Kurt Wedberg, one of the fewer than 100 mountaineers in this country to have ever successfully summitted Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, will be the featured speaker at the Feb. 13 University Forum lecture.

In his slide-illustrated presentation, "Journey to Mount Everest," Wedberg will share with the audience his experience and the power of human motivation.

He began his journey in February 1995 with seven tons of food and equipment flown into Kathmandu, Nepal. Three months later, he left his 27,200-foot high camp and spent nearly 11 hours picking his way through snow, rock, and ice to reach the top of Mount Everest. Wedberg said that nothing he had ever done was harder, or more satisfying.

A native of California, Wedberg is a veteran of numerous expeditions on high peaks around the world. He lives in Bishop, Calif., and has been mountaineering in the Sierra Nevada for more than 20 years. He is the founder of Sierra Mountaineering International, which leads expeditions to all seven continents.

The lecture is set for 7:30 p.m. in the Hilton Auditorium of the Lied Athletic Complex. All University Forum lectures are free and open to the public.

The University Forum lecture series is sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and is underwritten by the UNLV Foundation. For more information on the series, call 895-3401 or send an E-mail to: forum@nevada.edu.