Many people know me because of my mountaineering expeditions, but in parallel to my adventures, I’ve had a long career in Electrical Engineering. Over my 27 years of nationalisation’s, takeovers and mergers I’ve seen may things, but one of the most startling is the ability to act like a child. Let me explain…
Standing as the tallest mountain in Europe, Mt Elbrus 5,642m (18,510ft) is not a climb to be undertaken lightly. High winds and freezing temperatures make this one of the world most notorious peaks. The west peak was first climbed in 1874 by Florence Crauford Grove. Continue reading
I have worked with the outdoor company Terra Nova for many years and recently starred in a promotional film for their Wild Country range of tents…
The flight to Johannesburg is nothing like going to the far reaches of SE Asia, but still I felt exhausted when I arrived. I had been working and presenting hard for the last few months and it was beginning to show. Also, a nasty chest infection had caught hold of me in Austria recently and didn’t want to let go. A few days out in the mountains should do me good then…
Sitting as many of us do, reading blogs like this in the comfort of our own homes, it’s easy to criticise other peoples actions. I’ve just returned from a week in the Cairngorms where I was fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to witness this first hand.
When I say to someone that Engineering is similar to Mountaineering they think I’m talking rubbish. Perhaps I am, but over the past five months I have been delivering a great amount of Engineering Training. This has meant speaking for eight hours a day, all week, every week. Similarities between the two become obvious… Continue reading
I’m speaking at a couple of public events over the next few weeks. Here’s the details…
It seems that winter has finally arrived in the UK. As usual the press is full of horror stories about huge freezes and apocolyptic snowstorms – well, six inches anyway. Why in Britain do we take such a sensationalist view of out natural climate..?
During late 2012, I worked with Derbyshire filmmaker Nicola Harris on a project about my fateful climb on Mt. McKinley.
Here’s the film she has directed, shot and produced…
Where do I start? So much has happened during the past year, and I don’t want to miss anything. Good job I’m an avid diary writer…
To a Mountaineer like myself, a weekend away is nothing new. I’m often off into the hills of Britain or even Europe for a day or two’s climbing, but this weekend was different and rather special.
Here’s a short video of me speaking at the Inspired Adventure opening evening at the East India Club, London in August 2012…
As the nights draw in, the evening speaking season begins. I have a busy November coming up, so here’s a couple of events if you fancy coming to say hi..! (Bring beer)
The Oxford English Dictionary defines danger as ‘the possibility of suffering harm or injury’. Well, that can mean many things…
Well, here I am, back from climbing on the North side of Elbrus in Russia and i’m still in one piece (just about!) See my expedition page for more details…
The weather trapped us in a six day snowstorm, but we still managed to climb on this wonderful remote Island. The mountains seem to go forever, and with so many still unclimbed, this is a climbers paradise!
Named after the British explorer William Baffin – Baffin Island is one of the largest islands in the world. Continue reading
Standing at 6189m above sea level, Island Peak is a daunting challenge for anyone. But when you have suffered severe frostbite the climb becomes a dangerous venture into the unknown… Continue reading
Over two years since suffering severe frostbite I was back climbing in the mountains. I summited the Allalinhorn which stands 4027m high, climbed the 200m near vertical Chere Couloir, and scrambled over the Arete du Cosmiques…. Continue reading
It’s a simple enough question really. After all, would you employ a mechanic who couldn’t fix your car..? The reason I ask is due to my experiences observing speakers over the last 20 years. Some have been outstanding, some have been good, but many have been (at best) average.
