The National Mountaineering Exhibition and the Kendal Mountain Festival

The Rheged based National Mountaineering Exhibition is Britain 's only permanent exhibition celebrating the great adventure that is mountaineering. Opened in 2001 - under the guidance of the British Mountaineering Council and the Mountain Heritage Trust - it has hosted a number of special exhibitions, including the award winning Everest: The Top of the World . This was the only exhibition to take place - anywhere in the world - to tell the story of the world's highest mountain in the 50 th anniversary year of its first ascent.

The exhibition - as part of its ongoing brief the communicate the story of mountaineering and its associated heritage - is continually developing new displays, exhibits and galleries, as well as hosting mountain art and photographic exhibitions. It also hosts its own hugely popular, year round mountaineering and wilderness adventure lecture programme. This year, to commemorate the first ascent of Kangchenjunga, the National Mountaineering Exhibition opened a new gallery called, Kangchenjunga - The Untrodden Peak .

The National Mountaineering Exhibition and Rheged work closely with the Kendal Mountain Festival and host a major element of the festival programme. All holders of lecture and film tickets to the Rheged based events have free entry to the exhibition on the day of the event (please note that the exhibition closes 15 minute before the start of the final event).

For further information about the National Mountaineering Exhibition visit www.rheged.com or telephone 01768 868 000. To book tickets for the Rheged based Kendal Mountain Film events telephone 01768 860 090.

Rheged is just a 25 minute drive north from Kendal, just off junction 40 of the M6/A66/Penrith (follow the brown signs).

George Band, Joe Brown and Chris Bonington at the opening of Kangchenjunga: The Untrodden Peak