A diver who helped rescue Thailand’s Wild Boars football team from a flooded cave is to give a talk in Durham.

Jason Mallinson will explain how he helped save 12 young footballers and their coach at this year’s Durham Adventure Festival, which takes place between Friday 26th April and Sunday 28th April.

Jason – who has set distance and depth records in caves in various parts of the world – carried four boys to safety last July, following flooding in the Tham Luang cave.

Festivalgoers can hear about Jason’s daring rescues – in Tham Luang and in other emergencies – when he gives his talk at Durham’s Gala Theatre on Saturday 27th April at 3.00 pm.

Tickets for Jason Mallinson’s talk – which will include a Q & A session – are priced at £12.50.

Durham Adventure Festival – whose aim is to get more people to experience the great outdoors – promises to be jam-packed with fascinating talks and films this year.

The festival will also give people of all ages and abilities the chance to try out new activities and the organisers promise that the most popular aspects of the 2018 festival – including the climbing wall and the ‘base camp’ – will be even bigger and better this year.

Another guest for this year’s festival is the mountaineering legend Sir Chris Bonington. Everest-conquering Sir Chris will give his talk at 5.30 pm on the Saturday.

The Durham Adventure Festival’s full line-up has now been announced, with a number of fascinating adventurers and athletes due to share their experiences.

Among them is the world champion boulderer Shauna Coxsey, who is embarking on tough preparations for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. Shauna will give her talk at 8.00 pm on the Sunday, with tickets costing £14.

Durham Ad Fest full line-up 2- Shauna Coxsey_Red Bull _ The Climbing Hangar
Shauna Coxsey

Another talk will be delivered by the 2011 European Adventurer of the Year Ed Stafford. Ed, who used to be a captain in the British army, holds a Guinness World Record for being the first person to walk the length of the Amazon River.

Ed inspired people all over the world by filming and blogging during his two-and-a-half-year odyssey.

Ed – who is also a Discovery Channel presenter – will speak at the Gala Theatre on the Saturday at 8.00 pm. Tickets for his talk are priced at £20.00.

Other speakers will include Scottish endurance cyclist Jenny Graham, adventurer Laura Bingham, explorer Ash Bhardwaj, mountain runner Jenny Tough, and mountaineer and climber Leo Houlding.

In addition, the Durham Adventure Festival will see Millennium Place and the Gala Gallery transformed into a base camp, complete with a free climbing wall.

The festival will also feature a show from the 3Sixty Bike Display Team, a number of free talks, pop-up bookshops, food and drink stalls, and outdoor experts from Cotswold and Montane on-hand to give advice.

The manager of the Gala Theatre, Robin Byers, said, “This festival is all about showcasing the very best in adventure, exploration and endurance to encourage more people to explore the outdoors.”

“A key to the success of the event is welcoming speakers who are leaders in their field, alongside ordinary people who have done extraordinary things.”

“With the great outdoors as popular as ever, it feels like we’ve tapped into something special. So we hope we can inspire people to come along and share the adventure.”

To view the Durham Adventure Festival’s full programme or to book tickets, please visit https://www.durhamadventurefestival.co.uk/. You can also book tickets by telephoning 03000 266 600.    


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