July 2, 2001

Conservationist Mike Fay Journeys to the Heart of Africa
at the 2001 Banff Mountain Book Festival

American conservationist Mike Fay will tell the epic story of his journey through the heart of Africa at this year’s Banff Mountain Book Festival. The festival, which takes place October 31 to November 4 in Banff, Alberta, is sponsored by Canadian Mountain Holidays.

In September 1999, Fay walked into the African jungle in the Republic of the Congo. Fifteen months and 1900 kilometres later, he and his team reached an isolated stretch of Gabonese coast, a place where elephants roam the beach and hippos splash in the surf. The expedition—a project funded by the National Geographic Society and the Wildlife Conservation Society—was a test of endurance and wilderness survival skills. Throughout the trip, Fay gathered data on this hostile but beautiful land in the hopes of preserving it forever. Fay will recreate his trek through words and images at the Thursday night book festival presentation.

The Banff Mountain Book Festival, now in its eighth year, is the only festival of its kind in North America. In addition to speakers, it features readings, seminars, a book fair, book signings and launches, and an international competition.

Other 2001 Banff Mountain Book Festival featured guests include:

Simon Yates: Simon Yates is best known as the man who cut the rope holding friend and climbing partner Joe Simpson. Simpson’s harrowing account of their 1985 descent from Peru’s Siula Grande, Touching the Void, made both men household names in the world’s climbing community. Yates has gone on to climb in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Kazakhstan, South America, and Australia, making first ascents in all of these places. Drawing from his latest book, The Flame of Adventure, Yates will look at what draws us into the mountains.

Ed Webster: Many mountaineers dream of climbing Everest. But American climber and Himalayan veteran Ed Webster wanted to summit Everest in the purest style that he could imagine—up a never-before-attempted route, with no bottled oxygen, no radios, and no Sherpa assistance. With a team of four, he scaled Everest’s most remote—and possibly most dangerous—side, the Kangshung Face. Drawing from his book Snow in the Kingdom: My Storm Years on Everest, Webster will tell the story of one of the most audacious mountaineering feats of all time.

Patrick Bérhault: This spring, French alpinist Patrick Bérhault completed an unprecedented 3000-kilometre traverse of the Alps from Slovenia to France, climbing 22 major summits during his six-month journey. Bérhault will share the story of his epic "Alpine Voyage."

Harish Kapadia: Harish Kapadia is India’s best-known mountain climber, a man who regularly escapes from his workaday life as a Bombay cloth merchant to scale little-known peaks in the Himalayas. A recipient of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation Gold Medal, Kapadia is editor of the prestigious Himalayan Journal. His numerous books include Trek: The Sahyadris and High Himalaya: Unknown Valleys. Using images from his 35 years of climbing, Kapadia will explore mountaineering, war, and politics in the east Karakoram region.

Mark Kroese: Have you ever wanted to ask a famous climber to reveal his or her favourite climb? Climber, author, and photographer Mark Kroese knows the answers. Kroese spent the last two years interviewing fifty of North America’s top climbers. In addition to revealing their favourite routes, they talked about their motives, training regimes, core principles, and more. Kroese will share insights and observations from his book Fifty Favorite Climbs: The Ultimate North American Ticklist.

Julie Summers: At the Thursday Literary Lunchbreak, Julie Summers will read from Fearless on Everest: The Quest for Sandy Irvine. In May 2000, Summers, who is Sandy Irvine’s great-niece, discovered an unopened trunk containing Irvine's letters and photographs from the fatal 1924 Everest expedition. Summers’ book is an intimate portrait of the fearless young man who was George Mallory’s climbing partner.

Rick Ridgeway: At the Friday Literary Lunchbreak, Rick Ridgeway will read from Below Another Sky, his riveting account of the 1980 Tibetan expedition that claimed the life of his friend Jonathan Wright and Ridgeway’s subsequent return to his friend’s gravesite with Wright’s daughter 19 years later.

Mountain Book Fair: From November 1 to November 4, the Mountain Book Fair will feature the latest titles in mountain literature, as well as maps, archival material, antiquarian books, and book signings by famous and soon-to-be-famous mountain authors.

Individual festival event tickets go on sale July 3. Tickets are available by phone: 1-800-413-8368 (North America), 1-403-762-6301 or online: www.banffmountainfestivals.ca.