Banff Tour Magazine 2023

PRESENTED BY:
TOUR MAGAZINE
THE WORLD’S BEST MOUNTAIN FILMS | EDITION 14

SUMMIT
Together, the best stories are created. Because together is how
we connect. How we escape. How we feel at home when
we’re off the beaten path. Together is what we are every time
we boot up for a new adventure, even when we’re walking
alone. Because our passion for the outdoors is what unites us.
And whether you’re exploring a new route or following an old
one, our experts are there with you every step of the way.
Find your nearest store at
cotswoldoutdoor.com
Make the right choice with our experts.

CONTENTS
WELCOME 9
RED FILM PROGRAMME 12
BLUE FILM PROGRAMME 14
WILD WATERS 19
FREE TO RUN 24
BRIDGE BOYS 27
DOO SAR 30
WALKING ON CLOUDS 32
© Carl Zoch - Red Bull Content Pool
ALTA - INTERVIEW 34
PRESENTED BY
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? 37
WWW.BANFF-UK.COM
PRINCIPAL PARTNERS
ASSOCIATE PARTNERS
FOLLOW
US ON:
UKBanffFilmFest
#BanffTour2023
COVER PHOTO Ashlee Hendy, Elizabeth Chong © Simon Carter
VOTE!
Vote for your favourite films and you
will be in with a chance to win some
great prizes. Your feedback also helps
us choose the films for next year!
VISIT: WWW.BANFF-UK.COM/VOTE

NEW ACCESSORIES
NEW ACCESSORIES
It’s the little things that make a
big difference. We’ve carefully
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and updated range of outdoor
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more efficiently, protect your gear
and find your items easily.
FOR THE PREPARED
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WELCOME
Welcome to the 2023 UK & Ireland Banff Mountain Film
Festival World Tour – we’re thrilled to be back with
two new collections of gripping adventure films from the
world’s top adventure filmmakers!
LIFE IS KEEN
This year’s films transport us to some of the least explored
corners of the planet, from the Arctic playground of Baffin
Island in Canada, to rarely summited peaks in Pakistan in the
film Doo Sar. They also show that adventure can be found in
unlikely places closer to home: top climbers Pete Whittaker
and Tom Randall find world-class climbing under the M5
in Devon, and Danny MacAskill celebrates the joy of the
humble wheelie around Scotland. Whatever the location, all
of the films highlight the life-affirming experiences we find in
the great outdoors.
Films on the UK and Ireland tour are chosen from the best
entries into the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival,
which is held every year in the Canadian Rocky Mountains,
and this year saw a record number of submissions. The
World Tour that follows visits more than 500 venues in over
40 countries, creating a unique celebration of adventure and
adventurers at each stop.
We’d like to say a big thank you to our tour partners for
their support, and for providing fantastic prizes for the prize
draw. We’d also like to thank our fabulous Trail Team – local
volunteers who help out at the shows, and with spreading
the adventurous word beforehand. And most importantly
we’d like to thank you, the audience, for making the tour so
special – it is your stories of how the films have inspired you
that keep us coming back for more.
Happy adventuring and thank you for coming!
The Banff Film Festival Team
9
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RED FILM PROGRAMME
A BAFFIN VACATION
Most summer holidays don’t involve skiing hundreds
of kilometres over a frozen fjord in the Arctic Circle,
but adventurers Erik Boomer and Sarah McNair-Landry
are not most people. On a romantic getaway with a
difference, the duo set off on a 45-day expedition
through the remote landscape of Baffin Island in
Canada, in search of stunning cliffs to climb and
unexplored rivers to white-water kayak.
Filmmakers: Sarah McNair-Landry, Erik Boomer,
12 mins
WALKING ON CLOUDS
Brazilian engineer Rafael Bridi is on a quest to find
complete freedom… and his search has taken him
above the clouds. Establishing a slackline between
two hot air balloons over Praia Grande in Brazil, Rafael
is hoping to break the record for the world’s highest
slackline walk. To succeed he will need motivation,
discipline and mindfulness at almost 2,000m above
the ground.
Filmmaker: Renan Kamizi, 7 mins
FLOW
Big mountain skier Sam Favret explores the closed
resort of Chamonix during the unusual winter of 2021.
With spectacular aerial footage of iconic mountain
faces, this captivating short offers a dose of unreality,
serenity and Sam's powerful skiing, but above all the
pleasure of rediscovering a playground allowed to
return to its wild state.
Filmmaker: Maxime Moulin, 5 mins
BRIDGE BOYS
Kept away from towering cliffs abroad because of
lockdown, British climbers Pete Whittaker and Tom
Randall are forced to look closer to home. Enter
one of the most unusual climbs ever attempted – a
2,600ft groove beneath a bridge on the M5. Sleeping
on ledges suspended from the bridge, the pair face
ferocious climbing moves, bridge-shaking traffic and
police suspicion on this extraordinary Devon challenge.
Filmmakers: Nick Rosen, Peter Mortimer, 28 mins
WILD WATERS
Adventurer, competitor, pioneer and badass human
are all words used to describe French kayaker Nouria
Newman. As she prepares to become the first female
to run a 100ft (30m) waterfall, Wild Waters follows
Nouria’s journey from young Olympic hopeful to one of
the greatest kayakers of all time. Nouria also discusses
the expectations placed on her as a female athlete,
rather than just an athlete.
Filmmaker: David Arnaud, 45 mins
THE NINE WHEELS
A story of choosing to live life to the fullest in the face of
adversity. The Schneeberger family includes mountain
bike stars of the future Emric (10) and Raoul (13), plus
their parents Toni and Laetitia. Packed with emotion,
soul and high-power riding scenes, this film explores
what it is like to live with a disability, brotherly love, the
devotion of parents and living life one day at a time.
Filmmaker: Santiago Burin des Roziers, 22 mins
12
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UK & IRELAND BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL TOUR
13

BLUE FILM PROGRAMME
COLOURS OF MEXICO
Swoop from Mexico’s active volcanos to the steep and
colourful streets of its historic villages in this visual feast
from French mountain biking phenomenon Kilian Bron.
Teaming up with adventure filmmaker Pierre Henni, the
dream team capture a melting pot of the country’s most
unique sights in this cinematic treat.
Filmmaker: Pierre Henni, Kilian Bron, 5 mins
THE PROCESS
British climber Tom Randall is known for his commitment
to training, and outrageous challenges. This time, Tom
has set his mind on becoming proficient in the sport of fell
running, and has a madcap idea to try and complete the
previously un-attempted Lakes Classic Rock Challenge
and a Bob Graham link-up in 24 hours.
Filmmakers: Matt Pycroft, Matt Hardy, 15 mins
LAPPORTEN SKYLINE
The Lapporten Gap is one of the most photographed
natural landforms in Sweden… but some of the world’s
top highliners have grander ambitions. They plan to put up
a two-kilometre long highline across this iconic gap and
walk across, 600m above the ground. If they succeed, it
will be a new world record.
Filmmaker: Emil Sergel, 19 mins
NORTH SHORE BETTY
The misty forests of British Columbia are hallowed ground
for mountain bikers They are also where Betty Birrell,
then 45, picked up mountain biking after a career as a
mountaineer and professional windsurfer. Three decades
later, the single mother is proof that you’re never too old
to shred the trails.
Filmmakers: Travis Rummel, Darcy Turenne, 12 mins
14 UK & IRELAND BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL TOUR
FREE TO RUN
When the Taliban takes over Afghanistan, the basic human
rights of women across the country are threatened.
Mountain runner and UN human rights attorney Stephanie
Case must fight to find a way forward for the Afghan
women of her NGO, Free to Run, while taking on the
longest and hardest ultra-trail race of her life.
Filmmakers: Carrie Highman, Tim Highman, 31 mins
ALTA
Glide down the slopes with some of the world’s most
creative freeskiers. This action-packed short captures
the essence of contemporary skiing. Join a diverse blend
of urban-centric freestyle maestros, big-mountain hardchargers
and smooth powder hounds as they ride every
type of terrain in the winter playground of Alta in Utah.
Filmmaker: Etienne Mérel, 5 mins
DO A WHEELIE
Scottish rider Danny MacAskill joins forces with a host of
amazing riders in celebration of the humble wheelie. For
many cyclists, the wheelie is the first trick they learn. You
don’t need an expensive bike, and it can open doors to a
whole new world. And of course, being Danny MacAskill,
he takes this simple skill to a whole new level…
Filmmaker: Jonny Ashworth, 6 mins
DOO SAR
Two friends, two peaks, two epic ski descents. Polish
athletes Andrzej Bargiel and Jedrek Baranowski head
to the wildest corner of Pakistan’s Karakoram mountain
range to tackle two rarely summited 6,000m peaks:
isolated Yawar Shar II and the dagger-like Laila Peak. With
icy conditions, narrow weather windows and near-vertical
descents, there is serious beauty, but also serious risk.
Filmmaker: Jakub Gzela, 21 mins
15

Fresh footprints and untouched lines,
the winter is full of possibility. With
the landscape frozen, new routes
are revealed. We dare to go further,
steeper, and higher than before.
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Banff and Lake Louise Fast Facts
FEATURE - WILD WATERS
Banff
Sky Bistro at
2,415m (7923 ft)
Lake Agnes Teahouse
at 2134m (7002 ft)
Cliffhouse Bistro
at 2,103m (6900 ft)
+Lake Louise
150+ RESTAURANTS AND
40+ HOTELS AND LODGING
Canada’s oldest national park
1885
ESTABLISHED
CANADA’S MOST VISITED NATIONAL PARK:
VISITORS/YEAR
4 MILLION
Most skiable acres in
a national park
in Canada
7,748
ACRES (3,100 HA)
26 x
CHAIR
LIFTS
30 ft+
+ (9M )
AVG. SNOWFALL
357
LONGEST
RUN IS
3
8 KM
(5MI)
384m (1260 ft).t
MOST NUMBER OF
NATIONAL HISTORIC
SITES IN A NATIONAL
PARK IN CANADA
• Banff Springs Hotel
• Cave & Basin
• Banff Park Museum
• Howse Pass
Distances
+ approximate
travel times
by car:
CANADA’S
LONGEST
& DEEPEST
CAVE SYSTEM
Jasper
• Skoki Ski Lodge
• Abbot Pass Refuge Cabin
• Sulphur Mountain Cosmic
Ray Station
230 km (143mi)
3 hrs
Lake
Louise
57 km (35mi)
40 min
Banff
1,600 +km
(1,000 MI)
maintained hiking trails
140 km (87mi)
90 min
national park
in Canada
6,641 km2
A snowflake that lands on
Mount Snow Dome could melt
and flow into the Atlantic,
the Pacific, or the
Arctic Ocean.
Calgary
International
Airport
Second longest lake
in the Canadian Rockies:
Lake Minnewanka is
21km long and 142m deep
TALLEST
MOUNTAIN
Mt. Forbes
sits at 3,612 m (11,850 ft)
844
Diverse plant
and mammal species.
Highest
permanent
settlement
in Canada: The hamlet
of Lake Louise at
1,540m (5,025 ft)
WILD WATERS
A PROFILE OF ONE OF THE WORLD’S TOP KAYAKERS,
NOURIA NEWMAN
t was heavy on me to be on a river
“Iwhich was not a river. I felt like I hated
kayaking.”
Nouria Newman is one of the world’s best
kayakers. She made the first female descent of
the Site Zed rapids on Canada’s Stikine River,
which are known as the Everest of big volume
kayaking. She has competed in canoe, freestyle
and extreme kayaking, and won gold at the
2014 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships
in America.
Now 32, Nouria is from a village in the French
Alps called Villaret de Nial (between Val d’Isère
and Tignes) and began kayaking when she was
four. Starting early in the French club system,
she was competing internationally by 2007.
But competing on manmade courses, often in
a concrete environment, lost its appeal, and
Nouria returned to what gave her joy: exploring
thrilling rivers in beautiful places. On both big
water and long, exploratory river expeditions,
her list of achievements is astounding. >>
18
UK & IRELAND BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL TOUR
19 21

In 2018, she paddled solo down three rivers
in the Indian Himalaya, with paddling alone
described as being as rare as free-soloing
in climbing. Featured in the recent Banff film
The Ladakh Project, Nouria had a near-death
experience when she got stuck in a siphon,
which can pull paddlers below the surface, but
managed to fight her way out to complete the
375km expedition. In 2019 she teamed up with
kayaking legends Ben Stookesbury and Erik
Boomer to explore Patagonia, where she made
several first descents.
A profile of this extraordinary adventurer, Wild
Waters follows Nouria in her attempt to paddle
her first 100ft waterfall, described as the fourth
dimension of kayaking. It also discusses the
expectations placed on her as a female athlete,
rather than just an athlete.
Nouria says when she was young and “one
of the boys was scared and didn't want to go,
the message was, ‘Come on, let's go.’ For me,
as a little girl, it was: ‘It doesn't matter, maybe
next time.’ It's interesting to understand these
mechanisms, and understand what is socially
constructed, and what shouldn't be.”
As well as her epic paddling achievements,
Nouria has a masters degree in journalism and
political sciences, saying that journalism is
similar to kayaking as ‘you always have to adapt’.
A groundbreaking athlete not only in the sport of
kayaking, but in the whole world of adventure.
20 UK & IRELAND BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL TOUR

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FREE TO RUN
MEET ULTRA-RUNNER STEPHANIE CASE, FOUNDER OF FREE
TO RUN, WHICH SUPPORTS WOMEN AND GIRLS IN AREAS OF
CONFLICT THROUGH RUNNING AND ADVENTURE SPORTS
thought the best way that I could use
“I my running to support women and girls
in Afghanistan was to raise money through my
races for a local women's shelter,” says ultra
runner Stephanie Case. “But going back to the
shelter to meet with the women there, they
didn't give a shit about the money. They wanted
to know about the running.”
Stephanie is a human rights lawyer and
women’s rights advocate with expertise in
conflict settings and humanitarian emergencies.
In 2009, she gave up a career in corporate law
to help some of the world’s most vulnerable
populations. She has since worked for the
United Nations and international non-profits
in regions including Afghanistan, South Sudan
and Gaza.
Stephanie is also a world-class endurance
runner. Her achievements include completing
the 330km Tor de Géants race multiple times –
each time, it involved four days of solid running
through Italy’s Aosta Valley, with 24,000m of
ascent. She founded non-profit organisation
Free to Run to combine her two passions.
“In areas affected by violence, the needs
are undoubtedly vast, including basic physical
needs such as food, clean water, shelter and
safety and security. However, the physical and
mental health of affected populations is equally
as important. After the initial emergency phase
of any conflict, attention must be paid to finding
ways to help individuals and communities cope
with the ongoing effects of crisis, strengthen
their resiliency, and give them hope. Sport and
play provide an effective means of doing this,”
Stephanie explains.
The film Free to Run joins Stephanie at a
harrowing time. Competing in the 450km
Tor des Glaciers, where runners climb the
equivalent of Everest four times during a
week of non-stop running, came shortly after
the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan.
FEATURE - FREE TO RUN
Stephanie had managed to evacuate her Free
to Run staff, but over the course of the race,
her inbox was still filling with cries for help. She
wouldn’t have been able to. Despite the huge
mental strain, Stephanie finished third overall,
first woman, and set a new women’s record for
the course.
After eight years, Free to Run had to stop
operations in Afghanistan in 2021. It's hard to
find hope, but there are glimmers. Some of the
Afghan women who had participated in Free
to Run’s running and leadership programmes
have developed a pilot scheme called Omid
(meaning hope), training women to run smallscale
indoor fitness sessions with other women
in their community. And in October 2022, a
former participant in the Free to Run scheme,
Zeinab Rezaie, became the first Afghan woman
to compete in and finish an event in the Ironman
World Championships.
“The women of Afghanistan are not stopping
– they are the bravest that I have ever seen,”
says Stephanie.
To find out more about Free to Run, visit
www.freetorun.org.
UK & IRELAND BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL TOUR
25

FEATURE - BRIDGE BOYS
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TOP CLIMBERS PETE WHITTAKER AND TOM RANDALL TACKLE
ONE OF THE MOST UNUSUAL ROUTES EVER CLIMBED –
UNDER THE M5 IN DEVON
e've always been looking for the next
“Wbig roof crack, thinking that we're
going to find it in Yosemite or in the desert,”
says British climber Pete Whittaker. “But we
never thought we would find it in the UK.”
Pete and his climbing partner Tom Randall,
both from Sheffield, are renowned for being
two of the world’s best crack climbers. They’ve
climbed the hardest finger cracks, the hardest
hand cracks and the hardest roof cracks, and
UK & IRELAND BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL TOUR
27

Marketing coMMunication
THE GREAT RIFT –
THE STATS
Length: 2,500ft
Grade: 5.13
Pitches: between 60 and 70
Days to climb: 4
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in 2011 they made the first ascent of Century
Crack in Utah, a notorious 120ft roof crack
that they graded 5.14b. The route took two
years of specific training, and earned them the
nickname the Wide Boyz.
But crack climbs are hard to come by in the
UK, so when lockdown struck, the pair were
unable to pursue their unusual pastime. They
resorted to purpose-built cracks in Tom’s cellar
to get their fix… until inspiration struck.
“We started to think that we would be stuck in
the cellar forever, climbing on wooden cracks,”
says Tom, who is also a climbing coach. “But
then I spot a post by a Scottish climber, and
he's found this bridge with cracks across the
underside. It seemed like something better
than my cellar.”
The duo began to realise that bridges could
offer ideal crack climbing: perfect splitters and
continuous moves. They moved beyond local
bridges in search of the Holy Grail of bridge
climbing – and found it under a motorway
bridge on the M5.
“It's one of the biggest bridges in the country,
two-and-a-half thousand foot long, nearly as
big as El Cap in Yosemite,” says Tom.
But while the climbing may have rivalled
the iconic El Capitan, the four-day expedition
came with challenges that you don’t find in the
wilderness. The climbers were showered with
dirt, and the crack expanded every time a lorry
drove overhead. And when they saw climbers
dangling underneath a motorway bridge, a
number of people called the police.
“Not getting arrested was pretty cool,” says
filmmaker Zachary Barr, when asked about
his highlights of the filming process. “If you
subscribe to the ‘better to beg for forgiveness
than ask for permission’ approach, may I
suggest Exeter, UK. The police sure were
understanding and friendly.”
While Tom and Pete don’t anticipate being
back under a bridge any time soon, the climb,
that they named The Great Rift, is a perfect
example of finding a way to pursue what you’re
passionate about, whatever the circumstances.
Capital at risk.
28
UK & IRELAND BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL TOUR
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29

FEATURE - BLUE
DOO SAR
CLIMBING AND SKIING REMOTE PEAKS IN PAKISTAN WITH
POLISH ATHLETE ANDRZEJ BARGIEL
Regular Banff viewers might recognise
the name Andrzej Bargiel. The Polish ski
mountaineer wowed audiences in the 2021
UK & Ireland Banff Tour with the first ever
ski descent of K2, shown in the film K2: The
Impossible Descent. From the top of the world’s
second highest peak, renowned as one of the
deadliest, it will go down as one of the most
daring descents ever made on skis.
Unsurprisingly, Andrzej is back for more. On
a beautifully filmed post-pandemic expedition
to Pakistan, Andrzej and his team tackle two
6,000m mountains in the Karakoram range in
this year’s film Doo Sar. As well as nail-biting
climbing and skiing, the film also looks at the
future of mountaineering.
“There are no virgin 8,000ers to climb for
the new generation,” says Andrzej. “The first
summer and winter attacks have been done.
What makes young people still go hiking? They
hike because they want to live on their own
terms.”
As well as making a first ascent of Yawash
Sar II (6,178m) and the first Polish ascent of
the dagger-like Laila Peak (6,096m), Andrzej
was also scouting out new areas for future
challenges. His ski expeditions are part of
FEATURE - DOO SAR
his Hic Sunt Leones project (‘here are lions’
in Latin), which has the goal of making ski
descents from the highest mountains in the
world, without using supplementary oxygen.
As well as K2 and the peaks in the Karakoram,
Andrzej has climbed and skied off the 8,000m
peaks Manaslu, Shishapangma and Broad Peak.
His extraordinary achievements belie humble
beginnings. One of 11 children, the family didn’t
have much money, and Andrzej got his first pair
of skis when he was nine – he swapped them
with his neighbour for some table tennis bats
and a penknife. The wooden skis were 190cm
long and the boots were adult size 9! He also
invented various mysterious ailments to skip
school and spend time skiing. Perhaps because
of this, inspiring the next generation is key for
Andrzej.
“In the village of Hushe, we met the local
community,” he says. “The kids, who have heard
about our trip, show us their own skis. They ride
skis sculpted by their parents or grandparents.
It all very much reminds me of my childhood.
Their passion is the essence of what we do it
for.”
We can’t wait to see what this inspirational
athlete does next.
30
UK & IRELAND BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL TOUR
UK & IRELAND BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL TOUR
31
31

FEATURE - WALKING ON CLOUDS
WALKING
ON CLOUDS
BEHIND THE SCENES ON THE WORLD’S
HIGHEST EVER HIGHLINE WALK
The concept could sound simple: fly two
hot air balloons high into the sky with a
slackline between them. Yet the organisation
and preparation that led to the visually striking
film Walking On Clouds was complex. The film
is a prime example of how to showcase an
incredible athletic achievement, while making
it appear flawless to the viewer.
With a focus on respecting the creative
process, the filmmakers spent four weeks in preproduction.
Because each flight only lasted 30
minutes, the videographers and photographers
needed absolute clarity in their vision, relying
on their knowledge of the creative concept so
they could adapt in the moment.
This period also allowed time to organise
logistics and flight planning with the balloon
company. The unique objective of a highline
walk between two hot air balloons meant
32
that fuel levels, equipment and the number of
people in each basket all needed to be carefully
analysed. Each basket could have a maximum
of eight passengers, plus the pilot.
The balloons needed to remain level for the
duration of the walk, both for the highliner,
and for the film crew’s ability to get a variety
of footage, while maintaining fluidity and
cinematic vision. The nature of shooting from
stationary positions such as balloon baskets
meant that the crew was limited in what could
be captured. The use of drones was crucial.
Audiences will be mesmerised by the stunning
visuals in Walking On Clouds, and the director
João Juchem hopes that the stand-out message
will be this: “With planning and resilience,
impossible dreams become possible. Never
take the last step on any journey; always take
the next!”
UK & IRELAND BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL TOUR
www.theplyguys.co.uk
info@theplyguys.co.uk
@theplyguys
/theplyguys

FILMMAKER INTERVIEW
A LTA
FILMMAKER INTERVIEW
MADE IN
BARCELONA
SUSTAINABLE HEADWEAR
PRODUCED IN OUR HOME FACTORY
Today 90 percent of our neckwear, caps and knits are made
in Barcelona - with the goal to take the full production home
in the following years. Our ability to produce in-house allows
greater control over both environmental and social standards
and our facility is run by 100% renewable electricity.
Set in the ski resort of Alta in Utah, the
action-packed short film Alta captures the
essence of contemporary skiing. Filmmakers
Henrik Lampert and Etienne Mérel take us
behind the scenes…
Tell us about the filming of Alta?
The film was shot over two weeks. We were
fortunate to have locals guiding us around the
hill – they knew the best places to build jumps,
to drop cliffs, and to push the limits of what is
possible on a pair of skis. On some days, we
would ski until we could hardly stand. On other
days we spent time building jumps, and we’d
leave them overnight, ready for us to return to
in the morning.
What was the biggest challenge of making
the film?
The weather was definitely a challenge. It was
the last two weeks of the season, and we were
expecting spring and warm conditions, but we
got a mix of everything! Rain, deep powder,
thunderstorms, sun… and with each sunny day,
you could see a jump in productivity.
Who are the skiers in the film?
Most of the riders come from the US, with the
exception of Elisabeth Gerritzen and Antti Ollila,
who came over from Switzerland and Finland
respectively. What is special about a shoot with
so many athletes is that each skier approaches
the mountain with a unique perspective.
Someone says, ‘we should approach the jump
like this,’ and someone else will say, ‘well,
actually, I was thinking that we could do it this
way.’ Each of these skiers are world class talents,
and they learn from one another. By watching
them do their thing on the hill, it inspires all of
us – all skiers – to think that maybe we too can
do something extraordinary: push our limits and
express ourselves through skiing.
Tell us a funny story from filming?
The shoot happened during the closing week
in Alta and we were lucky enough to participate
in Frank Day. Frank Day is a crazy party where
everybody dresses up, parties, drinks booze and
eats franks (hot dogs). Andrew and Blake were
entertaining the crowd by riding the mogul field
and sending backflips on monoskis!
34 UK & IRELAND BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL TOUR
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TOURING AUTUMN 2023
© Pedro Lemos, Red Bull Content Pool
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
CATCH UP WITH ADVENTURERS WHO STARRED IN
RECENT BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL TOURS
MELISSA LE NEVÉ – ACTION DIRECTE
THE WORLD'S MOST
AMAZING OCEAN FILMS
www.oceanfilmfestival.co.uk
French climber Melissa Le Nevé wowed
audiences in the 2022 Banff Tour by becoming
the first woman to climb one of the world’s
hardest climbing routes, Action Directe,
graded 9a, after six years of trying. Since then
Melissa has channelled her inner James Bond,
taking part in a unique climbing competition on
Swtizerland’s epic Verzasca Dam, the setting
for Bond’s 220m bungee jump in GoldenEye.
Melissa has also been climbing in Céüse in
the south of France – using her paraglider
as a faster way to get down from the crag,
and trying to train her dog Ollie as a flying
companion.
UK & IRELAND BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL TOUR
© Stefan Voitl, Red Bull Content Pool
37

BØRGE OUSLAND – EXIT THE NORTH POLE
Norwegian explorer Børge Ousland had us
on the edge of our seats in the 2022 Banff
Tour when he and teammate Mike Horn skied
across the frozen Arctic icecap in 24-hour
darkness. Since then, Børge has continued
his Icelegacy project with French adventurer
Vincent Colliard. Aiming to bridge adventure
and science, the duo are hoping to cross the 20
largest ice fields on earth, collecting samples
for scientific studies and initiating activism
towards the conservation of these huge
sources of fresh water and the ecosystems
around them.
Børge and Vincent recently ticked off their
10th icecap on the list – a 570km crossing of
the Devon Icecap on Devon Island in Canada,
the largest uninhabited island in the world.
Looking ahead, Børge thinks that the toughest
challenge on the list will be the icecap on
Novaya Zemlya, in far northern Russia. It isn’t
too technical, but getting permission to visit
the sensitive military area will be tough.
See www.icelegacy.org for more.
APPAREL COLLECTION
Designed exclusively for the Banff tour, our limited-edition t-shirt and BUFF®
capture the spirit of mountain adventu\re, made from sustainable materials.
Available in the foyer at theatres and online at www.banff-uk.com/shop
WATCH AT HOME!
Catch up on previous Banff Mountain Film Festival Programmes as well as
the Ocean and Top Dog film festivals on our Encore Channel. Available to
watch on demand - see www.banff-uk.com/virtual.
38 UK & IRELAND BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL TOUR

LIFE IS KEEN
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