This year’s NZ Mountain Film and Book Festival will feature American climber and global outdoor ambassador Beth Rodden as well as local adventurers Nick Pascoe and Sam Smoothy.

The annual festival returns for its 23rd edition in June and it promises to deliver world-class films, fascinating talks, inspiring art shows and book events, and hands-on learning.

Headliner Beth is “widely regarded as one of the greatest rock climbers of all time”, festival organisers said.

The legendary climber completed numerous notable free climbs on El Capitan, the 1,000m granite monolith in Yosemite National Park, and a history-making first female ascent of Meltdown, one of the world’s most challenging traditional climbs.

Her 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, escaping by overpowering their captors. 

At the festival Beth will present in Wānaka and Queenstown, and 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.  

Sam Smoothy PHOTO: J Gibson

Nick 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.

Sam, a former Freeride World Tour competitor who has turned his focus to ski mountaineering, will speak about his audacious project to ski all of NZ’s 3,000m peaks.

"We're stoked to welcome these remarkable adventurers to the festival,” festival director Whitney Oliver said. 

“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.”

The NZ Mountain Film & Book Festival will run in Wānaka from June 20-24, in Queenstown from June 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 May 20.