DESCRIBED by its directors as the ‘Glastonbury of the Lake District’ and attracting some 14,000 people last year, Kendal Mountain Festival has quite rightly earned its place as a staple in every keen outdoors person’s calendar.

Started in the early 80s by a small group of expedition climbers keen to share a few films, the festival has grown exponentially and now attracts some of the biggest names in the world.

Taking place from November 17-20, the festival will sprawl across the town - spreading from base camp at The Brewery up to Scout Scar when some 500 trail runners tackle a 10km race on the Saturday.

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Clive Allen, one of the three directors, said that the event had got bigger and bigger over the years, with stars heading to Kendal to give talks, show films and participate in question and answer sessions.

“It’s kind of known among athletes and filmmakers as the one to come to have a good time,” he said. “It’s one of those happy coincidences that it was the only event of its kind in the UK and it’s become the beating heart of mountaineering and climbing and the outdoors generally.”

With a programme that features mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington, climber Cedar Wright and Olympic snowboarder Jenny Jones, it is no wonder that attendees travel from all over the country.

And, although a love of the outdoors and cinema might be the driving forces behind the event’s success, it is also undeniable that it has proven itself to be great for business in what would otherwise be an off-peak month.

Independent research revealed that the 2015 event generated £2 million in visitor spend in and around Kendal. It also calculated that for every £1 spent by the organisers, visitors spent £6.40 in local shops, restaurants and hotels.

Perhaps even more impressively 98 per cent of people were positive about the festival and future attendance.

Given the huge economic potential it brings with it, it is perhaps unsurprising that Kendal’s Business Improvement District (BID) has invested just shy of £9,000 in this year’s event.

“We’re trying to be supportive of the bigger festivals to ensure that we get the most for Kendal businesses,” manager Sarah Williams said. “By all accounts Kendal Mountain Festival has been one of the main ones that has brought money into the town”

Matt Williams, from Invest in South Lakeland said: “Delivering these kinds of high quality events is a great opportunity to showcase the very best of what the area has to offer.

“Festivals also give a huge boost to the local economy and our town centres – and if visitors have such a good time they are very likely to come back again.”

And it is not just South Lakeland that is benefiting from the event either, if the festival’s year round events and new links with China are anything to go by.

“We’ve got other links outside of here, we’ve got quite a big thing going on in China now,” Mr Allen said. “There’s a group in China who wanted to do something similar to what we’re doing. We’ve kind of grown together with them.”

Other highlights include art exhibitions, book events, including the Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature and the Kendal Mountain Film Academy.

Although the programme is packed, the events are not always visible. This year Mr Allen and fellow directors Matt Burke and Steve Scott, have been placing their focus on making sure that the festival is both seen and heard.

“Three years ago we started doing an opening event because we felt we were a bit invisible,” Mr Allen said. “You don’t see the festival going on. There’s one public element and that’s the trail run but apart from that it’s just people shuffling between venues. We wanted to involve the town.”

With that in mind, the event will open on Thursday (November 17) evening with an imitation ‘alpine descent’ from the Rifleman’s Arms.

Those taking part will head down Beast Banks with cow bells and flags, being summoned by the sound of the Alpenhorn to the Market Square.

The family friendly nature of the festival is important to the directors and so their Family Adventure Film Sessions at Kendal Leisure Centre are free for all to enjoy.

“Families can just turn up and enjoy two hours’ worth of high octane entertaining films,” Mr Allen said. “Part of what we want to do is inspire people, inspire kids to get out there. All of these adventurers that you see here started somewhere - not all of them were born to be adventurers.

“It’s trying to get people excited about adventure and that adventure doesn’t have to be at the top of an alp - it can be just on The Helm.