Dave Pickford £0.00
David Pickford is an acclaimed outdoor photographer and writer, and the editor-in-chief of www.planetfear.com, the leading adventure sports website. David is also one the UK’s most accomplished climbers, with an impressive list of first ascents to his credit from Britain and Europe to the mountains of Arabia, Central Asia, North Africa, and the Far East.
In 2003, David took the unconventional career move of riding a dilapidated, two-stroke Russian motorcycle across East Asia, (from Vietnam to Indonesia, via China). It was on this expedition that he made a firm commitment to take the office outdoors. Today, David combines a busy photography schedule with wide-ranging journalism for traditional and new media. Between a busy schedule of global projects, David still finds time for pioneering new climbs on British and European cliffs. His longer expeditions often involve adventure motorcycling and climbing, the most recent of which was a journey around the Indian subcontinent on an Enfield Bullet 500.
Current Lectures
The World’s Hardest Wall
David Pickford journeys to Madagascar on a rock climbing expedition with a difference. His team will establish a major new climb on one of Africa's highest and most impressive cliffs, the 900-metre Tsaranoro Massif. They will also attempt the project known as ‘Tough Enough’, now the world’s hardest big-wall free climb. David’s lecture tells the amazing story behind the creation of this exceptional climb, which took some twenty climbers from more than ten countries three years to complete! The lecture will be illustrated by David’s breathtaking photography and film-footage shot on location in Tsaranoro, Madagascar. The lecture will also explore the world-renowned wildlife and ecology of Madagascar, and discuss how climbing and adventure travel can help promote the survival of the island’s exceptional biodiversity.
The Risk Experience
An educational lecture for young people (14 – 18)
This lecture introduces young people to adventure travel and extreme sports such as climbing, mountaineering, and skiing. Through exciting stories, photographs, and film footage from around the world, the lecture explains how outdoor adventures can help us develop crucial life-skills such as curiosity, resourcefulness, and inde¬pendent thought. David will also introduce major ideas about risk in the lecture. He will show how the experience of real, physical risk in the outdoors can be a valuable asset in the rest of our lives; in decision-making at work, in developing our creativity, and in building our relationships with others. David will show that through the experience of real risk in adventure sports, we can find out what it is possible for us to achieve elsewhere in our lives. Finally, David’s lecture will explain the importance of wilderness regions to global ecosystems, wildlife, and climate. He will argue that a knowledge of wild places gained through adventure travel can cultivate a strong understanding of the natural world, and an awareness of its crucial importance to us all.
Adventure Motorcycling in Asia
This 2-part lecture tells the gripping story of a 6-month adventure motorcycling expedition from Vietnam to Indonesia, which covered ten countries and some of the most remarkable cultures and landscapes in Asia. The second part covers a more recent expedition around the Indian Subcontinent on the legendary Enfield Bullet motorcycle.
Adventure Photography
In this breathtaking showcase of the best of his recent climbing and adventure photography from around the world, David tells the stories behind the making of his most spectacular images. There are featured photographs from India, China, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Arabia, Central Asia, Morocco, Iceland, Indonesia, Madagascar, North America, Europe, and Britain.
Testimonials
"Wilderness Lectures would like to thank you for your excellent lecture last night. It was a thoroughly enjoyable event and the standards of photography and storytelling were exceptional." - Steve Berry, Managing Director, Mountain Kingdoms LTD and co-founder of Wilderness Lectures.
“Thanks for a superb lecture - your inspirational photos and adventure stories were just the thing to get our brand managers excited about the new project.” - Red Bull
Photos
Check out Dave's gallery of sample images from some of his lectures.
