Adventure that shits on your gap year

When did surfers stop being the adventurers? When did we become tourists? When did hiking through the jungles of Indo become two weeks in Bali? Dirt bag desert sojourns become yoga retreats?

Well, the Banff Mountain Film Festival UK and Ireland World Tour is here to refresh our memories and refill our souls. Climbers, ultra runners, bikers and even college cowboys swept into Truro last night to offer up the perfect inspiration.

The comedy act of A Line Across the Sky masks the skill; precision and fortitude needed to cross the four-mile, 13,000 feet of icy death that is the Fitz Roy Transverse. Climbing legend and new father Tommy Caldwell losses fingernails and his mind with the soloist and Californian Cheshire cat Alex Honnold on this incredible Patagonia expedition. As the credits rolled you couldn’t help but feel that you were a grumbling lightweight.

Curiosity will make you want to run and UnReal buy a bike. Pretty Faces was a divider. I said it was annoying Nathan said it was awesome. But Denail…well Denali will break your heart. Everyone had a tear for Denali.

The awarded winning Unbranded film

The awarded winning Unbranded saw four Texans straight out of college head out on an adventure that shits on your gap year. The lads felt that riding from Mexico to Canada wasn’t enough of challenge so they adopted, broke and then rode 16 wild mustangs through the equally wild countryside and mountains of America. This magnificent feat was brought to life with a gentle whispered confidence and more humour than you can shake a rattle snake at. Tell me you don’t love the Burro!

So there we have it, adventure and inspiration by the bucket load! Now We Surfers broke all the trails Indo, West Africa, Central America so have one last look at Google earth then get the hell out there and do something spectacular! With or without a donkey.

The tour is still travelling the length of the country - coming to a venue near you. Visit banff-uk.com to get involved.