The Keswick Mountain Festival is establishing itself as one of the best with a line-up of top speakers taking the stage at the Theatre by the Lake, overlooking Derwent Water.

Julia Bradbury will speak at the festival

Doug Scott, Sir Chris Bonington, Alan Hinkes, Andy Kirkpatrick and Julia Bradbury will deliver talks on their mountain exploits. Scott will recount his near-death travails on The Ogre, when he and Bonington both sustained serious injuries and battled for eight days to descend the Karakorum mountain.

Hinkes and Kirkpatrick always have interesting tales to tell and Julia Bradbury will be giving an insight into her series following in Wainwright’s footsteps.

Three more adventurous women will feature in the festival, which this year is sponsored by Cumberland Ale. Jo Gambi claimed the record for the fastest female ascent of the Seven Summits, the highest peaks on each of the seven continents. Even more remarkably, she tackled the summits alongside husband Rob while he was in remission from cancer for the second time.

Travel writer Dervla Murphy has had a succession of hair-raising trips, and has been known to pack a pistol in her rucksack. She has ventured to India, Madagascar, Nepal, and Africa, and will relate tales of her encounters.

Justine Curgenven will premiere a new documentary charting her toughest challenge to date: a sea kayaking trip of 1,700 miles around New Zealand’s South Island.

There are also climbing, navigation and canoeing courses. Guides will be on hand to lead both lowland and mountain walks.

Details of the events, which run from Wednesday 14 May to Sunday 18 May, are on the festival website.