make a living for many. Hundreds of thousands of people are involved in the trade, but face the threat of land mines, dangerous mountain conditions and being shot by border and security agents. Filmmaker Arash Rakhsha’s hugely impressive film focuses on two Kolbars, Hamid and Yaser, in a feature that’s as heartbreaking as illuminating.
**When: **Friday, November 21, 4:15pm; Saturday, November 22, 9:30am
**Where: **Brewery Arts
One of the Lake District’s most famous (and haphazard) traditional sports is fell running. It’s sport at its rawest, and most noble – runners are usually given a couple of checkpoints to run between, often with little direction or clear path, with steep hill climbs and ankle fracturing terrain to navigate. Fitting, then, for the première of Winner Gets Cake, a 20-minute documentary presented by Rab diving into the sport, to take place at Kendal. Directed by Hendrik Faller and produced by Huck’s parent agency TCO, it’s well worth a watch to gain a sense of the history and gruel hidden among the scenery of the surrounding area.
Retro: the art of walking backwards
**When: **Friday, November 21, 4:15; Saturday, November 22, 9:30am; Sunday, November 23, 11:45am
Where: Brewery Arts (Friday & Saturday), The Venue at the Barrel House (Sunday)
Ever been ascending a peak, before deciding to turn around and walk facing the foot of the trail? Well, turns out there’s actually a name for it: retro-walking. There’s benefits to the activity, from strengthening glutes to improved hamstring flexibility, but it’s also time old – an investigation found a history of retro walking that goes back over two centuries. A new short film from Kendal Mountain Festival co-founder Brian Hall explores that surprisingly rich history, from his friend who broke a world record walking 80 miles backwards from Leeds to Kendal in 1976, to the recent climb and descent of Mt Kilimanjaro by Ben Stewart.
- **Read next: **The blind climber scaling new heights
Steps with Deo Kato – presented by adidas Terrex
**When: **Friday, November 21, 5:30pm; Sunday November 23, 1pm
**Where: Brewery Arts (Friday); **The Hub (Sunday)
On July 24, 2023, Ugandan-British running coach and athlete Deo Kato began running from Cape Town, at the southern tip of Africa. He would continue running for the next 18 months, over more than 8,000 miles, 22 borders, and all manner of terrain. His goal was to retrace the history of human migration, while searching for purpose and identity in a world where racism dominates the experience for the global majority. A new film presented by adidas TERREX, directed by our own Phil Young and produced by TCO, traces his wild journey, which included illness, bureaucracy and even a stint in prison, with the screenings being followed by Q&As with Kato himself.
Activities
adidas TERREX Kendal Mountain Trail Run
**When: **Saturday, November 22, 11am
Where: Kendal Town Centre (start and finish)
Fancy a morning jog to get the juices flowing? The annual 10km Kendal tradition starts in the town centre, before ascending Beast Banks along the roads that the Tour of Britain cycle race finishes, then weaves along Scout Scar and Cunswick Scar. It’s picturesque, fun, and raises money for Kendal Mountain Rescue – last year raised £10,000.
The Bouldering Session – presented by Five Ten & Slaphappy
When: Thursday, November 20, 8pm
**Where: **Kendal Town Hall
One to circle for rock climbing and bouldering enthusiasts. The evening is headlined by phenom Will Bosi, who bagged the first ascent of V17 Realm of Tor’ment in Raven Tor earlier this year, along with Dave Graham and Hamish McArthur, who climbed V17 Megatron in a trip to the USA. There will also be screenings of short films, stories, and a celebration of picking yourself up when you fall.
The North Face Kendal Skyline Ultra
When: Saturday, November 22, 9am
Where: Kendal Town Centre (start)
If the 10km sounds too breezy for you, then consider the mammoth 50km Kendal Skyline Ultra – an all day affair that explores the beautiful surroundings of Kendal, from limestone escarpments to river trails. There’s aid stations, marshals and GPS tracking, making it an accessible event for anyone thinking of dipping their toes into ultra running for the first time.
Arc’teryx Introduction to Wild Swimming with Gilly McArthur
When: Friday, November 21, 8am
**Where: **Rayrigg Road, Windermere
Rock climber and cold water coach Gilly McArthur leads a group dip in Windermere – England’s largest lake, while exploring the physical and mental health benefits of taking a cold plunge, especially out in nature. She will also be joined by Royal Life Saving Society course trainers Fay and Andy Tennet, and Vicki McCreedie, a local mountain leader and swim coach who hosts sessions across the country.