Montane Speaker Evenings
Join us for what are going to be two very special evenings.
With thanks to Montane, we have organised 2 athlete evening talks this Autumn. One with one with one of the UK’s best ultra-runners, Debbie Martin-Consani in Ambleside, the Lake District. The other in North Wales with trad climber and Paralympian, Jesse Dufton.
An Evening With Jesse Dufton
Friday 22nd September, Cafe Caban, Brynrefail
Jesse is a climber, best known for his trad climbing. Despite being born severely sight impaired, his parents saw no reason to let this get in his way and climbing became a large part of his childhood. As soon as he could walk his dad took him climbing and taught him how to lead trad in Cornwall, this in-between many family trips to Fontainbleau, instilled a life-long passion for the sport. As he lost the little sight he was born with, he never considered giving up his passion and instead set about adapting how to climb without the use of his eyes.
Since then, Jesse has continued to push his limits and gained recognition when he became the first blind person to lead climb the Old Man of Hoy, which was recognised as an official Guinness World record and is the focus of the multi-award-winning documentary Climbing Blind. However, this is but one of the many hard trad routes he has to his name leading these "non-sight". As well as his trad pedigree, he also has first ascents in Arctic Greenland completed in alpine style in winter conditions. He is also a competition climber, representing the GB Paraclimbing team and winning medals in multiple international competitions.
Notable trad on-sight leads:
- International E3 5c, Kilt Rock, Isle of Skye, Scotland (Lead, on-sight)
- Illusion Dweller 5.10b, Hidden Valley, Joshua Tree (Lead, on-sight)
- Forked Lightning Crack E2 5c, Heptonstall, Yorkshire (Lead, on-sight)
- Auricle E2 5c, Bamford, Peak District (Lead, on-sight)
- Elder Crack E2 5b, Curbar, Peak District (Lead, on-sight)
- The Old Man of Hoy E1 5b (6 pitches), Orkney Islands, Scotland (Lead, on-sight)
- Left Unconquerable E1 5b, Stanage, Peak District (Lead, on-sight)
- Flying Buttress Direct E1 5b, Stanage, Peak District (Lead, on-sight)
- Sloth HVS 5a, The Roaches, Peak District (Lead, on-sight)
Tickets for this special evening are limited to just 30 places and are sure to sell out fast so don't hang around.
Key Details:
- Date: Friday 22nd September
- Location: Cafe Caban, Brynrefail, Llanberis, LL55 3NR
- Start Time: 7:30pm
- Tickets: £7.50 all proceeds going to Llanberis Mountain Rescue.
Please note tickets will not be posted but will be available for collection at the door, please bring your ID or booking email with you.
An Evening With Debbie Martin-Consani
Saturday 7th October, Zeffirellis, Ambleside
Join us and our friends from Montane at Zeffirellis in Ambleside for an inspirational talk from ultra-runner Debbie Martin-Consani. Debbie has represented Scotland and Great Britain in 100K and 24-hour races.
In 2013 Debbie placed 2nd in the Montane Lakeland 100 race (ML100) taking 2.5 hours off the previous women’s record, but only coming in second. She rectified it a year later by winning the 2014 ML100 and followed up in 2015 by placing 2nd in the shorter, and perhaps harder, Montane Lakeland 50.
Debbie’s’ race results speak for themselves. She's an incredible athlete and all the while working a full-time job and raising a family. UltraRunDMC as she's affectionately known, will always be an inspiration.
Already an accomplished GB 24hr runner, Debbie undertook the greatest challenge of her career in 2017; the 330km Tour des Geants through the Italian Alps. It is here, hallucinating with fatigue and lungs wrecked with altitude and exertion where she met her Performance Edge. Putting ego and aspirations aside to get the job done.
- 2023: Cape Wrath Ultra 5th female and 28th overall
- 2022: Montane Spine Race, 1st Female
- 2020: Montane Spine Race, 2nd Female
- 2019: Centurian Track 100, 1st Female | Ultra Trail Scotland, 1st Female | Thames Path 100, 1st Female
- 2017: Tor des Géants, 330km Transgrancanaria | 125km World 24-hour championships - GB team
- 2016: Highland Fling, 53 miles, Scotland | 1st lady and a new course record European World 24-hour championships - GB team
Tickets for this special evening are limited to just 45 places and are sure to sell out fast so don't hang around.
Key Details:
- Date: Saturday 7th October 2023
- Location: Zeffirellis, Ambleside, LA22 9DJ
- Start Time: 8:00pm
- Tickets: £7.50 all proceeds going to Ambleside and Langdale Mountain Rescue.
Please note tickets will not be posted but will be available for collection at the door, please bring your ID or booking email with you.