As a youngster Andy was lucky enough to spend many school holidays in the Lake District, in addition to attending a very active Scout troop; one that allowed the youngsters to have great adventures during weekly meetings and on camps. This combination led to a love of the mountains, enabled with at least some rudimentary skills and knowledge. An accidental meeting with climbers in Borrowdale eventually led to rock climbing and mountaineering becoming his principal sports, bringing with it lifelong participation.
Following a PGCE at Bangor University, he spent 10 years teaching and instructing, where he had the opportunity to learn from more experienced colleagues and led a wide range of activities.
For the last thirty years Andy has worked as an instructor/technical adviser/course provider in outdoor activities. He continues to be a provider for all the base-level Mountain Training walking and climbing awards and was for many years a freelance inspector for AALA then AALS.
Andy has written climbing guidebooks and instructional manuals, has been heavily involved in the work of Mountain Training and the British Mountaineering Council (BMC), both professionally and as a volunteer, and is currently Technical Director of Mountain Training Cymru and Chair of the BMC Training, Youth & Walls Committee. He was one of the founding members of Association of Mountaineering Instructors and received the BMC’s George Band Award for exceptional voluntary contribution to mountaineering in 2019. Andy remains an active climber and outdoor enthusiast.