Banff Film and Book Festival, Canada
26 October – 3 November
Armchair adventurers will love the Banff Film and Book Festival. Canada’s outdoor capital is a hub for world-class hiking, climbing and mountain biking in the surrounding National Parks in summer and transforms into an epic ski town come winter. It’s all celebrated in this lively festival, which runs over nine days and boasts a schedule packed with stories of remote journeys and ground-breaking expeditions as well as talks by authors, photographers and adventure filmmakers.
The Naadam Festival, Mongolia
11 July – 15 July
If you’ve ever thought of jacking it all in and becoming a travelling nomad, perhaps it’s time to learn some life skills from the experts at the legendary Naadam Festival. Nomadic tribes from across Mongolia come together to put on vibrant displays of the ‘Three Games of Men’ - wrestling, archery and horse racing - held in villages across the country against a backdrop of rolling meadows and brightly coloured tents in a celebration of national independence.
Loch Tay Sprint Triathlon, Scotland
17 August
This triathlon may be described as a sprint, but it still demands a lot of grit - especially when it comes to leaping into Loch Tay at the start of this race in the grounds of Taymouth Castle. After a 750-metre swim in the literally breath-taking Loch, with views of Ben Lawers mountain across the water, you’ll take on an equally spectacular bike course - a lap of Drummond Hill. Finish it all off with a short three-mile sprint through the stunning grounds of the castle.
