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
Helen Sharman CMG OBE
Helen Sharman is the first British Astronaut. In May 1991, she launched on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft and spent 8 days orbiting the Earth, living and working on the MIR Space Station, with two Russian cosmonauts. Selected from over 13,000 applicants who responded to an advert on the radio, Helen did not think she stood a chance of being chosen. But she was exactly the right type of person - calm, practical, friendly, professional and a team player. Two people were chosen for training but only one – Helen – went into Space. Helen was awarded the OBE in 1993 and was further awarded a rare and special honour in 2018 from Her Majesty The Queen, being made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG). This was in recognition of her work in Science and Technology Educational Outreach.
Please check our Whats On to see this season's line-up.
Downloads
- 2020-21 Season update
- A programme summary
- Our past speakers
- Community Action Nepal gift aid form (in case you want to help)
Coming Up Next...
SPACE - out of this world
Helen Sharman CMG OBE - 15/09/2021 19:30
This lecture has been rescheduled. Please download the '2020_21 Season Update' link on the top right of our home page to learn what actions we are taking.
Helen will describe her personal journey from research chemist to becoming the first British astronaut. She will talk about her training, learning Russian, living in Star City, the launch and landing, how weightlessness feels, her scientific experiments, the team spirit, and readjusting to life back on Earth. She enthuses and inspires her audience about Space, STEM and the wonders of science. Helen’s presentation includes slides, many of which she took herself on MIR and during her training.
The Summit is the Goal
Peter Habeler - 09/12/2021 19:30
This lecture has been rescheduled. Please download the '2020_21 Season Update' link on the top right of our home page to learn what actions we are taking.
Habeler and Messner were an inseparable duo, climbing many 8000m peaks without supplemental oxygen, including Cho Oyu, Nanga Parbat, Kanchenjunga, Hidden Peak and Everest, on May 8th 1978, an achievement that had been previously thought impossible.
Peter founded the Peter Habeler Ski and Mountaineering School in his hometown of Mayrhofen, Austria. In 1999 he was granted the title “Professor” by the Austrian Government.
Peter will talk about the highlights of his long Alpine life, including the hardest routes in the Dolomites, fast ascents of the North faces of the Eiger, Matterhorn and other peaks and, naturally, the ascent of Mt. Everest he made with Reinhold Messner. Peter is still climbing hard, 2 years ago, aged 77, he climbed the Eiger North face in winter again and 3 months ago he ascended the north face of the Cime Grande.