wildernessLectures
A winter series of public lectures in Bristol the theme of which is world-wide adventure.
Our lecturers are well known explorers, mountaineers, travel writers, TV personalities, adventure sports personalities or anyone who has an epic story to tell and can enthral our audience with a rattling good yarn. The talks are invariably illustrated with slides and/or film.
You can buy tickets from each lecture page, they are all linked from What's On, follow the link from the menu at the top.
Featured Speaker
Elise Downing
Elise is a runner, writer and all-round outdoors lover. In 2016 she became the first woman and youngest person to run 5,000(ish) miles self-supported around the UK coast. This was the subject of her best-selling travel memoir Coasting, named as one of The Times Best Sports Books of 2021 and long-listed for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year. Her next b...
View Profile2023-2024
We're delighted to announce that our 2024 Wilderness Award has been won by Kathryn Scott.
Kathryn is a doctor working in North Wales and will be going to Central Asia, cycling self-supported from Tashkent in Uzbekistan, crossing through Kyrgyzstan and finishing in Almaty in Kazakhstan between April and May 2024 for 6-8 weeks. Kathryn will be with two colleagues, Erin Linwood - a medical student and outdoor instructor from Gloucestershire, currently taking a year out of my medical degree to study an MSc in Global Health and Kat Green a junior doctor based in Glasgow.
This year, our Award has been augmented by Ellis Brigham with the grant of an additional £350 plus a discount on equipment.
Thanks very much for all the applications. As usual, we have told the unsuccessful applicants that if they come back with a good story to tell, and good photographs, then we'll be very happy to consider paying them to give a talk in a forthcoming series.
Steve, Steve and Dick
Upcoming Events
Running 5,000 miles around the coast of Britain
When Elise set off to run 5,000 miles around the coast of Britain, self-supported and carrying her kit on her back, she truly couldn't have been less qualified to embark on such an adventure. Prior to the challenge her long-distance running career co...
Find out moreA Life of Adventure
Tom McLean is a man who has never said, 'this cannot be done'. Tom's exploits have made him a legend in his lifetime. Click on 'View' to read the details of his amazing career, then come along and hear him recount tales and anecdotes from his extraor...
Find out moreWhale in the Living Room
We're delighted that we have been able to reschedule John's talk. So often we are told that the world is endangered. John says that he hardly raises an eyebrow when he hears that such and such an animal is on the brink of extinction – they all are...
Find out moreDownloads
You can download a number of our documents here.
Please read our Covid statement, below
Our past speakers list details all our lectures since Wilderness Lectures started operation, over 30 years ago. One of our favourite speakers was the mountaineer Doug Scott who set up charity, Community Action Nepal, to provide assistance to Sherpa communities. A gift aid form for C.A.N. is available here, if you would like to support the charity's work.
- Our full list of past speakers
- Our Covid statement
- Community Action Nepal gift aid form form