2023 – Moving on Up…
The last year seems to have passed by in a flash. Perhaps it’s because I’m getting older, or because there was a great deal going on..? Whatever the reason, it’s been one heck of a ride.
Read More »2023 – Moving on Up…Greenland
2022 – On the Road Again…
By the end of 2021 I was exhausted. COVID had caught me over the Christmas period as the loss of my Mum began to take its toll. I hoped 2022 would give me time to rest and reflect. I certainly reflected, but spent much of the year on the road, on the sea and on the mountain..!
Read More »2022 – On the Road Again…Greenland 2022 – The Big Sky…
It didn’t seem five minutes since I had returned from Sea Kayaking in Greenland, before I was heading north again. This time it was to mountaineer, but the sea would play it’s part also. I joined Simon Yates to head towards Mikis Fjord and tackle a myriad of unclimbed peaks.
Read More »Greenland 2022 – The Big Sky…Greenland 2022 – Second Home by the Sea…
I’ve visited Greenland a number of times, but always to ski and climb. The sea terrified me, but I was about to spend my next trip sat on my backside in a kayak. What had changed..?
Read More »Greenland 2022 – Second Home by the Sea…Home by the Sea…
Training is vital to successful expedition work. I’ve always believed in ‘Serving Your Apprenticeship’ and have recently returned from a week Sea Kayaking in the Norwegian Fjords.
A chance meeting when working on a P&O cruise ship has taken me down a whole new avenue of traveling and expeditions. I’ve paddled canoes and kayaks on and off for years, but never thought I’d be preparing for a trip to the fjords of Greenland this year.
Roots Of Reality Podcast…
I was recently contacted by Ben Baumann of the Roots of Reality Podcast. Ben is an historian from the United States of America and has always been fascinated by life’s greatest questions: Who are we? Where do we come from? Why are we here? And where are we going? As a result, he decided to become a historian with a focus on the history of existence in the big picture and how it connects to our modern world, with the goal of taking our complex history and making it easy to understand.
Coffee and Conversation Podcast…
Recently I recorded a podcast with Jane Booth MBA of the OPUS 29 Consultancy about Finding the Happiness in Being You. We covered a lot… Read More »Coffee and Conversation Podcast…
The ICEMAN POLAR Race 2016
During 20126 I took part in the ICEMAN POLAR Race in Greenland. A film crew followed the race and produced this short film on the… Read More »The ICEMAN POLAR Race 2016
2016 – A Year For Time, Travel and Tingling Fingers…
I’m not a man to sit about, so during 2016 I travelled to South Africa, Greenland, Iceland, Italy, Denmark, Germany, Greece and Spain. I took part in the ICEMAN Polar Race, walked the Otter Trail, spoke on two cruises and held down a full-time job. Phew..! I’m sure I slept at some point…
Read More »2016 – A Year For Time, Travel and Tingling Fingers…
The ICEMAN Polar Race 2016 – Second Time Lucky..?
My feet had hardly settled from walking in South Africa, when another trip called. I had been 33’ south on the Cape in late march and suddenly I was heading to Greenland, 72’ north. +30C was about to be replaced with -30C. I was tired, but thankfully organised for the ICEMAN Polar Ski Race…
Read More »The ICEMAN Polar Race 2016 – Second Time Lucky..?
2015 – A Year for Europe…
The finale of 2014 was, for me a difficult time. I was exhausted, both physically and mentally to a level where I felt truly lost. I had recently been reported missing in the avalanches of Annapurna, but as with most major disasters, I coped well enough. It was the pace of my day-to-day life which had ground me down. 2015 had to be better…Read More »2015 – A Year for Europe…
Leo Houlding, Mountain Heritage and Facial Hair…
The first time I heard Leo Houlding speak was on a dark, rainy night at the Buxton Opera House. He had quite literary just returned from free climbing The Prophet in Yosemite and the excitement showed. He danced on the stage like a marionette, (reminding me of my childhood TV favourite Thunderbirds) which made for a strangely unnerving evening. Though we should bring emotion into our speaking, there is a time, a place and then a need for some control.Read More »Leo Houlding, Mountain Heritage and Facial Hair…
The Telemark Lark…
I hadn’t touched a set of Telemark skis since my trip to Greenland in April 2014, so it was with a little trepidation that I once again ventured to Rauris in Austria, for the Army Telemark Championships. You expect snow when you go skiing (after all it is a tad useful), but when I touched sown in Salzburg it was 17C. Though the highest peaks were clad In white, the valleys were almost tropical. Higher in the mountains the view was the same as heavy rain had poured for 24 hours. It wasn’t the start I’d hoped for…
2014 – Surgery for the Soul…
My 2014 New Year’s resolution was to have the best and most productive 12 months of my life. Plans were bursting out of my brain, and within weeks my diary was filled to overflowing – speaking engagements across the UK, ski racing in Greenland, climbing in Scotland – the list went on.
Time…
Language is full of sayings and quotes about time. ‘Time is of the essence, ‘Time is money’, ‘Time marches on’ etc. This unending continuum drives many people’s lives at a relentless pace and without respite. For some, it rules their lives, but should it..?
The Iceman Polar Race – part II
The next morning the wind had died and weak rays of sun fought their way through high, wispy clouds. I dug out my tent, packed my pulk and all of us set off on skidoos to the valley of Kalkdal.
The Iceman Polar Race – part I
Months of planning, teams coming and going, injury, frustration, kit buying and chaos came to an end when I boarded the flight to Iceland.
Seven Peaks – Seven Islands part II – Greenland
Here’s the second miniblog about my Seven peaks – Seven Islands challenge…
Climbing in Greenland is an honour that few have experienced. The flight from Iceland over the Denmark Strait is enough of an eye opener, particularly as you approach the teeth like mountains of the coast, but the Watkins Mountains are a magnificent range of ice-capped peaks.
Terra Nova Equipment – Brand Ambassador
The best partnerships are those where both sides work to help each other. Therefore I am very pleased and proud to announce that I have accepted a role with Terra Nova Equipment as a Brand Ambassador. We are both based in Derbyshire and have worked together for many years. Where we exactly first met is lost somewhere in the mists of time, but they have helped me on many occasions with my expeditions across the world. Initially it was with the specialist needs that Frostbitten hands require in the way of gloves. Getting any to fit was an almost impossible task, but with a little imagination and a lot of pinning we have succeeded. Since then I have also tested many tents, sleeping bags and rucksacks, and regularly place gear reviews on their website.
The ICEMAN Polar Race…
People accuse me of doing crazy things. Well, that’s fine by me. You see, what to many seems completely mad, to me sets a challenge like no other on this earth…