Bio

I am an active climber, runner, and mountaineer based in Devon. You might have heard of it? Kathmandu, Chamonix, Exeter…

In a previous life I refer to as the years BC (Before Climbing) I played a lot of sport and studied BSc (Hons) Exercise Science. I did a bit of globe trotting after graduating and worked in the big smoke before having my epiphany.

Since then I have worked for a long time at Cotswold Outdoor and Snow+Rock as their company trainer, and then for a few years worked a variety of part-time jobs including: freelance writing and photography; lecturing in Outdoor Ed at a local college; and leading groups in the outdoors as a Mountain Leader and Rock Climbing Instructor. I’m now a Social Media manager for outdoor related brands, and two professional climbers.

I used to describe myself as a ‘moth to a flame’, inasmuch as that climbing frequently terrified me, but I couldn’t stop. These days, while I still get the fear occasionally, I am much better at dealing with it. I have never thought of myself as ‘a runner’. I only really run to stay fit for upcoming mountain adventures, and to be able to eat a lot. Similarly I suppose I don’t really identify myself as a pure climber either. I only got into local crag climbing as a surrogate for more sporadic trips to the big hills. My dream days are spent scurrying and scrambling in the mountains, faff free immersion in wild and exposed places.

Experience

I wanted to write a sort of Outdork CV here but that feels a bit wanky (is a bit wanky), and even calling it Experience makes me wince a bit, but until I think of a better word here is a list of some things that I have done that - if I’m not exactly proud of - do feel worth mentioning for a variety of reasons:

Climbing grade PB’s:

trad onsight E3 | solo/ground up/highball E5 | bouldered V8/7B | sport redpoint 7b+ | headpoint E6

I’ve climbed all over the UK and abroad including Verdon, Riglos, Yosemite, Lofoten, and bouldered in Font. I am a cautious climber, but paradoxically my favourite way to move over rock is soloing. Easy soloing.

Memorable mountain days and notable ticks:

Mountains:

14 Alpine 4000ers including Mont Blanc (the highest I’ve been), the full Breithorn traverse, Cosmiques Arete; Half Dome (Yosemite); Skye Black Cuillin Ridge (<7 hours, solo); Suilven (bivvy on Burns Night); Aonach Eagach; An Teallach; Presten

Trad:

The Prow (Cummingston); Right Angle; Doorpost; Terriers Tooth; Snake Dike; Wreckers Slab; Sacre Coeur; Astral Stroll; Devils Slide; Moonraker; Main Wall; Dream of White Horses; Coronation Street; Tower Ridge; Napes Needle; Vestpillaren Direct; Svolværgeita; Bare Blåbær.

Sport:

Empire of the Sun; Devonshire Cream; Fiesta de los Biceps

Boulders:

Crescent Arete; Not to be Taken Away; Cream Traverse; Aerobic Wall; Boysens Groove; King of Drunks; Hot Ice; Scorn; La Joker; Rippled Wall

Wish List:

Eiger Heckmair 1938 Route

Matterhorn

The Nose

Archangel, Cenotaph Corner, Old Man of Hoy

I’m gradually ticking through: Classic Rock (55/83), Hard Rock, and West Country Rockfax Top 50. 42/282 Munro’s.

Running:

In general I only run for myself, I really don’t like the feeling of racing and am a bit grinchy about running in groups. That said, the Cuillin Ridge on Skye with Libby is probably my best ever day in the hills.

Snowdon Horseshoe (1h 52m) | Race the Train (beat it by 5 seconds) | Yorkshire 3 Peaks | Tromsø SkyRace | Welsh 3000ers (<9 hours) | Skye Black Cuillin Ridge (<7 hours) | Entire South West Coast Path (630 miles) | Bob Graham Round (23:22) | Strava KOM on Slaetarratindur (Record time on the highest mountain in the Faroe Islands) | Dartmoor ‘30 miler’ | 214 Wainwrights | Pamplona Bull Run

Writing & Photography:

I’ve mostly written magazine features for Trail Running Magazine, UKClimbing.com, Sidetracked, Outdoor Fitness, Active Dartmoor, The Fell Runner and others. More recently I’ve worked in Social Media for outdoor related brands and writing copy for campaigns, articles and websites.

My photo's have been used by several global outdoor brands on their social media platforms. They have appeared in Climbers Club and Rockfax Guidebooks, all of the above magazines and websites; plus double page frontispiece’s in The Adventurers Guide to Britain and Wild Running, and I even had a prestigious front cover for The Fell Runner.

Awards:

It amuses me greatly to call myself an ‘Award Winning Photographer’, when the reality is I’m a snap happy punter who’s been in the right place a few times.

Marmot UKC Photography Awards 2017 Best Scrambling Photo

Best Photo 2018 South West Coast Path Association

UKC Photo of the Week June 2019, July 2020

UKC Photography Awards 2020 Finalist (Bouldering)

UK Hillwalking Photo of the Week, December 2021

Marmot UKC Photography Awards 2021 Best Hillwalking Photo