Update From the Banff Mountain Festival — With Amazing Video

By National Geographic Digital Media's Amy Bucci

The trek to Banff, Canada from National Geographic headquarters in D.C. took about 13 hours, but is a small price to pay to be there for the thrills and excitement of the Banff Mountain Book and Film Festival. The festival brings together mountain films and speakers with tales of mountain expeditions, remote cultures, and the last great wild places—all brought to life on the big screen and in special events.

Three National Geographic books are finalists in the Banff Mountain Book Festival, including Paul Nicklin's Polar Obsession, Gretel Ehrlich's In the Empire of Ice, and Jon Waterman's Running Dry.

Grantees who are presenting in Banff include Gretel Ehrlich, Jon Waterman, Andrew Skurka (just fresh back from his 4,700-mile walk through Alaska and the Yukon on a National Geographic Expeditions Council grant), John Vaillant, Bryan Smith, and Joe Riis. There is also an exhibit of photography in memory of NG grantee and Emerging Explorer Bobby Model (his family will be attending in his place), and Emerging Explorer Losang Rabgey will be interviewing Greg Mortenson on stage.

For climbing fans you can pose a question for solo climbing pioneer Peter Croft or climbing superhero Alex Honnold on the Banff Mountain Film Festival Facebook page.

Radical Reels tonight will be sure to please with climbing, long boarding, free solo climbing, and kayaking!

Check out this insane trailer of Dream Result, a Rad Reel that includes the World Record Waterfall Descent of 186 ft in Palouse Falls.

More to come in the next few days!