wilderness LECTURES

A winter series of public lectures in Bristol the theme of which is world-wide adventure.

Our lecturers are well known explorers, mountaineers, travel writers, TV personalities, adventure sports personalities or anyone who has an epic story to tell and can enthral our audience with a rattling good yarn. The talks are invariably illustrated with slides and/or film.

Featured Speaker

Connor Roe

Connor does not see himself as a grand explorer, just some guy from Axbridge who has a love of spending time in the underground world, often in completely flooded passages. Originally from Scotland, he spent most of his adolescence in the mountains. In his early 20s he discovered an intense love affair with caving, more specifically diving in flooded passages using scuba equipment, unable even to see his hand in front of his face. Connor has participated in and led expeditions to Spain, France, Slovenia and Mexico. He is one of the few people who has had the privilege to say that he has truly gone ‘where no man has gone before’; whether under the Mendip Hills of Somerset or in remote caves in Mexico. In 2017 he found himself as the youngest member of a small team of cave explorers aiming to unlock the secrets of the Huautla Mountains in Mexico, an experience that has led him to be the youngest exploration diver on ‘The Return to Pena Colorada’ in 2018. Connor was one the the British cave divers flown out to assist with the Thai cave rescue in July 2018.

Please check our Whats On to see this season's line-up.

Downloads

Last season's programme as an example
Our past speakers
Community Action Nepal gift aid form (in case you want to help)

Coming Up Next...

Return to Pena Colorada

Connor Roe - 12/12/2018 19:30

During the Spring of 2018, an international team of cave explorers set out to tackle a remote cave in Southern Mexico, Cueva Pena Colorada. Due to the logistical complexity of its exploration, this spectacular cave has seen less than a handful of visits since the region started to attract cavers.

The team’s primary objective was to place a series of exploration divers in the cave's final sump, something that has not been done since 1984 when the exploration involved Bristol’s Rob Parker, the late founder of the Bristol Climbing Centre. Back then, divers lack ed the advanced equipment that is available to us today and with the aid of modern diving equipment and techniques, the team connected this vast cave to the extensive Huautla system on the mountain above. With a 4km gap between the two systems, making the connection between these two magnificent caves was not an easy feat.

The Adventure Game. More Tall Tales From Filming The Extreme

Keith Partridge - 09/01/2019 19:30

Join one of the world’s most experienced extreme location filmmakers and cameraman on another journey behind the scenes. Camera in hand he has documented expeditions and adventures to some of the harshest places on earth for the past 25 years. This is story-telling with a twist, illustrated with stunning images. Filming is about fun but whether it’s ‘type 1’, ‘type 2’ or even ‘type 3’ fun is any one’s guess!

In Pursuit of Wilderness

Guy Grieve - 23/01/2019 19:30

Guy’s talk will tell us the detail of his amazing journeys, with and without his family, and the philosophy that motivates his incredible travels. His talk will focus on the importance of Wilderness to humanity. That without wild places we lose our connection, which grows fainter every decade, to our planet and to meaning. Added to this we lose true wealth when we lose or fail to properly protect wild places. Yet is it possible to live and continue within a capitalist model whilst keeping wild places wild?
He will examine whether we can create wealth and employment within wild places? Can wilderness and prosperity exist side by side?
Who are the enemies of Wilderness? And how can they be countered? And what would a world without any true wilderness be like?