Growing up in a quiet village in the West Midlands I had plenty of outdoor space to keep me busy and the fields and woodlands near my home was where my passion for the outdoors really began. After school and college I left the UK to live in Greece and Canada before returning home to start looking for a career. After a long stint in management and working as a retail manager in a cycle store I made the decision to turn my passion for the outdoors into a career and start working towards mountain leadership and becoming an outdoor instructor.
In 2015 I passed my Mountain Leader and Rock Climbing Instructor Award which gave me the skills I needed to setup my own business and start offering courses to the public. Since then business has grown rapidly and I setup The Mountaineering Company in 2018 with the aim of offering high quality instruction in smaller group sizes with passionate instructors. I now hold the Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor qualification (MCI) which is the highest qualification you can hold for summer mountaineering in the UK.
Passing on knowledge and skills to my clients is what I am really passionate about and watching my clients go onto have big adventures with their new skills is the reason I became an instructor. As a passionate mountaineer, climber and mountain runner I try my hardest to bring that passion with me to every course and feel that’s one of the reason why I have so many repeat clients.
I now live in North Wales with my girlfriend Kathryn where we spend most of our free time climbing, running and hiking in the mountains. I also spend lots of time abroad leading treks in Morocco and climbing in the Alps but North Wales will always be where my heart is!
In 2018 I became a Mountain Training course provider for the Hill, Mountain and Rock Skills courses. I belong to the British Mountaineering Council (BMC), Mountain Training Association (MTA) and Association of Mountaineering Instructors (AMI). I am a regular contributor to Summit magazine and a Montane ambassador.
Matts Latest Articles
https://www.thebmc.co.uk/Scrambling-mountaineering-in-winter-top-tips
https://www.thebmc.co.uk/7-reasons-to-get-into-scrambling
Main Wall Crn Las HS4b
Rap – Gogarth – VS4c
Dream of White Horses - Wen Zawn HVS 4c
Meringue – Peak District – HVS 5a
Dream Boat Annie – Pembroke - HVS 5a
Cneifion Arete – Ogwen – Mod
Cold Couloir – Aosta (Italy) – WI4
North East Spur – Ben Nevis – IV/5
Castle Ridge – Ben Nevis - III/3
Jbel Toubkal Expedition Leader - 2015, 2018, 2019
Jbel Mgoun Expedition Leader - 2019
Morocco Three Peaks Expedition Leader (Mgoun, Toubkal, Ouanakrim) - 2019
Im also a regular contributor to Summit Magazine, Mountain Training Association volunteer and Montane ambassador.
Charlie is a comitted and dedicated mountaineer who holds the Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor qualification, the highest award for instructing mountaineering in the UK (Non winter). He has a dedication to climbing that goes far beyond his professional work and has made a number of hard ascents on extreme climbs around the country.
Rebecca Coles is a Winter Climbing and Mountaineering Instructor (WMCI) and International Mountain Leader (IML). She has climbed and trekked around the world from Nepal to Kyrgyzstan, Argentina to Madagascar and made multiple first ascents including peaks over 6000m in the Greater Ranges and an ascent of Peak Lenin (7134m). In 2019, she climbed 56 of the 4000m peaks in the Alps. When not taking people climbing, she can be found climbing, or at her allotment.
The best way to describe Jade would be “An enthusiastic, knowledgeable Mountain leader who loves the mountains and introducing people to new skills and experiences”. Jade loves nothing more than sharing her passion for hiking, fell running and climbing and when she’s not at work you will find her climbing in North Wales or running in the Alps perfecting her craft!
Jade also has a PHD in Conservation Biology and works as a lecturer for The University Of Birmingham. She has previously worked as a scientific advisor for the Norwegian government advising them on national strategy for wild crop relatives.
Growing up in North East Wales Kathryn had the Clwyd hills on her doorstep and spent most of her time as youngster in the hills and mountains with her family. Since then Kathryn has worked for a number of Outdoor Education Centers and has gained a wealth of experience including becoming a UK Athletics Coach and SUP Instructor.
If you could describe Kathryn in one sentence it would be "A passionate and committed instructor with an total love for the outdoors"