Trailblazing US Rock Climber Beth Rodden To Headline Speaker Line-Up At The NZ Mountain Film & Book Festival

Lake Wānaka, New Zealand (1 April 2025) – Beth Rodden, widely regarded as one of the greatest rock climbers of all time, is set to headline the speaker line-up at the 23rd NZ Mountain Film & Book Festival, taking place this June in Wānaka and Queenstown.

An American climber and globally recognised ambassador for the outdoor community, Rodden has accomplished numerous notable free climbs on El Capitan, the iconic 1,000m granite monolith in Yosemite National Park. In 2008, she made history with the first ascent of Meltdown, one of the world's most challenging traditional climbs, marking the first time a female climber had reached the pinnacle of the hardest climbing grades.

Rodden’s inspiring story also includes surviving a harrowing ordeal during a climbing expedition to Kyrgyzstan in 2000, where she and her then-boyfriend, Tommy Caldwell, along with two friends, were held hostage by rebels for six days. The group escaped after bravely overpowering one of their captors and reaching safety at a Kyrgyz army camp.

Recently, Rodden published her memoir, A Light Through the Cracks, which has been met with widespread acclaim. During the festival, she will present in Wānaka and Queenstown, as well as host a free one-hour session for local high school students.

Local adventurers Nick Pascoe (Alexandra) and Sam Smoothy (Wānaka) also feature on this year’s festival programme. Pascoe will be speaking about his 2023 mission using skis and packrafts to cross from Raspberry Flat in Mt Aspiring National Park to the Tasman Sea following a direct route around Tititea/Mt Aspiring and down the Volta Glacier and Waiatoto River.

Smoothy, a former Freeride World Tour competitor who has now turned his focus to ski mountaineering, will speak about his audacious project to ski all of NZ’s 3,000m peaks. With only around 16 people having ever climbed all 24, Sam is closing in on the finish line with his current tally of 21/24 summited and skied. Over the past four years, the project has seen numerous first ski descents, including such classic peaks as Silberhorn, Douglas Peak and Mt Vancouver and the second

ever descent of Aoraki-Mt Cook's Caroline Face . Collaborating with long-term film partner Jase Hancox, the project has spawned "XXIV" the film which follows Sam and his partner Will Rowntree through their summit attempts.

"We're stoked to welcome these remarkable adventurers to the festival,” says Festival Director Whitney Oliver. “Their diverse experiences, ranging from wild NZ epics to far-flung expeditions, promise to deliver a programme of exhilarating and insightful stories. Expect solid backcountry banter as well as deeply personal journeys. Don’t miss a show!”

The NZ Mountain Film & Book Festival has been a highlight of the community calendar for 23 years, drawing Queenstown Lakes District locals and visitors from across New Zealand. It is a celebration of world-class films, fascinating talks, inspiring art shows, and hands-on learning at the renowned Adventure Film School.

As a proud member of the International Alliance for Mountain Film, the NZ Mountain Film Festival showcases incredible work from international and Kiwi filmmakers, with finalists and winners creating an unforgettable programme. The mountain book competition adds a literary dimension, attracting talented writers with its generous prize pool. Many finalists also share their stories and readings at the festival.

Since 2012, the festival has operated as a charitable trust, raising funds for causes like youth adventure training, assisting people with disabilities to enjoy the outdoors, and supporting environmental projects. Funds are raised through auctions and a national tour, with grants opening on July 1.

Entries for the NZ Mountain Book competition closed on 30 March and finalists will be announced this month. Meanwhile, the deadline for entering films in the internationally renowned film competition is fast approaching on April 20 and many NZ filmmakers are putting the finishing touches on their world premieres.

The NZ Mountain Film & Book Festival will run in Wānaka from 20 to 24 June, in Queenstown from 26 – 27 and films will be screened online in NZ and Australia throughout July. The full programme will be announced and tickets will be on sale on 20 May.

Find out more the keynote speakers at https://mountainfilm.nz/films-speakers/

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