Erik Weihenmayer stepped onto the summit of the highest peak in Australia yesterday, joining an elite group of mountaineers who have reached the top of each of the seven continents. Weihenmayer reached the summit of Mt. Kosciusko at 9:15 a.m. on September 5. The first blind climber to reach the summit of Mount Everest, Weihenmayer will be the opening night speaker at this year’s Banff Mountain Film Festival.

Erik Weihenmayer’s friends and fellow climbers call him "Super Blind" — a tribute to his remarkable climbing abilities and his refusal to let blindness slow him down. Despite losing his sight at age 13 as the result of a degenerative eye disorder, Weihenmayer is an accomplished skydiver, skier and mountain climber.

Weihenmayer’s presentation will open the 2002 festival on Friday, November 1 at 8 p.m.

The 2002 Banff Mountain Film Festival takes place November 1 to 3 in Banff, Alberta. Other featured speakers at this year’s event include American alpinist Steve House and noted mountain filmmaker Gerhard Baur. At the heart of the festival are the world’s best mountain films and videos, entered annually in Banff’s internationally juried competition. Between 30 and 40 of the best films entered into competition are selected for screening over the festival week.

The Banff Mountain Film Festival is presented by Eagle Creek Travel Gear and National Geographic Society. Festival tickets are available by phone: 1-800-413-8368 (North America) or 1-403-762-6301 or online: .www.banffmountainfestivals.ca/tickets

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A downloadable photo of Erik Weihenmayer is available at www.banffmountainfestivals.ca/ftp