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The 2012 BMC Navigation Skills course takes place over the last weekend in April, and is based in Llanberis, Snowdonia. At only £65 for the weekend, including accommodation, it represents excellent value. 

For more information, follow this link

There may well be a second Navigation weekend later in the year, in the Peak District. Watch this space.

Perhaps the most important of this year's BMC courses is this one. Based in Patterdale, it takes place over the weekend of 5th -6th October and will result in certification (if you pass!)

For more information, follow this link

Ever fancied going on an expedition to remote lands, oir even organising such a trip? Then this BMC course in the Southern Lake District over teh first weekend in September could be for you. It is based in a mountaineering hut, and costs just £65 for the whole weekend, including the accommodation.

More information is found after this link

Over the course of 2012, the BMC are offering a series of training courses to members, including Winter Skills, Navigation Skills, Expedition Skills, and First Aid. 

The first of these is the Winter Skills course. It takes place over the 10th & 11th March and is based in North Ballachulish, near Glencoe. For more information, check out this link.

Following sold out shows across the UK last year, the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour is returning with 20 screenings planned across the UK from 27 January to 10 March 2012.

The World Tour travels the globe every year visiting over 35 different countries. As one of the largest and most prestigious mountain festivals in the world, the tour features a collection of thought-provoking films, with subject matter ranging from remote landscapes and cultures to adrenaline-packed action sports.

Approximately 300 films were entered in the Banff festival which took place from 29 October to 6 November 2011 and a selection of the best of these films - award winners and audience favourites - have hit the road and will be showcased in theatres across the UK.

The films selected for each screening are adapted to the local setting and audience. The full programme of the World Tour films have not yet been confirmed but will include:

Cold – Up until now 16 expeditions have tried and failed to climb one of Pakistan’s 8000 metre peaks in the heart of winter. In early 2011, Simone Moro, Cory Richards and Dennis Urubko set out to be the first. This film captures chilling first-hand footage of their attempt and reveals a harrowing descent that amplifies their isolation and exposure – and then an avalanche hits...

Reel Rock: Obe and Ashima - There’s a nine year old girl from New York taking the climbing world by storm, and her name is Ashima Shiraishi. Guided by her passionate coach and former bouldering star Obe Carrion, this tiny master is crushing competitions and raising the bar for climbing’s youth. The film provides a glimpse of the past for Obe and new adventures for Ashima.

All I Can: The Short Cut - A special Tour edit of the award-winning ski film that combines thought provoking issues with mind-blowing snow sports action. Stunning time-lapse sequences, deep powder and an incredible urban downhill skiing scene are just some of the highlights.

The London dates are 21st through 24th February at the Union Chapel, Islington. More information here...

Stephen Venables is soon to embark on his series of talks about legendary explorer Eric Shipton.

One of the greatest mountain explorers of the twentieth century, Shipton was a team-member on all four Everest expeditions during the 1930’s and found the route that Hillary and Tenzing would follow to the top of the world. He famously missed out on Hillary’s historical ascent after being sacked from the expedition - his small-team, minimal logistics approach to climbing just didn't fit with the grandiose, large-scale expedition style of the British Empire.

Instead, Shipton dedicated his life to exploring untouched mountain ranges all over the world, from the mountains of East Africa to the untouched ice-fields of Patagonia in Tierra del Fuego. He inspired a generation of mountaineers, including Venables, who in 1988 became the first Briton to climb Everest without supplementary oxygen.

In his lecture, Stephen Venables will mix readings from Shipton’s books with stories of his own journeys in the explorer’s footsteps, illustrated with photography and film clips.

The closest venues to London are Radlett (28th March) and Tunbridge Wells (1st April)

For more information, click here...

The BMC is pleased to announce that the 2012 BMC AGM weekend is taking place from Friday 27 April to Sunday 29 April 2012 at the Malham Tarn Field Studies Centre in the Yorkshire Dales.

Head over on Friday night to enjoy good food and good company in a fantastic location. Saturday morning is free for walking and climbing after a hearty breakfast at the Centre.

On Saturday afternoon the National Open Forum will be discussing ‘Access’ from 2.30 – 3.30 pm followed by the AGM at 4.30 pm. So please come along to air your views and support the work of the BMC. The BMC Access Officers will be there to answer any of your questions.

Once the business is over, Saturday evening is the time to relax and enjoy the company of fellow climbers and hill walkers. There will be a hog roast out on the lawn, overlooking the Tarn, as well as a cash bar to enjoy some lovely local bitters.

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Ibex members can now renew their membership for 2012 online, via a safe and secure PayPal transaction.

Alternatively, if you'd prefer to pay by cheque or standing order, please register for a website account. You can download the appropriate form via the members area.