[Sharron]

Stephen Venables is one of Britain’s best mountaineers.
He was the first Brit to summit Everest without supplementary oxygen and he did it the in an epic way, alone, via the Kangshung Face and bivying really high. He has climbed extensively in all the usual places – the European Alps, the Afgan Hindu Kush, and in India and Nepal, and with some of the biggest climbing legends.

Stephen has also written loads of books including two classics, “Himalyan Alpine Style” and “The Shining Mountain”. I think the latter is about his experiences on Mt Shivling in India where he put up a new route. The former, as its title suggests, tells you how to climb Big Mountains in Style. Once you’ve read the manual you’ll be able to apply his techniques in the Tararuas and other great NZ mountain regions, maybe even get a few pointers off him in person. Stephen does lots of public speaking so I reckon he will be interesting to listen to.

He is giving a talk and a slideshow about some of his Himalayan expeditions on 1 September in Lecture Theatre 101, MacLauren Building, Kelburn Campus, Victoria Univiersity. I’m not sure what time, but you can get tickets ($15 or $12 if you are an Alpine Club member, from Bivouac from Aug 3).

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