Speaker profiles
George Band
Paul 'Tut' Braithwaite
Paul Braithwaite, or 'Tut' as he is far better known, has a distinguished climbing career. It encompasses many styles: rock, alpine and big wall with numerous firsts and new routes. Perhaps Tut's lasting contribution to climbing was climbing on Everest in 1975, when he and Nick Estcourt worked a way through the notorious rock band high on the SW face, which had defeated so many previously. This paved the way for Haston and Scott to make their summit bid.
Tut has also made 'good rope work' his job. He is the founder of Vertical Access Ltd., a rope access company working in the civil engineering, rail, bridge and nuclear industries. He is currently President of the Alpine Club.
Hildegard Diemberger
Dr. Hildegard Diemberger is a distinguished anthropologist specializing in Himalayan and Tibetan cultures. She is a successful author with a number of acclaimed books published which have brought rare Tibetan manuscripts to a wider audience through her skillful translations and thoughtful comment.
Hildegard is based in the Mongolia and Inner Asia Studies Unit at Cambridge University and is the daugther of Austrian climber Kurt Diemberger who made first ascents of 8000 metre Broad Peak and Dhaulagiri in the Himalaya.
Ed Douglas
Ed Douglas is a mountaineer, traveller and writer, who regularly appears in the national press. He has a deep interest in the Everest area and having trekked in the region he was moved to write 'Chomolungama sings the blues - Travels around Everest'. Published in 1997, Ed explores the deeper cultural impact of the fast developing mountaineering and trekking industries.
In 2003 Ed published his thoughtful, well researched and illuminating biography of Tenzing Norgay - 'Hero of Everest'. His book looked beyond Tenzing's fame, reaching deep beneath the surface of Tenzing, the Sherpa people and Himalayan climbing.
Ed has previously been editor of the Alpine Journal.
Peter Habeler
Prof. Peter Habeler's passion for the mountains started young in his home of the Austrian Tyrol. He quickly qualified as a mountain guide and was soon the youngest Head of the Austrian Mountain and Ski Guiding Association. His innovative 'lighweight style' mountaineering partnership with Reinhold Messner began in 1969 and the two pioneered ascents of 8000m peaks without bottled oxygen, including the first 'unmasked' ascent of Everest in 1978.
His love of the mountains continues today and at their Ski School in Mayrhofen, Peter and son Chris, share their passion with a new generation.
Tom Hornbein
American Thomas Hornbein, only 23 at the time, was invited to join his country's Everest Expedition of 1963 - the target was the unclimbed West Ridge. With his partner Willie Unsoeld they made a bold ascent to the summit, arriving late in the day with no time to descend. Following a 'death zone' bivouvac they descended the next day via the South East Ridge to complete the first traverse of a Himalayan peak.
Tom's fascination with mountains has been life long, from an interest in geology as a youngster, to a professional interest in the bodies response to oxygen deprevation as Professor of Anesthesiology at the University of Wahington School of Medicine.
Erhard Loretan
In 1995 Swiss climber Erhard Loretan was only the third person to complete all fourteen 8000 metre peaks at the age of 36. A qualified climbing guide, his style and approach took gear minimalism to a new level in a bid to make rapid ascents and limit the time spent at high altitude in the 'death zone.' All his ascents were without bottled oxygen.
His ascent of Everest with partner Jean Troillet astonised fellow climbers. Taking no oxygen, using no intermediate camps and using no ropes they climbed virtually non- stop and throughout the night to complete a full ascent and descent in less than two days.
Tim Macartney-Snape
Tim Macartney-Snape was the first Australian to climb Everest in 1984 via the Great Coulior with fellow Aussie Greg Mortimer - the first to succeed on this route.
However, it is his very different ascent 6 years later starting at sea level in the Bay of Bengal and making the whole journey to the summit on foot (with some swimming across the Ganges) which brought him wider fame.This epic solo journey from "Sea to Summit" was the subject of a fascinating film.
Reinhold Messner
Reinhold Messner acheived wide acclaim and fame when he became the first man to complete all fourteen 8000m. peaks after climbing Lohtse in 1986. However, his two ascents of Everest were both notable firsts and broke new ground in mountaineering. With partner Peter Habeler he made the first ascent without bottled oxygen and in 1980 by making the first unsupported solo climb without any established high camps or gear drops.
Reinhold's interests range wider than mountaineering. He's travelled deserts, explored the ice fields of antartica and also had a political career in the European Parliament. He is currently developing a number of museums in the Tyrol dedicated to mountains, their people and culture.
Pertemba Sherpa
Pertemba Sherpa has climbed to the summit of Everest three times by two different routes, firstly in 1975 with Doug Scott and Dougal Haston via the South West Face, when he was the expedition Sirdar. He later climbed the South East Ridge with Sir Chis Bonington in 1985. Pertemba also famously acted as the trekking guide for Prince Charles on his trek in the Annapurna region in 1980 - this route is now often called 'The Royal Trek'.
Pertemba has been recognised with many honours for his achievements and is currently helping to conserve vanishing Sherpa traditions by donating his ancestral home in Khumjung to be preserved as a Sherpa Heritage Museum for future generations. He is proud to have Prince Charles as the President of this important heritage project.
Prof. Mike Searle
Professor Searle is a geologist from Oxford University who has been working in the Himalaya, Karakoram and Tibet ranges for over 25 years. Recently he published geological maps of the Baltoro glacier - K2 region and the Everest Himalaya.
He started Himalayan trips as a mountaineer with ascents in the Pakistan Karakoram and Indian and Nepalese Himalaya, frequently managing to cleverly combine work and pleasure in one trip!
Doug Scott
Doug Scott has made 45 expeditions to the high mountains of Asia. He has reached the summit of 40 peaks, of which half were climbed by new routes or for the first time in Alpine Style. Apart from his climb up the South West Face of Everest with Dougal Haston in 1975, he has made all his climbs in lightweight or Alpine Style, without the use of artificial oxygen. He has reached the highest peaks on all seven continents - "the seven summits." He is a past President of the Alpine Club and was made a CBE in 1994.
Today Doug devotes most of his time to the charity he founded - Community Action Nepal.
Rebecca Stephens
Rebecca came later than most to climbing at the age of 27, but was soon bitten by the bug. After first accompanying an Anglo- American expedition to Everest as a journalist to record the climb, four years later, in 1993, she returned as a mountaineer and became the first British woman to climb the mountain.
Rebecca's climbing ambitions grew and she has also climbed the highest peaks on all seven continents -"The Seven Summits". She is a natural and gifted communicator, which is puts to good use in her work as a motivational speaker of great renown.
Julie Summers
Julie's first 20 year career was in the art world organising exhibitions and caring for works of art - including working at the Henry Moore Institute. Writing though, was her passion and pleasure, particularly biography and she is the successful author of five books.
As the great neice of Sandy Irvine, lost at the age of 22 on Everest with Mallory, it was only natural that Julie was the person to research his part in the fated 1924 expedition. Her family ties mean she tells the story with great insight and honesty. Julie is also an equally engaging public speaker.
Mike Westmacott
Mike was educated at Oxford University and served as an Officer in the Second World War. He was one of Britain's leading young climbers of the 1950's, helping to push Britain's Alpine climbing to new levels.
In fact he heard about the 1953 Everest Expedition whilst climbing the Matterhorn and promptly sent in a successful application to John Hunt. Mike played a key role in the team, famously keeping the ice fall route open through Hell Fire Alley and Mike's Horror! With this he layed the foundations for Hillary and Tenzing to reach the summit.
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