KENDAL Mountain Festival runs from today (Thursday) until Sunday (November 19), a world class gathering for all who love the outdoors.

A true global adventure, KMF 2017's opening ceremony is tonight (Thursday) on Greenside, opposite the Rifleman’s Arms, at 5.30pm when the festival's patron Sir Chris Bonington will declare the event open before a torchlit community procession heads down Captain French Lane to the Brewery Arts Centre for an inspirational programme of free films.

Venues hosting this year's towering four-day festival of films, speakers, family events and 'festival within a festival,' the first Kendal Mountain Literature Festival, include Kendal Leisure Centre, Kendal Town Hall, Abbot Hall Social Centre and the Brewery Arts Centre.

Kendal Library will also host 60 minute interactive session for families, exploring how Alfred Wainwright produced his guidebooks and how people can create their own Wainwright illustrations. The first session runs from 9.45am-10.45am and at various other slots during Saturday: 11.15am-12:15am; 1.45pm-2:45pm; and 3pm-4pm. Those attending the 'ticket only' sessions will see how Wainwright went from making notes, taking photographs and making sketches while out on the fells, to pulling it all together to produce his famous mountain guide books.

Meanwhile, a stunning image of a 'paraponter' gliding near Mont Blanc in the French Alps - taken by 13-year-old Charlotte Howie - has been voted one of the six winners in the 2017 Kendal Mountain Festival photography competition.

The image, Birds Eye View, earned Charlotte the award in the under-18s category. All the award winners' pictures will be on display at key locations around Kendal during the festival. Visitors are being asked to nominate one of the images for the People's Choice Award. An overall winner will also be chosen.

And the festival is also due to be the subject of an innovative PhD study undertaken by a University of Cumbria student which could result in expertise shared around the globe.

Supported by Eco-innovation Cumbria (which is funded by the European Regional Development Fund) the three year PhD aims to improve the environmental sustainability of the event by understanding the impact it has on people and the environment.

Seonaid Lafferty was successfully awarded the post after going through a recruitment process which she described as ‘a meeting of minds.’

The results of the PhD will be shared with other festivals, brands, speakers and towns that deliver festivals. The hope is work in Cumbria will help create best practice in festival hosting and development, both from an immediate environmental impact perspective and through the creation of sustainable initiatives.

To book and for further festival information call the Brewery Arts Centre on 01539-725133 or visit www.mountainfest.co.uk