Hi everyone,
Well, there goes another bank holiday weekend. No more long weekends for a while, but the summer is rolling in. And as we creep into May it means we’re barely 2 weeks from the Best of Kendal Mountain Film Festival 2017 at the Royal Geographical Society. This year’s film line up contains a number of inspiring stories that have been born out of adversity. And as we continue to work hand in hand with the people of Nepal to rebuild rural areas and support the portering community, it comes more apparent that the things we do after difficulty are how we best show our colours.
We’ve seen some super updates from our partner The Small World, who announced that on the two year anniversary of the quakes that rocked Nepal, they are on track to having built 25 earthquake proof schools and classrooms. They have also supported a number of projects to empower young women in rural parts of the country. These are goals we share, and so the profits from the upcoming Best of Kendal event will support both their work, and some projects we have up our sleeves.
It is equally with great sadness that we found our this weekend about the death of ‘Swiss Machine’ Ueli Steck – whose incredible achievements have also featured during our film nights over the years. There has been a mass outpouring of grief for the much-loved and iconic climber, and our thoughts go out to his family and friends at this difficult time. But we do know that his legacy will be one of a belief in the incredible things that people can achieve. And we intend to celebrate this spirit in full.
So as we head into the summer, and many folks will be heading to the Alps for summer climbing or may be in Nepal already (or planning trips later in the year), we wish you safe climbing and trekking. The mountains are a wonderful place to be. Enjoy their beauty, and enjoy the wonderful people with whom you’ll share you journey.
I hope to see you on 17th May at the RGS, for the Best of Kendal.
Cheers,
Tom
(Tom Buttle – Chairman, PPUK)