MOUNTAINEERING legend Alan Hinkes is coming to the Huddersfield district in February to give a talk.
It's a big occasion for local climbers - an even bigger one for Tristan Johnson, of Grange Moor, the man who has booked him to appear at the CragRats Theatre in Holmfirth on Wednesday, February 21.
Alan Hinkes OBE is calling his lecture Tales From The Top. It's an account of his 20-year quest to become the first Britain and one of only a handful all told to conquer all 14 of the world's 8,000-metre mountains.
His feat has never even been attempted by any other Briton. It was in 2005 that Alan, a schoolteacher turned climber from Northallerton, completed his quest by climbing the world's third-highest mountain Kanchenchunga, in the Himalayas, at the third attempt to become a member of the exclusive "five-mile high club".
Alan described it as the hardest climb of his life.
Then he followed his familiar ritual of taking out a photo of his daughter Fiona and his grandson Jay before having his summit photos taken.
Alan's lecture begins a series of monthly mountaineering events held at the Holmfirth theatre, and heralds the launch of Tristan Johnson's eagerly anticipated www.mountaineeringlectures.co.uk website
Tristan is a former Huddersfield University student and climbing enthusiast who hopes that his Mountaineering Lectures business could take off sufficiently to become a full-time job.
He points to the wealth of local climbing talent, says we are well-placed here for rock-climbing in the Peak District, with the Lake District and North Wales equidistant.
The lectures at CragRats have been organised in connection with another climbing friend and are fairly handy for enthusiasts travelling from Lancashire and Derbyshire.
Climbing fans won't have to wait long for the next talk after Alan's. Next day, on February 22 British rock-climbing legend Johnny Dawes is talking about his career at the forefront of modern climbing.
And on April 19, it is the turn of Dave MacLeod who in 2006 completed the hardest recorded UK rock climb graded E11 (where E = Extreme!).
Mountaineering Lectures emerged in2005 from a series of local climbing lectures, began to look at other climbing events and quickly diversified into promoting climbing tuition.
Over 20 climbing master-class sessions were organised in 2005. It produces a newsletter and also sells climbing films.
Tickets for all the lectures are available from the booking office at the CragRats Theatre on 01484-691323.
For more information go to www.mountaineeringlectures.co.uk
