Noon: A Little Bit Mongolian, Look to the Ground, Reflections on Ice and Snow, Progression: World Cup, Project Megawoosh

3:30 p.m.: MedeoZ, White Noise, The Edge of Never

7:30 p.m.: Mont-Blanc Speed Flying, Nordwand (The North Face)

Eric Harvie Theatre
$9/screening

» Purchase Tickets

11 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Eric Harvie Theatre RBC Lobby
Free

The sale runs in conjunction with the opening weekend of the Banff Mountain Film Festival, in the Eric Harvie Theatre RBC Lobby. Find one-of-a-kind mountain-themed art and handcrafted items — great gifts for friends, for Christmas, or just for you! Artwork, pottery, jewellery, handbags, and more.

» See a list of exhibitors

Noon: Pick-up Sticks, Finding Farley, Shining Spirit

3:30 p.m.: Hunlen, On Sight, NWD 10 — Dust and Bones

7:30 p.m.: Berhault, Apocalypse Snow — Le Retour, Take a Seat

Eric Harvie Theatre
$9/screening

» Purchase Tickets

11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Eric Harvie Theatre RBC Lobby
Free

The sale runs in conjunction with the opening weekend of the Banff Mountain Film Festival, in the Eric Harvie Theatre RBC Lobby. Find one-of-a-kind mountain-themed art and handcrafted items — great gifts for friends, for Christmas, or just for you! Artwork, pottery, jewellery, handbags, and more.

» See a list of exhibitors

7:30 p.m.

Eric Harvie Theatre
$18 in advance/$20 day of

» Purchase Tickets

Faster, steeper, higher, deeper! Grab your tickets and hang on to your seats as we present the world’s best skiing, boarding, climbing, biking, and kayaking films!

7:30 p.m.

Eric Harvie Theatre
$18 in advance / $20 day of

» Purchase Tickets

Get revved up for the coming ski season with steep-and-deep films sure to get your adrenaline going. Sponsored in part by Fernie Alpine Resort.

9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Max Bell Auditorium
$30/day (not including Literary Lunch Break)

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Capturing a life in the pages of a book is no easy feat. This day-long program will feature a number of stories — fiction and non-fiction — and a celebration of some mountain heroes.

This year’s guests include:

9 – 11:45 a.m.

Jerry Auld — Hooker & Brown

Canmore resident Jerry Auld’s debut novel creatively melds fiction, legend, and Canadian history. Stay close to home as Auld draws on the majestic peaks of Hooker and Brown to create an evocative adventure story about one man’s quest to put to rest a historical mystery.

Mike Nash — The Mountain Knows No Expert

Author, columnist, and outdoorsman Mike Nash captures the inspirational story of the late George Evanoff. Focusing on Evanoff’s full mountain life and the impact he had on so many, Nash tells the motivating stories of this free-spirited adventurer.

Niall Grimes — Revelations — Jerry Moffatt

Inspired by the fiercely ambitious rock climber Jerry Moffatt, Niall Grimes tells the tale of Moffatt’s meteoric rise to stardom and how he overcame injury to stay at the top for over two decades. Laugh along as Grimes shares Moffatt’s compelling and often humorous stories as a top sport-climber, brilliant competitor, and a pioneer in the new game of bouldering.

Panel Discussion: Biography

Niall Grimes, Steve House, Mike Nash, and Bernadette McDonald come together to discuss what it takes to write a biography from the perspective of a ghost writer, an autobiographer, and biographers. Moderated by Trent Edwards.

1:30 – 3:40 p.m.

Chic Scott — Deep Powder and Steep Rock: The Life of Mountain Guide Hans Gmoser

One of Canada’s most celebrated mountain literature authors and adventurers, Chic Scott tells the remarkable story of local hero Hans Gmoser. Join Chic’s journey in this unique tale of perseverance, adventure, hard work, and ultimate success.

Panel Discussion: Heroes

Jerry Auld, Chic Scott, Pat Morrow, Kim Csizmazia, and Sid Marty come together to discuss heroes, and the place that they hold in the tradition of mountain literature, as well as the impact those heroes can have on the lives and careers of those who read and write about them. Moderated by Harry Vandervlist.

Pat Morrow — Conrad Kain’s Life and Legacy

Although credited with more than 60 first ascents and numerous pioneering routes in the Canadian Rockies and the Purcell Range, legendary mountain guide Conrad Kain is primarily known for the first ascents of Mount Robson (1913), Mount Louis (1916), and Bugaboo Spire (1916). An active member of the Conrad Kain Centennial Society, Pat Morrow has been working with a dedicated group of mountain guides, recreational climbers, skiers, and Kain fans to celebrate the legacy of Kain, in this, the centennial of Kain’s arrival in Canada.

Noon – 1 p.m.

Donald Cameron Hall Dining Room
$20 (includes lunch)

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Called “the best high altitude climber in the world today” by Reinhold Messner, Steve House is an advocate of the “fast and light” ascent, and embraces an approach to alpine climbing that emphasizes conservation and respect for the environment.

4 – 4:45 p.m.

Max Bell Auditorium
Free

A one-man play tracing the journey of the Alpine Club of Canada’s first professional mountain guide from his humble beginnings in Austria to the first ascent of Mount Robson. The play is inspired by Kain’s own words — gathered from personal letters — describing his experience as an immigrant to Canada, his “principles of guiding”, and his deep love of natural beauty. Actor Phillip Nugent embodies Kain’s gregarious quick wit, connecting audiences to this mountaineering legend who continues to inspire generations of climbers.

4:45 – 5:30 p.m.

A great chance to have books signed by Jerry Auld, Niall Grimes, Bernadette McDonald, Pat Morrow, Mike Nash, Chic Scott, and others. Don’t miss out on the launch of the newly re-issued Where the Clouds Can Go, written by Conrad Kain and first published in 1935.

10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Max Bell Building

The Mountain Book Fair features the latest titles in mountain literature, as well as maps, photographs, archival material, antiquarian books, and book signings by famous and soon-to-be famous mountain authors.

» See a list of exhibitors

7:30 p.m.

Eric Harvie Theatre
$18 in advance / $20 day of

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Chris Sharma is the king of sport climbing. His reign for the past dozen years has been as a master of firsts, as he continues to set new standards around the world. His 2001 route, Realization, was the first confirmed 5.15a in the world.

Conservationist Mike Fay’s career in environmental exploration spans more than 25 years. Most recently, he has turned his attention to the redwood forests of California, which boast some of the oldest and largest trees in the world. He has walked the entire range of redwood trees, over 1,000 kilometres, to document the state of this iconic ecosystem.

Winners of the competition will be announced.

9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Max Bell Auditorium
$30/day (not including Literary Lunch Break)

» Purchase Tickets

This year’s guests include:

Steve Winter — Out of the Shadows

9 - 10:10 a.m.

National Geographic photographer Steve Winter spent ten months in Ladakh’s Hemis High Altitude National Park to capture images of the rare snow leopard. Winter has years of experience tracking and photographing some of the planet’s rarest predators — from grizzlies in Kamchatka to tigers in Myanmar.

Voices of Adventure — Geoff Powter interviews Barry Blanchard and Kevin Doyle

10:30 – 11:40 a.m.

This year’s interview takes a look a the crucial importance and complex chemistry of climbing partnerships by inviting one of the great rope teams of the last century up onto the stage. When Barry Blanchard began climbing with fellow Calgarian Kevin Doyle in their late teens, their string of groundbreaking ascents here and abroad changed the face of Canadian alpinism.

Sarah Garlick — Flakes, Jugs, and Splitters

1:30 – 2:40 p.m.

Rock climbers have an inherent interest in geology. For some, it’s about knowing what gear to use or how to avoid rotten bands of rock. Sarah Garlick has a master’s degree in structural geology and tectonics and serves an editor for the scientific journal Rocky Mountain Geology.

Renan Ozturk — The Centre of the Universe: Teamwork and Tenacity in the Himalaya

3 – 4 p.m.

Deep in the Indian Himalaya, 22,000-foot Mount Meru presented the ultimate test to alpinists Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin, and Renan Ozturk. Aiming for a summit atop thousands of feet of sheer granite, their 18-day ascent was racked by storm and cold. Delving deep into their souls for the will to continue, and relying on teamwork and trust, they experienced the hardest climb of their careers. Join Renan Ozturk as he relives their incredible journey.

Noon – 1 p.m.

Donald Cameron Hall Dining Room
$20 (includes lunch)

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Royal Robbins’s accomplishments as a rock climber are legendary. An early advocate of boltless, pitonless, clean climbing, Robbins did much to transform climbing culture to minimize human impact on the vertical wilderness and to protect its natural features. An entrepreneur and prolific author, he brings volume one of his autobiographical series to Banff.

4 – 5 p.m.

Max Bell Building Husky Energy Foyer
Free

Renan Ozturk has two passions — climbing and art. He began climbing while in college, where he honed his skills and deepened his connection to the sport and the remote and beautiful places it could take him, such as Yosemite, Indian Creek, Squamish, and the Bugaboos. The stunning scenery of these locations serves as an inspiration for his art.

4 – 5 p.m.

Max Bell Building Husky Energy Foyer
Free

A chance to say hello to, and have a book signed by Jerry Auld, Gill and Tony Daffern, Sarah Garlick, Niall Grimes, Frances Klatzel, Bruce Loewen, Lynn Martel, Sid Marty, Bernadette McDonald, Geoff Powter, Mike Nash, Royal Robbins, and Chic Scott.

8 p.m.

Eric Harvie Theatre
Margaret Greenham Theatre (simulcast)
Ticket $32

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Considered one of the world’s best alpinists, Ueli Steck was recently honored with the 2009 Piolet D’Or for his first ascent of the north face of Tengkampoche (6500 metres). Over the past three years he has set astonishing speed records while climbing solo on three classic north faces in the Alps: The Eiger in 2 hours 47 minutes, the Grandes Jorasses in 2 hours 21 minutes, and the Matterhorn in 1 hour 56 minutes.

A selection of films will also be screened following the presentation.

8 p.m.

Max Bell Theatre
Tickets $32

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Known to the festival audience from the award-winning film 20 Seconds of Joy, Karina Hollekim was an accomplished extreme skier and BASE jumper when she suffered a life-threatening sky diving accident in 2006. Lucky to be alive, and told that she would never walk again, she is back in training for her next adventures.

A selection of films will also be screened following the presentation.

7 p.m. Friday, – 4:30 p.m. Sunday

Planning on buying gear this year? Thinking about taking a trip to get away from it all? Want to learn more about mountain organizations in your area? You need to stop by the Mountain Trade Show and Book Fair at the Banff Mountain Festivals!

» See a list of Book Fair exhibitors

» See a list of Trade Show exhibitors

9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

$45 / day
Program A shown in the Eric Harvie Theatre and Rolston Recital Hall
Program B shown in the Margaret Greenham Theatre
and Max Bell Auditorium

» Purchase Tickets

8 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Planning on buying gear this year? Thinking about taking a trip to get away from it all? Want to learn more about mountain organizations in your area? You need to stop by the Mountain Trade Show and Book Fair at the Banff Mountain Festivals!

» See a list of Book Fair exhibitors

» See a list of Trade Show exhibitors

12:30 – 1:45 p.m.

Max Bell Auditorium
Free

This provocative panel will ask climbers and filmmakers with a deep connection to the dangerous game the big question: Why? Why take such risks? Why solo this climb and not that one? And why have some of the world’s best climbers never untied from the rope?

8 p.m.

Eric Harvie Theatre
Margaret Greenham Theatre (simulcast)
Tickets $32

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Known as the Ultramarathon Man, philanthropist and best-selling author Dean Karnazes is well known for expanding the limits of human endurance, including running 50 marathons in 50 days, ending with the New York City marathon which he completed in 3 hours 30 seconds.

A selection of films will be screened following the presentation.

8 p.m.

Max Bell Auditorium
Tickets $32

» Purchase Tickets

Valery Babanov is a climber’s climber. His resume reads a bit like a tick list of all the possible hard ascents in the world. Babanov’s experience ranges from speed ascents on peaks in the late 1980s and early 1990s in his native Russia, to big walls on El Cap, to solo first ascents on the highest summits of the Himalaya.

A selection of films will be screened following the presentation.

9 p.m

Max Bell Auditorium

Presentation of the 2009 John Lauchlan Memorial Award to Chris Atkinson and Chris Jones.

9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

$45 / day
Program A shown in the Margaret Greenham Theatre
and Max Bell Auditorium
Program B shown in the Eric Harvie Theatre.

» Purchase Tickets

8 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Planning on buying gear this year? Thinking about taking a trip to get away from it all? Want to learn more about mountain organizations in your area? You need to stop by the Mountain Trade Show and Book Fair at the Banff Mountain Festivals!

» See a list of Book Fair exhibitors

» See a list of Trade Show exhibitors

12:30 – 1:45 p.m.

Max Bell Auditorium
Free

Documentary and fantasy fiction films are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Storytellers working in fiction are free to invent characters and scenarios, those working in nonfiction are not. But the tricky part comes somewhere in between.

Mountaineers could be grouped together with lawyers, doctors, and football players in terms of non-realistic portrayals in the movies and on television. We’ll explore some attempts — successful and not — to dramatize the mountain experience. Panel members will share their experiences from in front of and behind the camera, and as viewers.

7:30 p.m.

Eric Harvie Theatre
Tickets $25

» Purchase Tickets

Introduction of the international jury and announcement of the 2009 Banff Mountain Film Festival awards. Screening of the winning films.

November 1 – 9

Max Bell Building Husky Energy Foyer
Free

Renan Ozturk has two passions — climbing and art. He began climbing while in college, where he honed his skills and deepened his connection to the sport and the remote and beautiful places it could take him, such as Yosemite, Indian Creek, Squamish, and the Bugaboos. The stunning scenery of these locations serves as an inspiration for his art.