There’s a certain romance to the word mountaineer — conjuring images of icy peaks, ropes slicing into snow, and brave souls dangling off cliffs in storm-force winds. That’s definitely not me.
My own mountain experience has been more about long days on foot, navigating wild and remote uplands, and camping out in the hills. I’ve walked all the hills over 2,000 feet in England (aka Nuttalls), tackled several in Wales, and climbed about a dozen Munros in Scotland. I’ve explored mountain terrain abroad too. More on that later.
Part of this particular story was getting my Summer Mountain Leader award on 25th June, 2000. Completing this hard-won achievement wasn’t just about becoming a guide — it was about honing the skills I’d already gathered, (I recall stumbling across soggy Pennine moors with my friend, Helen, practising our night navigation skills), and becoming more confident, more capable, and maybe just a bit more prepared.That training was a milestone for me.
Part of what made it so memorable was Nick Banks — our trainer and assessor. He made an impression from the moment he introduced himself: “I’m Nick Banks, the second Kiwi to climb Mount Everest.”
Nick had a gift for delivering hard-won mountain wisdom with dry wit and absolute clarity, although Helen and I were both slightly in awe of him. A few of his quotes have stayed with me.
On mountain weather:
“Those beautiful lens shaped clouds in a clear blue sky you see on top of mountains? They’re called ‘get the F out of here’ clouds.”Lenticular clouds are beautiful but can indicate dangerous high winds.
On river crossings:
“Don’t.”
On not assuming a colleague’s ability:
“If Reinhold Messner was climbing over this stile, you’d say, ‘Hey Reinhold – it’s a bit slippy here‘ and offer him a hand.”Look after each other, and don’t anticipate behavior or assume experience
These weren’t just throwaway lines — they reflected Nick’s deep understanding of the mountains, of people, and of the unpredictable ways the two interact.
After qualifying, I had the chance to put those skills into practice as a guided walks leader for HF Holidays — leading memorable group walks and managing all the unpredictability that comes with people, rough terrain and weather. More on those stories coming soon.
The start of this story was when I signed up as a volunteer countryside ranger with Lancashire County Council — and started leading some guided walks under the tutelage of a great friend, Brian Faud. Another friend from that time, Paul went on to become a full time ranger with the service, we were so proud of him achieving his dream job. Again, more stories to come about these times.
Despite all my experience, I still manage to get myself into the occasional scrape. But now, thanks to the training, when the clouds gather or my route disappears, I hear Nick’s voice in my head and breathe. This technique has stood me in good stead for off the mountain problems as well!
Recommended Links
If you’re curious to dig a little deeper into some of the things I’ve mentioned — from the training I did, to the hills I’ve walked, — or even a bit more about those lenticular clouds (and why you should avoid them) here are a few links you might enjoy:
- Mountain Training UK – Summer Mountain Leader Award
- List of Nuttalls (hills over 2,000 feet in England & Wales) (Yes, I got those two in Devon!)
- Lenticular Clouds Explained – Met Office
- HF Holidays – Becoming a Leader
- Lancashire Countryside Service – Volunteering
With thanks to ChatGPT for helping research, structure, and grammar check this post.
No Route Map: Still Learning, Still Looking 