12th January & 26th January - Nick Carter
Nick has climbed extensively around the world since the early 80s. He has instructed in the outdoors for the last 15 years including working at Plas y Brenin and Glenmore Lodge. Nick holds the Mountaineering Instructor Certificate (MIC) and runs his own mountaineering company, Alpha Mountaineering.
As a keen winter climber, Nick has made ascents up to grade VIII in Scotland, including the first winter ascent of Hung, Drawn and Quartered (VIII) and the second winter ascent of Sidewinder (VII,8) on Ben Nevis and Genesis (vII) on Beinn Bhan. Nick has also put up new routes in the Peruvian Andes and the Khumbu region of Nepal. His experience includes leading expeditions to Nepal, Pakistan, India, the Kyrgqz Tien Shan, Aconcagua, Kilimanjaro and Mt Kenya.
2nd February & 23rd February - Simon Steer
Simon combines his day job in the Scottish Government with the role of Deputy Team Leader of the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team. He relaxes by climbing hills slowly; making easy rock or ice routes look hard; falling off his mountain bike and posing as a ski patroller on Cairngorm. He also lectures on wilderness emergency care to anyone willing to listen. In his 14 years in the rescue team, Simon has been involved in a great many incidents (some funny, some not) and will be sharing some of those tales with you.
9th February - Cameron McNeish
Until recently Cameron McNeish was editor of TGO Magazine, the UK's premier hillwalking and backpacking magazine. He has been walking and climbing in the Scottish mountains for over 40 years and regularly leads treks to other parts of the world. In recent years he has led groups of trekkers across the High Atlas of Morocco, to Everest Base Camp, to the Annapurna Sanctuary, around the Annapurna Trail, to Kanchenjunga, around Manaslu, to Mount Kenya and Kilimanjaro, to climb volcanoes in Guatamala and to climb North Africa's highest mountain, Toubkal, in winter.
Cameron regularly appears on the BBC Scotland television programme, The Advernture Show. He was recently made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society.
16th February & 2nd March - George McEwan
George has over twenty five years of mountaineering experience in Scotland and many other mountain areas of the world, including Nepal, New Zealand, the Tien Shan, America, Alaska and Canada. He has several first ascents of both Scottish winter and summer routes, ice-falls in France and the North Ridge of Naya Kanga (Langtang Valley, Nepal) to his credit.
George holds the Mountaineering Instructors Certificate (MIC), is Head of Mountaineering at Glenmore Lodge National Training Centre and is Technical Officer for the Association of Mountaineering Instructors.
9th March - David "Heavy" Whalley BEM, MBE
Heavy's mountain rescue career spans 38 years and he has been involved in over 1000 rescues during that time. He spent his working life in the RAF and rose to the dizzy heights of team leader for the RAF Kinloss and Leuchars teams. Heavy has also been a member of the Torridon Team. He is now retired and still spends his spare time climbing mountains. Heavy has many stories of rescues and mountaineering, is a larger than life character and is guarenteed to provide an entertaining evening.
MCofS at the mountain Cafe
The Mountain Café winter lecture series 2011 are free and will run on Wednesday evenings for nine weeks from 12th January 2011. This winter’s speakers are listed right.
The café will be open from 18.30 onwards - use the entrance around the left side of the building. Food is available at 19.00; there will be a choice of meat or veggie at an excellent price of £10. Pre-booking is essential if you would like a meal and talks begin promptly at 20.00.
The MCofS website has full information on all the lectures in all locations: www.mcofs.org.uk
To book your table or ask any questions on the lectures just contact the cafe direct by phone or:
mail@mountaincafe-aviemore.co.uk