UK Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour at the Playhouse Theatre in Whitley Bay on Friday 3rd February. The night will feature the best of the best adventure films from one of the world’s most prestigious mountain film festivals. The show will include an award-winning mountaineering film called Cold which was created from raw footage of the first ever winter ascent of an 8,000m peak in Pakistan as well as other films featuring adventure sports such as kayaking, climbing, skiing and mountain biking. This will be the first year that the UK Banff Mountain Film Festival will be showing in the Newcastle. There will be lots of free prize giveaways on the night (including backpacks, bags, head torches, t-shirts, etc) as well as overall Banff Tour prizes of a mountain bike and a ski trip for two to Canada.  The screening starts at 7:30pm, doors and the bar open at 6:30pm - the bar will be open during interval too! You can check out the trailer here: banff-uk.com  Reported 25th January 2012

Sharpen your Tools – Winter is here and so is this unique event! Make a date in your diary for the first ever north-east of England dry tooling competition, on Saturday 11th of Feb 2012 at Sunderland Wall. In association with Roxcool and Team-Schmoolz, Sunderland Wall will be hosting a day of tooling madness and fun for all, culminating with the finalists battling their way to the top of the 23m barrel and glory. If glory isn’t enough, there are over £1500 worth of prizes to be won, and all registrations/entrys will be given a beanie generously provided by The Mountain Boot Company, Mountain Equipment and other sponsors. Competition categories include junior and adult artificial dry tooling, and adult and senior dry tooling. To cap off this event Greg Boswell, Britain’s most prolific winter climber will be presenting an evening lecture - free to all competitors. Entry for the competition is £15 / £12 (20% discount for early registration), which includes competition and wall entry, equipment hire* and lecture ticket. Full details, registration and rules are available here.
*all dry toolers must provide their own ice axes, B3 rated boots (not for Schmoolz) and eye protection. Schmoolz will be provided free of charge to those entering the artificial dry tooling comp.

Sunderland Wall 23m Top Roping Day Three! Following the continued  success of the top rope event Sunderland Wall are going to provide some top roping lines on the 23m section  again on Monday 7th November. Instructors will be at hand to help out. All this at normal entry fees.  Reported 24th October 2011