The Face - Wirksworth's Indoor Climbing Wallm

19:30 Gateshead College Performance Theatre, Newcastle

At cinemas across the country from 24 September

Climb UK Rochdale

Dart Rock

Glasgow Climbing Centre

The Peak at University of East Anglia Sportspark

High Sports West 1

Rope Race Climbing Wall

Starts 8.00 pm Epsom Playhouse

High Sports Redhill - See the website for full details

19:30 - Buxton Opera House

19:30 Dancehouse Theatre, Manchester

Earlier today it was announced that Ncell, the Nepalese Telecom firm, is currently installing eight 3G telephone masts along the route to base camp Mt. Everest. The highest mast will be located 17,000ft (5,200m) above sea level, meaning that the signal will be able to reach the summit of Everest.

This means that phone calls, texts, picture messaging and of course the internet will all be able to be accessed at the summit. That is of course if you want to risk taking your gloves off … though I dare say with this announcement there will be a company rubbing it’s hands in glee, for maybe they have a device that means the gloves can stay on and the hands stay toasty.

Also in the announcement was the primary reason for the implementation of the masts. To bring more tourists to Everest. Another reason must be of course that mountaineers would rather use a normal mobile than have to use a satellite phone which allows voice-only services, plus should you get lost or be hit by a sudden burst of bad weather this affords an easy way to contact base camp and emergency services. Further to this as long as the mobile is on, the position of the phone can be located to within metres, meaning rescue times could be cut saving lives.

You can read more about this announcement on the BBC News website.

Image Sources: Philip Milne (top) – Alan Levine (right)

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CheapTents is known for it’s amazing all year round camping discounts, and for it’s amazing blog obviously. However, did you know you can save even more when you buy with CheapTents … if you are a member?

As a member you will receive some amazing benefits including:

• 10% off your first order as a member (excluding tents).
• Advanced notice of new products and upcoming sales.
• Exclusive Discounts available only to members.
• A monthly newsletter including all the above and more!

And the best bit of all

• Membership is 100% Free!

To get your hands on our exclusive discounts
sign up to the CheapTents membership here.

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19.30 Hrs King's School, Worcester

10am to 8pm at Craggy Island in Guildford Surry

On November 20th, Triangle Rock Club (TRC), a public indoor climbing gym and fitness center, will be hosting their fall bouldering competition: the “Raleigh Rampage”. Any and all are invited to come play, compete, watch, or just hang around for the festivities. For bouldering veterans, this is the contest of the season. For beginners, the competition is a great introduction to a fascinating sport. The Rampage is TRC’s stop on USA Climbing ABS season.
There are entry divisions for all ages and skill levels. The cost to compete is $40 for advance registration and $50 day-of. Registration starts at 10 a.m., with the competition lasting from 11 to 3 p.m. Open finals start at 4 p.m.
The Triangle Rock Club is the Raleigh area’s premiere indoor rock climbing center and gym. This cutting edge facility offers both lead and top rope climbing, bouldering and a comprehensive strength and aerobic fitness center.
For more information or to register, go to www.trianglerockclub.com

Rope Race Climbing Wall

Starts 9am Transition Extreme, Aberdeen

Starts c.5pm Transition Extreme, Aberdeen

The International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation UIAA have produced an instructional video about ice climbing which they have posted on YouTube and is embedded below. It is called Basic Ice Climbing and is presented by four-time world champion ice climber Ines Papert. Considered the best female ice climber in the world, Ines Papert specialises in climbing frozen waterfalls, so she certainly has the necessary credentials for the ice climbing instruction.

The main rules of ice climbing are:

• Make secure placements with your tools
• Keep your tools in a vertical line
• Keep your feet under your body
• Stay in balance – feel your centre of gravity
• Keep your tools within the centre of your balance point

It is important to remember that if your ice tools and feet are too far apart it is hard to move. Therefore you should not try to move your arms or legs excessively in any direction. However you can swing your feet and cross your tools.

A good way to learn your balance point is by doing traverses.

Unlike rock climbing, it is not necessary to have three points of contact. When ice climbing you can swing your feet and hang on one arm!

The key to good ice climbing is to be fluid and dynamic.

Whilst you have your crampons on, you may also want to take the opportunity to do a crampon dance.

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The Peak at University of East Anglia Sportspark

High Sports West 1

19.30 hrs Pates Grammar School, Cheltenham

6.45pm, Royal Geographical Society, London SW7

7.30pm The Heatons Sports Club, Heaton Moor, Stockport SK4 2NF

7.30pm, Beehive Pub, Bristol, BS9 4QY

Mike Kloser is one of the world’s top endurance athletes. He is an Adventure Racing and Mountain Biking World Champion. Among his many achievements, Mike has won the AR World Championships 5 times, Eco Challenge 3 times and Primal Quest 5 times. Before taking up Adventure Racing, Mike Kloser was a dedicated Mountain Biker and won a gold and two silvers at the MTB World Championships. With a whole host of championship titles for endurance sport events, Mike Kloser is an outstanding athlete with a passion for competing in, and winning, epic races.

One of Mike Kloser’s team mates was 6 times AR World Champion Ian Adamson, who was kind enough to answer some questions for us back in March. He says that:

Mike Kloser’s an amazing individual, he’s a winner. The Guy knows how to win. We it call the Kloser Factor or the Mike Factor. We have the Mike Factor. Its a good factor to have…Mike is a motivator, he’s a positive thinker. We may be days behind the competition, or hours in a short race, and in his mind we’ve got the race won. Ian Adamson.

Mike Kloser Interview

CheapTents have teamed up with Kraig Becker at The Adventure Blog to quiz Mike Kloser about his outstanding career and his thoughts on Adventure Racing…

CheapTents: What inspired you to get into Adventure Racing?

Mike Kloser: I would have to say that I was lured into the sport through a close friend who lives here in Vail, Billy Mattison. Billy had raced in the Eco Challenge in British Columbia. He was planning on doing the Eco Challenge in Australia in 1997 and he was looking for a few teammates to race with him. I had just retired from racing on the World Cup mountain bike circuit and thought I’d give Adventure Racing a go as I had heard a lot of talk about what an experience something like the Eco Challenge would be.

CheapTents: When did you feel like you ‘made it’ as an Adventure Racer? And do you feel like you’ve satisfied your goals?

Mike Kloser: Our team, Team Vail, had won the Eco in Morocco in 1998, but it wasn’t until I got invited onto on the Elite level team Eco Internet for the 2000 Eco Challenge in Borneo, that I felt I had made it as an elite level Adventure Racer. I feel like I have had a very successful career in Adventure Racing, but having finished 2nd the past 3 years in the AR World Championships, I feel like I have left a win or two out there.

CheapTents: What has been your biggest sporting achievement?

Mike Kloser: In looking back, I think this might have to be winning the Mountain Bike World Championships in Switzerland back in 1998! I think this set the stage for my future successes.

CheapTents: What are your favourite and least favourite disciplines in Adventure Racing?

Mike Kloser: My favourite might have to be the Rope disciplines, I like the adrenaline aspect of ropes and the fact that it’s a bit of a break from the other aerobic disciplines of trekking, biking and paddling that we so accustomed to. As for my least favourite, I would have to say swimming with a pack on in open water might take honours here!

CheapTents: What has been your worst injury from outdoors sports and how did it happen?

Mike Kloser: My worst happened in the summer of 2009, I had the front wheel of my mountain bike slip off the trail and I went over the handlebars. In an instant, I crashed on my head, shoulder, and ribs. I couldn’t breath for a minute or more and knew I had messed myself up pretty bad. I sorted myself out and managed to mount my bike for a ¼ mile ride home. I ended up in the hospital for 5 nights with a shattered collarbone, 5 broken ribs and a punctured lung. I had to call off our bid for a 6th Primal Quest victory, which was to start 10 days after my crash.

CheapTents: You’ve been the captain of Team Nike for years. How did Team Nike become Team Blackwater?

Mike Kloser: Nike sponsored our team for 6 years, after the Summer Olympics in China Nike changed their marketing direction with our sport and were terminating their relationship with our team. The owner of Blackwater is an outdoor adventurer and friend of mine. He was looking for a way to promote a new computer video game and felt that supporting us at the AR Worlds in Spain would be a good means of doing so.

CheapTents: If you were assembling a completely new team from the ground up and could have any three racers in the world join you, who would you select?

Mike Kloser: If Michael Tobin were still racing, it would be a hard decision to pick between Michael and Nathan, but as it stands, I probably wouldn’t change a thing from the team we raced the Worlds in Spain with. I have all the respect in the world for the talents of my old teammates like Michael, Ian Adamson, and Danelle, but they have all moved on now and athletes with the skills and experience that Chris Forne and Monique Merrill have are tough to beat.

CheapTents: Of all the exotic and remote locations that you’ve raced in over the years, which one stands out as your favourite and why?

Mike Kloser: I often say that my favourite race was the Expedition BVI [British Virgin Islands], for several reasons, but as for exotic and remote locations, I would have to say Argentina is my favourite location. I have raced there twice and just the shear, simple pristine beauty of the Patagonia region, stand out as the most spectacular to me.

CheapTents: Do you think that Adventure Racing is inaccessible to the public and if so, what could be done to make it more mainstream?

Mike Kloser: I would say pretty much the opposite of that, I think it’s very accessible, but the racing maybe a bit too much for many people to comprehend. Racing non-stop for up to a week straight, with at best a couple hours of sleep a day, make for a serious and daunting challenge.

CheapTents: What are your favourite bits of gear, and why?

Mike Kloser: Our gear is always changing and evolving, there’s ever improving LED light technology, lighter and more efficient climbing gear, new light weight carbon fiber in bikes, trekking poles, paddles, shoes, etc. and the list could go on and on. But to be very honest with you and not trying to be biased, my favourite gear item at this time is the new backpack I’ve designed under the brand name of OutThere! After years of working with companies like Go Lite and Nike helping them design and produce packs and other gear, I feel I’ve come up with the best pack out there, designed with Adventure Racing in mind!

CheapTents: Any people or sponsors that you’d like thank?

Mike Kloser: There are a number of sponsors like Oakley, Princeton Tec, Giro and Rockshox who have pretty much supported me/us since I began competing in this sport, over a dozen years ago. But the people I would like to thank most are my wife Emily and children Heidi and Christian, who have always supported me through the good and the bad. Without their encouragement and support, I couldn’t have accomplished near that of what I have over the years!

CheapTents: Anything else you would like to say?

Mike Kloser: It’s been a great adventure, it’s almost sad to see it coming to an end!!!

CheapTents:

Thank you Mike for answering our questions!

If this interview has inspired you and you’re interested in taking part in Adventure Racing in the UK then the Sleep Monsters website would be a good place to find out about events that are taking place. Two of the main UK events are the Nokia Coast to Coast and the Adidas Terrex Adventure Race, but there are many more. Updates about Adventure Racing and many other awesome adventures that are happening across the globe can be found on The Adventure Blog.

To see Mike in Adventure Racing action have a look at the YouTube film below.

Mike Kloser Biog – Adventure Racing and Mountain Biking

• World Mountain Bike Champion
• Inducted into Mountain Bike Hall of Fame
• 5 time Adventure Racing World Champion
• 3 time Eco Challenge Champion
• 5 time Primal Quest Champion
• Multiple National Adventure Racing Series Champion
• World Long Distance Orienteering Champion
• 10 time Steamboat Pentathlon Champion
• 2 time National Winter Triathlon Champion
• 7 time Breckenridge Imperial Champion
• 3 time Teva Games Champion
• 3 time Aspen Highlands Inferno Champion
• 2 time Iditabike Champion
• Mt. Taylor Quadrathlon Champion
• Moab 24 Hour Champion
• 5 time Elk Mountain Traverse Champion
• 2 time America’s Uphill Champion
• National Off-road Duathlon Champion
• Ultra 100 Mountain Bike Champion
• Colorado State Snowshoe Champion
• Jackson Hole Open Mogul Skiing Champion
• Dearborn Mogul Skiing Champion
• Everest Award Winner
• Competitor Magazine Adventure Athlete of the Year

Endurance Athlete Interviews

If you’re interested in reading about endurance athletes then we have plenty more for you! There’s our interview with Mike’s AR team mate Ian Adamson or how about ultra-marathon runner Sam Thompson who ran 51 marathons in just 50 days!

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ALPINE STYLES is an exhibition showcasing art that is about climbing, mountaineering and the mountain world. Works include illustrations that have appeared in climbing magazines and publications, and personal work being shown for the first time in public.

Work by: Jamie Givens, Keith Svihovec, Mike Tea, Emilie Lee and Renan Ozturk

Opening night is November 18th, 6PM, at the American Mountaineering Museum in Golden, CO. The exhibit will be up for around 2 months.

The exhibition opening will coincide with the Thirsty Third Thursday event at the Museum, including an outdoor beer garden!

All art is for sale, and all sales will partially benefit the Mountaineering Museum and the American Alpine Club Library.

1pm, Climb Newcastle

19:30 Tobacco Factory, Bristol

0800 EICA Ratho

12 - 5pm The Reach Climbing Wall, Unit 6 Mellish Estate, Harrington Way, London SE18 5NR

Starts 9am Glenmore Lodge

Earlier today polar explorer Eric Larsen summitted Mount Everest, the third pole in his three pole challenge. Along with the Arctic North pole and the Antarctic South Pole, the summit of Everest is referred to as the third pole. Whilst taking on the challenge of reaching each of these specific points may not be a new one, Eric Larsen has achieved his goal in a single year. It is also worth noting that Eric and his Sherpa guides are the only Everest summitteers in the Autumn season this year.

The main purpose of the three Poles challenge is to highlight the importance of these icy environments to the planet and the wildlife that they support:

Save the Poles and Save the Planet!
The polar regions of the world are home to an amazing variety of life. Seemingly desolate and vacant, these areas support vital ecosystems and are integral to regulating and maintaining world climate. Polar explorer Eric Larsen’s ‘Save the Poles’ expedition will journey to these last frozen places in attempt to tell their amazing story.

Thanks to modern technology it has been possible to follow Eric Larsen’s progress on his explorer website. Using Google Earth and Bing Maps you can see his journey in 2D and 3D. To top it all on the technology front, Eric sent out a Tweet from the summit of Everest, @ELexplore. Were Mallory and Irvine the first to summit Everest? If they had Twitter we would surely know the answer!

Thanks to explorers like Eric Larsen and Dixie Dansercoer, more people are becoming aware of how beautiful and important the poles regions are.

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19:30 at the Crown and Mitre Hotel, Carlisle

Swiss Alpinist and speed climber Ueli Steck is famous for his fast and lightweight approach to the world’s hardest and highest mountains. Sponsored by Petzl, Scarpa, Leki and Mountain Hardware, Ueli Steck has set the speed record for the Matterhorn (1 hour 56 minutes), Grandes Jorasses (2 hours 21 minutes) and the North Face of the Eiger (2 hours 47 minutes). Has has also summitted Gasherbrum II (8035m) and soloed Makalu west pillar (8463m).

On Tuesday this week Outside Online published an exciting interview about speed climbing and mountaineering with Ueli Steck.

In the interview Ueli Steck talks about how he got into Alpine climbing and how he trains for different types of climbs. According to Steck the future of climbing is all about speed, since all of the hard challenges have already been done. He says that although speed climbing is not a new sport, it is a kind of game where you can push the limits on high altitude mountains.

People forget something: in climbing, it doesn’t matter what you’re doing. If you do a speed ascent, you’re the fastest up the Eiger’s north face, nothing’s going to change in the world. But maybe your world is going to change. In the evening, when you’re going to bed, you know exactly what you have done.

And that’s what it’s all about. It doesn’t matter if you climbed the Eiger’s north face in two hours and forty-seven minutes, or in two days. If it’s your challenge, and you’re happy with it, that’s the most important thing. Ueli Steck, Outside Online.

Piolet d’Or – The Oscar of Mountaineering

In 2009 Ueli Steck and Simon Anthamatten received the prestigious Piolet d’Or Award for their magnificent alpine style first ascent of the north wall of Tengkampoche (6500 m) in Nepal in April 2008. The Piolet d’Or award celebrates the spirit of modern Alpinism and Ueli is particularly pleased to receive it.

The style should take precedence over the conquest of an objective. Success is no longer about getting to the summit at all costs, employing all possible financial and technical means, (oxygen, fixed ropes, doping products, etc) or large-scale human resources (high-altitude porters or sherpas).

The Piolets d’Or event encourages imagination in searching for innovative routes using a maximum of economy of means, making use of experience and respecting man and nature. Piolet d’Or website

Major Achievements – Ueli Steck Biog

• Born in 1976 in Langnau in the Emmental. Lives in Ringgenberg at Interlaken.
• 2002 First ascent of Mount Dickey in Alaska.
• 2005 Solo ascents of the north wall of the Cholatse (6440 m) and the east wall of the Tawoche (6505 m)
• 2007 Eiger Speed climb in 3 hours 54 minutes
• 2008 New Eiger Speed Record Time 2 Hours 47 Minutes
• 2008 First ascent of the north wall Tengkampoche (6500 m)
• 2008 speed record Grandes Jorasses 2 hours 21 minutes
• 2009 Speed Record Matterhorn 1 hour 56 minutes
• 2009 “Piolet d’Or” Award
• 2009 “Golden Gate” route on El Capitan / USA
• 2009 ascent of Gasherbrum II (8035 m) in Karakorum, Pakistan
• 2009 Expedition to Makalu, Nepal

If one looks in the film Ueli Steck climbed the Eiger North Face, you can not trust his eyes. There is a so elegant, experienced, focused and easily packed on the way to the summit as if it be a daily way home. The most incredible thing but in the process is the breathtaking speed with which the man goes up weasel speedy, among them the edge. Perhaps you’re in the wrong movie, it shoots through your mind, and this is Spiderman, which climbs a skyscraper, or you accidentally pressed the fast forward button or this is all a trick. Error. The film depicts only what has happened in reality and dizzying vertical wall. Ueli Steck is one of the world’s best climbers and mountaineers – and he’s the fastest. He has committed all three great north faces of the Alps in record time solo: the Eiger, the Matterhorn and the Grandes Jorasses. Barbara Liebster, www.uelisteck.ch translated using Google Translate.

If you are interested in reading more about climbers and mountaineering then our interviews with Kevin Thaw, Renan Ozturk and the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation will be well worth reading!

Kevin Thaw started his climbing career with a piece of washing line instead of rope. Not recommended! Since acquiring the correct climbing gear, Kevin has gone on to make many successful first ascents in the UK, USA and Patagonia.

Renan Ozturk is not only an accomplished mountaineer, he is also an artist, interacting with the landscape not only through physical climbing but also through mixed media art. Renan has climbed on Mount Meru, in India’s Gangotri Regionre, as well as numerous other ascents in British Columbia, Alaska and Yosemite.

The International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) represent mountaineers and climbers across the globe. Their mission statement is to:

preserve their spirit and traditions, advance safe and ethical mountain practices, promote responsible access, culture and environmental protection [as well as] support youth participation and the Olympic movement.

Find out what this actually means in the UIAA interview!

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Various times, George Square Lecture Theatre & EICA Ratho

Starts 7.30 pm Theatr Mwldan