ANDY KIRKPATRICK - Mountaineer
Andy Kirkpatrick is a top British mountaineer, big-wall climber and winter expedition specialist, who has soloed several of the most difficult routes in the world. A leading expert on climbing gear, Andy is also an award-winning author and a film-maker with a tremendous ability to captivate any audience with his unique brand of motivational story-telling.
Andy has scaled Yosemite's El Capitan - one of the hardest walls in America - more than 30 times, including three solo ascents, and a one-day ascent (18h), as well as climbing it with a paraplegic climber, his teenage daughter and a blind friend. One of these ascents was a 12 day solo of the Reticent Wall, viewed at the time as perhaps the hardest climb of its type in the world, and the subject of his award-winning book Psychovertical.
“Gut-wrenching, entertaining and challenging”
“Makes Ray Mears look like Paris Hilton”
“One of Britain’s quirkiest, hardest and most entertaining climbers.”
“Andy was fantastic - a knowledgeable, engaging and entertaining speaker who captivated the audience from start to finish. The feedback I have had from attendees has been universally positive.”
“Andy was the most inspirational speaker I have ever listened to. His presentation was a perfect way to finish the event - on a high. There were so many ways we could link this to our job.”
“Our aim was to find an ‘inspirational’ speaker who could provide our pupils with ‘food for thought’ and demonstrate the determination and a will to succeed is important in life... [Andy] fitted the bill brilliantly!... Thank you so much for the positive impact [Andy] had on these young people. I am certain [Andy’s] message has got through to them and will remain with them as they progress through life.”
