Kendal Leisure Centre with it's 900 seat capacity played host to the Berghaus Session
Leo Houlding kicked off the session and many may have been anticipating an adrenaline fueled half hour, seeing their hero ascend the impossible with his big screen crew. Tonight was different. With emotions from earlier this year still raw in his voice, he announced that it wouldn’t be fair to talk about recent epics, there was only one topic that would be appropriate and fitting. Sean Leary, more over a tribute to his incredible life. Sean, or Stanley to the man who knew him, was tragically killed earlier this year in a proximity wingsuit flight. The life and soul of many a climbing epic, he managed to stay under the radar for a lot of his career. And what a career.
Leo Houlding with Sean "Stanley" Leary and Jason Pickles at last year's Festival
Utilising Alastair Lee’s epic trilogy, Leo poetically showed the many traits, faces, skills and laughs that Sean possessed. A room full of continuous laughter, especially during a swear count from the out takes of Autana, the laughs carried on in waves until everyone present was shown something deeply moving. After a fellow wingsuit diver passed away, his wife raised this with Stanley. What she got back in return was an incredibly moving, philosophical response which in the context preempted his own fate.
As Leo began to read these last moving words, emotions ran around the room. Saying goodbye to his climbing partner and best friend, all around tears began streaming from a captive audience. A celebration of a true climbing great, applause started and continued. Never fading, the entire room joined in celebrating the life of Sean Leary and thanking Leo Houlding for sharing the most personal and intimate talk many if not all of us will have witnessed.
Sir Chris Bonnington requires no introduction. The list of firsts, expeditions and achievements firmly establishes the majority of us as amateurs toying with the idea of high altitude ambitions. However, rather than reminiscing about 8000m peaks and north face walls, a sea stack off the north east coast of Scotland took centre stage. The Old Man of Hoy was first climbed by a small team of 3, including Chris Bonnington in 1966. Almost 50 years on, celebrating his 80th Birthday, it was time to take the stack on once again.
Sir Chris Bonington and Leo Houlding reach the summit of the Old Man of Hoy (photo credit - Berghaus)
Teaming up with Leo Houlding (who also happens to be the youngest person to complete the climb aged 11), the climb took 3 years to organize. As you can image, they both lead very hectic lives. With a Berghaus film crew to hand, they took on the stack, making good progress and once again creating history.
Presenting and climbing together, the different generations may have very different equipment and techniques, but what they do have is that same love for rock, adventure and each other.
A brief Q&A followed, with many questions asking about climbing at an elder age, to which Sir Chris simply replied, "just get out there and do it".
We also discovered after a question relating to base jumping, that Leo has hung up his suit. With the addition of a little one in his life, and seeing the effects of Sean’s passing, the decision has been made.
Steve Birkinshaw rounded off the session with a glimpse into his epic 214 Wainwright record attempt. I had been fortunate to see his talk earlier in the year and indeed meet him, so I was eager to see what else he would reveal. Using clips from the film made for the Brit Rock Tour (Now available as a stand along documentary from Posing Productions), the scale and enormity of the task was projected to a shocked audience. Taking us through a Google maps route, when he casually mentioned the points that signified the end of each day, gasps and nervous laughter filled the air.
Following Steve over the many fells and highlighting some stand out moments, his humble nature shone through. Never was this more apparent when asking his interviewer (and record attempt crew member) whether it was ok to move on with examples.
For many outside of fell running they may not know of Steve’s incredible CV, with Lakeland 100, Dragon’s back, OMM, KIMM and many more wins to his name. A man who stays away from the public eye, the reason the attempt made the news was to raise money for his sister who has MS
Humble, gracious and a true lover of his sport, this was displayed at its best in day 5, when exhausted he tries to make sense of what is going on. Only to laugh and not curse, just smile and relax.
Steve Birkinshaw on the Wainwrights
A common theme ran through out the night. It is not about what you do, whether you achieve your goals, be it a 5K trail run or a multi day expedition to the high peaks.
What matters is who you are with and the relationship you share.
Memories may fade, the mountain will remain, but friends will last a lifetime.