About
I am proud to have spent my life protecting others.
Now continuing to do the same, but by teaching people how to be safe whilst in the
great outdoors, through navigation skills & advice.
My Past
My interest in walking & backpacking started after my first adult holiday on Exmoor, having just left school.
When I started at University I joined their mountaineering section, where I spent weekends away backpacking in the National Parks of England & Wales.
However, University wasn’t for me, so I joined the police, where I remained for 28 years. I spent my weekends (one a month) away in the hills.
It was whilst in the police that I became involved with taking groups away for their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award expeditions.
For this I needed to qualify as a mountain leader, where I had to hone my navigation skills. I also became a First Aid Instructor with the police, where I was taught how to pass on the theory and practice of treating casualties. I now use the those teaching techniques to instruct navigation skills.
The Present & beyond
After my retirement from the police, I continued taking groups away, until I moved away to Crete in the 2010’s.
Having returned to the UK, just prior to the Country being shut down by COVID, my wife & I decided we no longer wanted to live down South, so we moved to Northallerton, North Yorkshire.
Northallerton is a perfect location close to the North York Moors & the Yorkshire Dales & a quick trip along the A66 to the Lake District.
It was whilst out with groups of walkers, who often followed, suggested routes from Guide books, that I became aware that some peoples navigation skills, needed improving. So a business idea was fermented, and “Map Skills – Moors & Dales” was started.
RESCUE EMERGENCY CARE CERTIFICATE
I attended a 2 day intensive out-door first aid course held at the Swaledale Mountain Rescue Centre in Catterick Garrison, to renew my first aid certificate.
The instructor, Tim Cairns MBE, is absolutely brilliant and I cannot recommend him and the course enough. The first day is class room based where you go over the changes in accepted treatments. [I’m not sure if this course would be suitable for anyone new to First aid, a good knowledge is required].
The second day, the assessment is held outside, in our case in a snow storm in a wood. It added realism.
Again I can highly recommend this course, great value for money and a great investment in your time.
Find out about the course details & book a course here: –
https://www.medicrec.com/About-MedicREC
