Festival Patrons and Laureate

Our Festival Patrons are our biggest ambassadors, representing the worlds of journalism, mountaineering, literature, film, and much more. Read a bit about them and why they support our Festival.

Sir Chris Bonington

Mountaineer

Celebrated mountaineer, renowned for his immense alpine career making groundbreaking expeditions, such as the first ascent of the South West Face of Everest in 1975. He was knighted in 1996 for his services to the sport.

“I think I've been to every single Kendal Mountain Festival ever since it started, I've got so many good memories of it. It’s got bigger, reaching a wider set of people, it is just a magical festival.”

Leo Houlding

Mountaineer

A world class climber, known for his big-wall expeditions and first ascents in some of the most remote and exposed environments on earth. Leo has a lifetime of adventure under his belt, whether it's taking his family up El Capitan 'on holiday' or planning more epic alpine objectives. If modern British adventure has a face then it looks a lot like Leo Houlding.

Robert Macfarlane

Author

A professor of Literature and Environmental Humanities at the Faculty of English in Cambridge. He is a well known author whose books have been translated into more than thirty languages, as well as being adapted for different branches of the Arts.

“I come to the Festival because I love it with all my heart. Mountain people in a mountain town caring for one another.”

Keme Nzerem

Journalist, Presenter and Filmmaker

An award winning news correspondent, presenter and filmmaker. During his career he has covered events including the election of Barack Obama, World Cups, and Olympic Games. He is also the co-founder of a non profit working on equity and diversity in outdoors sport called Opening Up The Outdoors (OUTO).

“I find the Festival soulful, nourishing and inspiring. There is kind of nothing like it in the calendar for the outdoor community.”

Louise Minchin

BBC Presenter, Author and Journalist

Best known for co-presenting BBC One’s morning show, BBC Breakfast, for 20 years. She is also a competitive triathlete who has represented the Great Britain Age-Group team, a successful author of both fiction and nonfiction, and also a huge advocate for women in sport.

“It’s like Glastonbury for the outdoors. Anybody who is anybody, who has anything to do with adventure, is at the Festival.”

Aldo Kane

World Record Adventurer and Author

Completing over fifteen world first expeditions, he is a record-setting adventurer, former Royal Marines Commando, and on-screen expedition leader. He is also a sought after technical safety consultant in both film and television.

“Kendal Mountain Festival really is a family, and it takes over the town in such a way that you cannot help but feel inspired and buoyed to go on your own adventures.”

Graham Zimmerman

Alpinist and Filmmaker

A highly decorated alpinist, earning many awards including alpinism’s highest honour in 2020, the Piolet d’Or. He has established new routes on rock, ice, and snow. Off the mountain, he leads the alliance program at POW (Protect Our Winters), helping more than 150 elite athletes to be effective climate advocates.

“ The Festival a place where we all come together as a community to celebrate and join in the tradition of storytelling, which is such an important part of what we do.”

Helen Mort

First Festival Laureate, Poet and Author

The Festival’s first Laureate. She is an award winning author, five time winner of the Foyle Young Poets Award, received an Eric Gregory Award from The Society of Authors, and won the Manchester Poetry Prize Young Writer Prize. In 2010, she became the youngest ever poet-in-residence at the Wordsworth Trust, Grasmere.

“To be Kendal’s first Laureate and lead their first young writers’ poetry competition fills me with utter joy!”

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