My forty-year love affair with mountains began aged 12, when my uncle started to take me on camping and climbing trips. For me, being in the mountains is being at home, as echoed in this quote by John Muir:

“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity.”

This was written more than 100 years ago, when the pace of life was so much slower than today. If wildness was a necessity back then, how much more essential is it to us now? Having worked in the outdoor industry since 1981, I have seen countless examples of weary people benefitting from the beauty and wildness of our mountains. If you need to take time out to explore your physical and mental boundaries, to reconnect with what is important, to be encouraged and refreshed, then a trip to the mountains could be just what you need. 

We know that there are many other people and organisations out there offering outdoor experiences, so why should you choose us?

• Many providers place the emphasis on the outdoor activity itself, on what you physically do. We are more interested in the whole experience, and on the restoration it can bring.

• We specialise in very small groups and personalised experiences, whilst many providers offer low-skills activities to large groups.

• I have been an International Mountain Guide since 1997 - to explain what that is, the following info is taken from the website of the British Mountain Guides: A Mountain Guide holds the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations carnet, the highest qualification in the world for leading people in the mountains, whether skiing, climbing or mountaineering. Mountain Guides come in many shapes and sizes – the one thing they have in common is their passion for the mountains.

In my free time, I enjoy climbing, reading, motor biking, and doing fun things with my family. We are members of our local church, Lakes Christian Centre in Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria

For more about Chris' areas of expertise and his work as an expert witness contact us on 0117 986 2194 or at enquiries@iew.org.uk.

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