Having spent lots of my childhood outdoors, I started walking the hills, camping, mountain biking, climbing and even kayaking as a teenager. Through the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme and my Sixth Form College I learned skills and began travelling further afield to climb and walk in Snowdonia, the Peak District, the Lake District, and ski in Scotland and Norway.
Over the following years I have studied Outdoor Education, Climbed rock and Ice in the US, France, Italy, Switzerland, and Norway, as well as all over the U.K.
I also spent a couple of years volunteering with the local Mountain Rescue team,N.E.W.S.A.R.
I volunteer with the Scouts, helping with training and Duke of Edinburgh expeditions amongst other things.
I currently qualified as a Mountain Leader and a Rock Climbing Instructor, and am working towards becoming a Mountaineering Instructor.
I have also climbed a lot of trees, having spent 10yrs working as a tree surgeon.
I also managed to find the time to get married and have 3 children
I work 3 days a week in the ProAdventure Shop
I have owned a Paramo Helki jacket for a few years now and
find I wear it most days.
Before I got the Helki I had a lightweight Paramo jacket and
found that while it was great, the lightweight fabric was not really durable
enough for me. I tend to subject my kit to quite a bit of abuse and after a
fair amount of winter climbing the lightweight fabric was showing some wear.
So, I got a Helki (my son inherited my old jacket), seeing in it a good
compromise of features, durability and price.
Having spent lots of my childhood outdoors, I started walking the hills, camping, mountain biking, climbing and even kayaking as a teenager. Through the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme and my Sixth Form College I learned skills and began travelling further afield to climb and walk in Snowdonia the Peak District, the Lake District, and ski in Scotland and Norway.
The Llangollen area is not perhaps the first place that springs to mind when you think about rock climbing in North Wales. It is often ignored by the hordes travelling West to the famous routes and crags of Snowdonia. But if you fancy getting away from the crowds and exploring a beautiful area with a host of climbing through the grades then it is worth stopping off to see what is on offer.
