Alien mountain is my website... welcome! I have been Head of Outdoor Pursuits at Birkdale School in Sheffield for the last fifteen years. I started my professional career in outdoor activities with Outward Bound Wales in the 1980's, and the ethos and values of OB have stuck with me ever since. So, Alien mountain is not so much sport focused as personal development driven. I am interested in the individual, but even more interested in the team. The best high mountain experiences are always centred around a functional team, where good relationships are enjoyed and successes are shared.
As a committed Christian I am also interested in helping the poor, and when we visit and travel through the high mountains of the world we often encounter people who are materially poor. Often they are spiritually and emotionally rich, and we can learn much from this. In Nepal, Birkdale School has been sponsoring and helping schools in the Kokhana area of Kathmandu for the last 8 years, under the able leadership of Mr Keith Brook. Alien mountain endorses and supports this work wherever possible.
I am a member of the British Mountaineering Council and the Association of Mountaineering Instructors. I hold the MIA (mountain instructor award), Winter ML, SPA, and am also a Level 3 Inland Kayak Coach. I organised and provided leadership to both the expeditions featured in the site, ably helped by team members in various roles. I have climbed and paddled all over the place for years. I am married to Louise, and we have a son and daughter at university.