Why I climb...

Mountaineering is the by-product a passion for the outdoors instilled in me by my rural Canadian roots, combined with an inherent sense of ‘wanderlust’.  Being outside in the fresh air, under blue skies and surrounded by soaring mountain faces – be they Himalayan peaks, Canadian Rockies or the Alps – is where I often find myself filled with an overwhelming sense of awe and inspiration. I love the mountains because they put so much of life into perspective and allow you to open up to new experiences, new journeys and people who inspire you every step along the way.
I’m not your ‘typical’ mountaineer… I do lots of ‘stuff’ that I’ve been fortunate enough to do thanks to some very flexible employers and supportive friends who have tolerated my outdoor-addiction. Achievements beyond my ‘day job’ as a Management Consultant at PwC have included having had the opportunity to climb mountains including the NE Ridge of Mt. Everest, Aconcagua, Kilimanjaro, Mera Peak, Island Peak, Lobouche East, Kyajo Ri and skiing and climbing extensively in the Alps. 

I’ve also managed to sneak in a few non-altitude driven cheeky little adventures such as cycling 500kms across Tanzania,  7500kms across Canada (both without training) dragon boat racing down the Thames with the Sisterhood, white water rafting on the Bhote Kosi and Karnali rivers in Nepal, walking 100kms / 24 hours for the Trailwalker Challenge....  

The lessons I’ve learned on these journeys and the people that I’ve met along the way have allowed me to draw from my experiences and work with both internationally recognised alpinists and leaders in the finance sector to develop parallels between leadership lessons learned and challenges faced on a mountain and those faced by businesses today.