Through my company Red Kite Navigation I am training and giving confidence to people who love the British countryside but are wary of striking out on their own. Understanding how to fully make use of a map and compass sets you free to create your own routes and decide whether or not to follow the crowds. I can also train people to use GPS technology.

Rock Forest Rivers provides short breaks in the UK and Europe allowing people to get away from the stress of 21st century life and immerse themselves in the natural world. We run hiking and canoeing trips in remote places, staying in mountain huts and wild camping.

My role for most of the time involved supporting tour leaders with information about walking programmes, principly written walk descriptions and GPS files. I was also involved in training & supporting tour leaders From early on I was responsible for many of the holiday ideas which featured in the company's portfolio. This included on-the-ground research of new holidays in Austria, Italy, Sweden, Spain and Switzerland, as well as central involvement in many other destinations worldwide. For several years I was in charge of the company's mountain hutting programme in the Alps.

I worked as a walking/hiking & sightseeing tour leader for Ramblers Holidays with adult groups, mainly in the Alps and Turkey. I alternated this according to the season working with American educational tour operators, firstly ALSG, then ACIS, taking groups of American high school students and their teachers on around Europe. Now and again I led tours for other companies.