ABOUT MATT
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.
Favourite climbs
Summer
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
Winter
Cold Couloir – Aosta (Italy) – WI4
North East Spur – Ben Nevis – IV/5
Castle Ridge – Ben Nevis - III/3
Expedition Leader
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.