Hello

Ok, so not the most original of titles for the first blog but it seemed appropriate to introduce myself to you all and maybe give you a taster of what to expect from these little forays into the world of writing. So ...

On Beinn Narnain, Scotland

Hi, I'm Col, outdoors addict, map geek, hill bagger and as of a few weeks ago, mountain leader and blogger! I have been a walker since being a small child, thanks to my dad who dragged me kicking and screaming for walks in the Peak District (and beyond) virtually every chance he got. I suppose like most small children I didn't really appreciate it at the time but as I got older then I found the escapism and freedom of wandering across the moors and hills very appealing, so much so I now inflict it on my daughter and so the circle goes on (she'll thank me for it one day). I have a bit of an addiction to the British hills and mountains, which are, in my view, the best in the world. OK, granted they are not quite the Himalayas, Alps or Andes but they have a history, character and variety that is hard to match. The other great thing about the hills in Britain is that they are so accessible; they don't require months of planning, sherpas, inoculations for rare diseases, entry visas and all manner of other bits and bobs you need for an assault on Everest or The Eiger. This does not mean you should underestimate them at all - Britain's mountains may look benign but if you get things wrong then you can find yourself in a lot of trouble very quickly and they do claim their fair share of fatalities (I am also a member of a mountain rescue team so I have to put that warning in). That said there are some great adventures to be had and I have spent as short a time as an afternoon in the hills and bagged summits, seen rare wildlife, done a bit scrambling and had a great time just wandering around all within half an hour of home (I live near Manchester).

The great thing is that walking is kind of becoming a bit cool at the moment. When I was younger I was always seen as a bit of an odd ball and people's perceptions seemed to be walkers were all a bit weird and spent far too much time wearing cagoules and wandering about in the rain to really be sane. However, that seems to be changing lately and I find that now, rather than giving me a wide berth and looking at me blankly people seem genuinely interested in some of the things I get up to. Maybe it was the popularity of Julia Bradbury's Wainwright Walks series, the fact people have less money for foreign package holidays or  just a bit of a wake up to the countryside but I find the hills are getting busier and whilst hiking is hardly the new rock and roll its definitely not the outsider pursuit it used to be.

Corinne and I on the North Ridge of Tryfan

 One of the other influences is, as strange as it may sound, Facebook and social media. I spent years walking on my own, not really having any walker friends. But, now I have a wide range of people from all over the country who I regularly meet up with for walks who I have met through social media (some of them may appear in future blogs). There is also my long suffering partner, Corinne and the previously mentioned daughter, Poppy as well as another little one on the way who will all make cameos somewhere down the line.

For years now I have wanted to escape my mundane office job and spend more time out on the hills with an outdoor job and I got the kick I needed when I was made redundant just before Christmas 2015. I used the payoff to do my mountain leader training and then the assessment at the National Mountain Centre, Plas Y Brenin in Snowdonia. Fortunately all my years of walking and my membership of a mountain rescue team meant I already had enough experience to skip straight from the training to assessment and passed first time. Which now brings us to Everyday Adventures. As you may have guessed already I'm passionate about getting out in the hills and want to get many more people out there safely and introduce them to the fun you can have. I feel there are many people out there who sit looking at hills and mountains saying "I would like to go up there", but for whatever reason never do it. I firmly believe that if you want to go then there are no barriers to you doing it and Everyday Adventures is there to support you. No matter what your reason for thinking you cant get up your desired mountain then we will find a way to overcome then - unfit/overweight? then we will take our time - lacking in confidence? then we'll support and guide you - don't know where to start? then we will give you training in navigation and skills - lack motivation? then we will help you with charity challenges or whatever else will help you achieve your goal.

If you would like to know more then there is a website that you can find here or you can follow us on Facebook by clicking here, or twitter here