Geoff Powter has been a mountain writer, editor and presenter for more than 30 years. He has written pieces for magazines and newspapers around the globe, was the editor of the renowned Polar Circus magazine and spent 13 years at the helm of the Canadian Alpine Journal. He has been the host of the Voices of Adventure interview series at the Banff Mountain Book Festival for the past 20 years, and has been a regular contributor to CBC Radio and to the Globe and Mail travel section. He is the author of Strange and Dangerous Dreams: The Fine Line Between Adventure and Madness. Geoff Powter lives in Canmore, AB.

Sir Chris Bonington is one of Britain's most famous mountaineers. Born in Hampstead in 1934, he joined the army after time at Sandhurst, and quickly discovered his love of mountains. He started climbing very seriously in the Alps, then moved to the Himalayas. In 1975 he was leader of the famous ascent of the southwest face of Everest. He has since explored mountains, oceans, and remote areas around the world. In 1985 he achieved a life time ambition and he reached the summit of Everest.