Location: North Wales

Work: Alpine Climbing, Ski Mountaineering, small expeditions to remote places.

Play: as above

Best Trip: Too many good ones to choose…

Worst Trip: Karakoram in 1975 when we never reached our mountain because our two porters disappeared with all our gear and food, reappearing 10 days later to demand payment for the whole period. The police took their side !!

Best Camp Food: J.C’s cheesecake in Alaska.

Worst Camp Food: India rubber Russian pasta in Tien Shan.

Scariest Moment: Making a speech at my wedding.

Ambitions: re-visit Antarctica to climb and ski.

Favourite places: Devil’s Kitchen, Corvisk side of Black Cuillin.

Inspirational books: No Picnic on Mount Kenya, Ascent of Rum Doodle.

Heroes: Lionel Terray, Edward Wilson.

Heaven: Summit of Mont Blanc on a fine day in January.

Hell: Summit of Mont Blanc on a fine day in August.

Favourite Lowe Pieces: Adrenaline pull-on and pants – light and simple!

Background: Married with 3 kids

Education: Various schools in Kenya, Egypt and Rhodesia, later at Cheltenham College.
Honours degree in History and English at Selwyn College, Cambridge and a Blue for Modern Pentathlon. Certificate of Education, Newtown Park, Bath

Mountaineering Experience:

• Started climbing in 1964, first alpine season 1967, first expedition (to Hindu Kush) 1968, first ski tour 1970
• Alpine Climbs include North face of Droites, Courtes, Triolet, Aiguille Blanche, Grands Cornier, Fletschorn, Gletscherhorn, Grosshorn, Eiger (Lauper Route); also Right Pillar of Brouillard, Pear Buttress, Peuteret Ridge, Frontier Ridge, Diable Ridge, Scersen - Bernina Traverse, North Pillar of West Peak Piz Palu
• Winter Ascents: Col du Plan (solo), Sentinelle Rouge, Grands Charmoz North Face
• Solo Ascents: Route Major, Frendo Spur, Piz Badile North Ridge
• First ascent British Route, Nant Blanc Face, Aiguille sans Nom
• Climbe on Mt Kenya (first ascent Ollier's couloir; solo traverse Bation-Nelion); New Zealand (Cook, Sheila Face; Hicks North Face; Malte Brun; Chudleigh); Alaska (First ascent Deborah East Ridge); Argentina, Lake District (various solo climbs); Canada (Mt Waddington, North and South summits)
• Ski journeys to Kashmir and Alaska
• Expeditions to Antarctica, East Greenland, Tien Shan, Tibet, Pakistan, India, Nepal (attempts on Annapurna II and Makalu) - numerous first ascents of peaks up to 6500m and exploratory journeys

Work Experience

• 18 months fieldwork with BAS as mountaineer and dog-driver in Antarctica (1971-2)
• Short spells at Glenmore Lodge (1973) and ISM, Leysin (1976)
• 3 years at Ogwen Cottage (1976-9)
  
• 8 years at Plas y Brenin (1979-87)
  
• 1 year working at OPC and at Mount Cook, New Zealand
  
• Since 1988, a freelance guide working regularly in the Alps summer and winter; also guiding summer trips to Canada (Rockies, Vancouver Island), Kenya, Jordan, Peru, Ecuador, Bhutan; ski trips to India, Nepal, Norway (Lyngen Alps), Rockies and Crest Range, British Columbia
  
• Also work as Management Training Tutor for Cornelyn, Brathay, Pathways, Dryll etc

Positions Currently Held:

• Safety consultant to Pathways HRD Ltd
  
• Consultant to Wilderness Trust
  
• Trustee, John Muir Trust
  
• 60 days/year as senior instructor for Plas y Brenin

Past Positions:

• President BMG 1990-3
  
• Member of Snowdonia National Park Committee 1990-3

Writing:

• Lightweight Expeditions, Crowood Press 1989
  
• Over the Hills and Far Away, Ernest Press 1996
  
• Contributions to: Games Climbers Play, Cold Climbs, Classic Walks, Great Climbs, The Climbers Year, Climbing School, Ski Mountaineering
  
• Numerous articles in journals and magazines

Films:

• Great Walks - Snowdonia (Channel 4), 1987
  
• Willow (as Airk Horseman !)
  
• On the Edge (HTV) - history of Welsh climbers, 1991
  
• To the Unknown Mountain (HTV) - ascent of Mount Waddington, 1990

Qualifications:

• UIAGM Guide
  
• MIC
  
• SI (Inland)
• BOF Coach

Other Interests:

• Natural History
  
• History in the Landscape
  
• Fell-running
  
• Mountain-Biking