Nigel Vardy

A South African Saga part 1 – Getting drenched in the Drakensburgs…

by Nigel Vardy
March 12, 2013December 31, 2018

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…

Are you a victim or a victor..?

by Nigel Vardy
February 19, 2013February 19, 2013
1 Comment

It might be a strange question to ask, but sometimes I think that I’m getting old and grumpy enough to ask it. However, before we go too far, lets have some definitions from the wonderful Oxford English Dictionary…

Aviemore, Avalanches and an OAP – The Third Frostbite Report

by Nigel Vardy
February 10, 2013February 11, 2013
5 Comments

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.

Presenting a marathon…

by Nigel Vardy
January 28, 2013

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…Read More »Presenting a marathon…

February speaking dates…

by Nigel Vardy
January 20, 2013January 31, 2013
1 Comment

I’m speaking at a couple of public events over the next few weeks. Here’s the details…

Snow Joke..? – The Second Frostbite Report

by Nigel Vardy
January 18, 2013
4 Comments

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..?

Toeless on Telemarks – The First Frostbite Report

by Nigel Vardy
January 13, 2013
3 Comments

Once again, it was time to join the ATSA in the small Austrian resort of Rauris for a few days Telemark Skiing. This was my 4th year with the team and it has almost become a tradition in my calendar.

Against All Odds…

by Nigel Vardy
January 9, 2013
1 Comment

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… Read More »Against All Odds…

Reviewing 2012…

by Nigel Vardy
December 28, 2012December 28, 2012

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…

Nepal – 2009AD

by Nigel Vardy
December 19, 2012December 19, 2012

Ama Dablam is one of the classic mountains of the Himalayas. It is technical, remote and full of mountaineering challenges. During October and November 2009 I took on the SW Ridge and pushed my climbing to the limit…

The Kendal Mountain Festival – backflips, books, slacklines and grand prizes…

by Nigel Vardy
November 22, 2012November 25, 2012
2 Comments

Well it was that time of year again. Time to head to Kendal for the Mountain Festival and volunteer as a presenter. Volunteer you say??? Well, I may be a professional speaker, but there are times when the outdoor community comes together and works together. We all give our time for free for the good of the community, and work harder than any professionally paid staff. Working in engineering, I hear a great deal that ‘Money is the greatest motivator’. If only these people knew how wrong they were. Passion drives people, love drives people, people drive people. And it’s the people I meet at the festival who drive me…

A weekend to remember…

by Nigel Vardy
November 12, 2012November 13, 2012

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.

Frostbitten – Turning Trial into Triumph…

by Nigel Vardy
October 31, 2012
1 Comment

Here’s a short video of me speaking at the Inspired Adventure opening evening at the East India Club, London in August 2012…

Is achieving a 1st really worth it..?

by Nigel Vardy
October 23, 2012October 23, 2012
1 Comment

In 2007 I became the first British climber to summit the tallest peaks on the worlds largest islands. ‘Whoopee doo’ I hear you say. This is exactly why I ask the question for the achievement of a 1st. Are they worth it, or just media stunts for people with nothing better to do?

India 2008 – Ladakh and back..!

by Nigel Vardy
October 19, 2012October 19, 2012

Ladakh offers Trekking by the Ton and Mountaineering by the Mile. In Summer of 2008 I ventured there with good friends to climb, trek and see a little of this wonderful country…

Remember, remember, here comes a busy November…

by Nigel Vardy
October 13, 2012November 5, 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)

Madagascar 2007 – Seventh Heaven

by Nigel Vardy
October 5, 2012
2 Comments

I boarded the plane with some trepidation as I departed for Madagascar. The final peak in my 7 x 7 challenge was my objective and if I could climb it I would set a British Record for Mountaineering…

Defining danger…

by Nigel Vardy
September 30, 2012September 30, 2012
1 Comment

The Oxford English Dictionary defines danger as ‘the possibility of suffering harm or injury’. Well, that can mean many things…

Ethiopia 2007 – The Roof of Africa

by Nigel Vardy
September 28, 2012September 28, 2012

My first venture into Africa will certainly not be my last! Ethiopia is a diverse country with challenges galore. At times it all got a bit too much, but I saw ancient cultures at close hand and came home with some wonderful images burned into my mind…

Indonesia 2006 – Sulphur, Stone & Ceremony

by Nigel Vardy
September 15, 2012September 15, 2012

I returned to Sumatra to make another attempt on Gunung Kerinci, before flying to Papua to climb the hardest peak of my 7 x 7 challenge – Carstensz Pyramid. The climbing went so fast that I was left with ten days to spare, so I travelled across South Sulawesi and Central Java taking in the culture of the islands…Read More »Indonesia 2006 – Sulphur, Stone & Ceremony

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