Last updated 15:51, Wednesday, 02 April 2008

TRAILBLAZING women are topping the bill at Keswick Mountain Festival.

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toughest challenge: Justine Curgenven

A trio of fearless females will join the line-up at this year's Cumberland Ale Keswick Mountain Festival from May 14-18.

The action-packed event will feature talks from some of the most celebrated explorers from around the globe, as well as opportunities to get involved in your own adventure – whether it's walking, climbing, mountain biking or water sports.

Among the speakers at Keswick's Theatre by the Lake will be Dervla Murphy, Jo Gambi and Justine Curgenven. Each has conquered amazing heights and has a very different story to tell.

Dervla Murphy is an Irish nurse turned travel writer, who has ventured to some of the most remote landscapes in the world – on bicycle, pony or foot.

She set off on her first solo trip from Dublin to Delhi in 1963 armed only with one change of clothes, a toothbrush and a .25 automatic pistol in her backpack.

Since then she has explored Madagascar, Nepal, and Africa, often encountering life-threatening situations – including being attacked by wolves in the former Yugoslavia and running into Kalashnikov-toting soldiers in Ethiopia.

She will be interviewed on stage at the festival by the chairman of the Wainwright Society and presenter of Radio 4's Gardeners' Question Time, Eric Robson.

Award-winning adventure film maker and expedition kayaker Justine Curgenven will premiere a new documentary charting her toughest challenge to date – sea kayaking 1,700 miles around New Zealand's South Island.

Justine only started out in January, together with Barry Shaw, and hopes to complete the circumnavigation in April, just a month before her appearance at the Keswick Mountain Festival.

If she is successful she will be the first woman to complete the epic journey.

Also speaking at the festival is Jo Gambi, who entered the Guinness World Records for the fastest female ascent of the Seven Summits, the highest peaks on each of the seven continents. She is also only the second British woman to have climbed Everest's North/North East Ridge.

She tackled the Seven Summits alongside her husband Rob whilst he was in remission from cancer for the second time.

In spite of many setbacks and facing death high in the Himalayas, they persevered and fulfilled their dreams.

New additions to this year's event include a Bike Village and an Activity Base on the shores of Derwent Water where you can experience a flavour of what's on offer at The Cumberland Ale Keswick Mountain Festival.

The many other activities will include canoeing, climbing and navigation courses.

For tickets telephone 017687 74411.