World-renowned climber Conrad Anker is headlining this year’s NZ Mountain Film & Book Festival, among an unprecedented lineup of international and Kiwi guest speakers.

The festival, now in its 16th year, will be held in Wanaka, Queenstown and Cromwell from June 29 to July 7.

Anker is one of the world’s most accomplished climbers, bagging first ascents of peaks in the Himalayas, Antarctica and Alaska.

Festival director Mark Sedon will also be speaking about the 55-day Antarctic expedition he undertook last year, climbing isolated peaks and kite-skiing 1700km across the continent.

Kiwi guide Dulkara Martig will be speaking about her adventures packrafting in the outback of Australia, ski-mountaineering in Alaska and traversing the Southern Alps.

Award-winning photographer and caver Neil Silverwood will share some of his photos and experiences in New Zealand’s subterranean wilderness.

Other speakers include free-skiing champion Sam Smoothy, the veteran climber and skier Whitney Thurlow and best-selling American author Sequoia Schmidt. Authors featuring this year include Peta Carey, Colin Monteith and Shaun Barnett. 

Tickets to the festival go on sale June 1.