TV adventurers to talk at South West Outdoor Festival in Devon

Two well-known TV adventurers, Monty Halls and Conrad Humphries, who have both recently appeared in their own adventure series on Channel 4, will be appearing at the National Trust’s 2018 South West Outdoor Festival. They will be holding talks and walks, plus there's a chance for festival goers to sail on the Bounty’s End, the boat used by Conrad in the Channel 4 series ‘Mutiny,’ over the weekend of 5-7 October at East Soar Farm, near Salcombe in South Devon.

Dartmouth-based TV personality, adventurer and expedition leader Monty Halls, who recently starred in the Channel 4 series ‘My Family and the Galapagos,’ left his former life as an officer in the Royal Marines to become a marine biologist, explorer and television presenter. He will lead lucky festival-goers on a free seashore walk, and do a talk about his many adventures on Sunday 7 October.

Conrad Humphreys, famous for the Channel 4 series ‘Mutiny’, which followed his epic small-boat odyssey across the Pacific Ocean on the Bounty's End, will be speaking on Saturday 6 October. An experienced round-the-world sailor, Conrad led the expedition, recreating the journey of survival undertaken by Captain Bligh in 1789, after the infamous mutiny on the Bounty. There will also be several trips on Saturday and Sunday, offering festival-goers the chance to sail on the Bounty’s End. At the event, people will also be able to visit the Bounty’s End stand at the festival site to watch a video of the expedition, use antique navigational aids and even sample some ships' biscuits.

The South West Outdoor Festival is an annual weekend-long carnival of outdoor activities, entertainment and local flavours. This year the event is partnering with the South West Coast Path Association (SWCPA), Ordnance Survey, the South Devon AONB and Devon Wildlife Trust to shine a light on the many adventure pursuits that can be explored along the South Hams coastline.

Monty and Conrad join a host of other top-end explorers, outdoor athletes and adventurers - including Sarah Outen, who has rowed across the Indian and the Pacific oceans, and went around the planet under her own power, by rowing boat, bicycle and kayak; Aleks Kashefi, who ran the length of Britain and across Europe, mostly barefoot; paralympian, endurance wheelchair racer and paracyclist Mel Nichols; Damian Hall, who in 2016 set an astonishing record by running the entire 630-mile South West Coast Path in just 10 days; and endurance adventure athlete Laura Kennington, who has just completed a multi-country cycling loop of the entire North Sea coastline.

The weekend will feature trail-running and swim/run races, cycling and kayaking challenges, guided walks, rock climbing, coasteering, archery and axe throwing, as well as more relaxing outdoor experiences, such as star gazing, wild-food foraging, barefoot walking and campfire cooking.

Besides adventure pursuits and inspirational speakers, the festival will feature fine food and drink from the South Devon area – with Salcombe Brewery, Yarde Cider, Riverford Field Kitchen, and Salcombe Gin among the many providers present on the pop-up site – and entertainment including live music and adventure films. For those looking to explore further afield, the Yukon Territory Tipi will tantalise with information, film screenings and book readings about adventures in Canada's far north.    

Located within an hour’s drive from both Plymouth and Exeter, access to the site is easy from the A38 / Devon Expressway. Parking is available on-site for day visitors and campers.

Tickets are now on sale via the website: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/SWOF