Thanks for a fantastic time out here, fingers crossed I can get back out soon!
(Africamper)Gavin has organised and led many expeditions and high altitude mountain climbs. He is the Director of Adventure Alternative and the Founder of Moving Mountains Trust and NGO in Northern Ireland and Kenya. He has set up companies in Kenya, Tanzania, Russia and Nepal. Gavin is a qualified mountain leader and a recognised and experienced speaker on 'Leadership under Pressure', 'Taking Risks', 'Climbing Mount Everest' and 'Humanitarian Aid'. He is an assessor for the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and writes regularly for a variety of magazines.
Below are a selection of some of the major expeditions:
Asia
Mt Everest, 8848 m
2000: South East Ridge with bottled oxygen, leader and organiser of 6 man team, part of Seven Summits Millennium Expedition. Used Camps at 6000m, 6800m, 7200m and 8000m. Reached 8750 metres (south summit) and turned back when team ran low on oxygen. Rest of team successful, first summit in 2000 on south side. Sherpas Gyeljun, Jangbu also summitted.
2002: Northeast Ridge with Irishman Will Canning, without bottled oxygen . No Sherpa support. Used camps at 7000m and 7600m. Reached 8670 metres. Turned back when Will dislocated knee. Stranded on ridge, 3 day descent in bad weather.
2005: South East Ridge without oxygen and alone. Used only one camp at 6800m. Made 32 hour climb without stops to summit and back. Turned round at 8750 metres (Hillary Step) due to long queues on summit.
2007: Traverse without oxygen with Sherpa Pasang Tendi. Used one camp at 7000m (north col). Lightweight push on summit day to 8500m for 5 hour rest and then continued to summit. Pulmonary oedema at 8750m (Second Step), 12 hour descent back to Base Camp.
2009: South East Ridge with bottled oxygen, leader and organiser of 3 man team. Used camps at 6400m, 7500m and 7950m. Broken mask valve at 8500m required immediate descent to 6400m.
Mt Cho Oyu, 8201 m
1998: Herbert Tichy (normal) route without oxygen (1st Irish ascent of an 8000m mountain without oxygen). Successful summit.
2007: Leader of 6 climbers on normal route. Very icy conditions. Reached 7400m.
Island Peak, 6185 m
1998, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2009: Successful summits, all pre-monsoon season, leading groups.
Pokalde Peak, 5745 m
1999, 2008: Successful summits, pre-monsoon season, once leading a group and once alone.
North America
Mt Denali, 6456m
1997: West Buttress route, successful summit, ski descent from 14,000' camp.
2000: Leader of 10 man team (Millennium Seven Summits Expedition), West Buttress route, successful summit, ski descent.
2002: Leader of 6 man team, West Buttress route, successful summit.
South America
Mt Aconcagua, 6962m
2000: normal route, 12 man team, successful summit
2007: traverse, 4 man team, successful summit
2009: normal route, 5 man team, successful summit
Mt Ojos del Salado, 6950 m
2006: normal route, 7 man team, successful summit.
2007: normal route, 9 man team, successful summit.
Antarctica
Mt Vinson, 4897m
2000: member of 5 man team, successful summit ( Seven Summits Millennium Expedition)
Africa
Mt Kilimanjaro, 5895m -
Currently 42 successful ascents to Kibo summit in 14 years, on all routes
Mt Kenya, 4995m -
Currently 46 successful ascents to trekking peak of Point Lenana with youth groups
Europe
Mt Elbrus, 5642 m -
17 expeditions in 8 years on normal route, 12 successful summits non summits due to dangerous weather.
Mont Blanc, 4808 m -
Made 2 successful summits on gouter Route
Australasia
Carstenz Pyramid - 4884 m
2000: successful summit (Seven Summits Millennium Expedition), leader of 7 man team
Other Expeditions of note:
Lows Gully, Borneo.
Trans Sahara solo crossing, Algiers to Tammanrasset on foot.
Other peaks climbed over the years:
Scottish winter climbs on Ben Nevis, and Cairngorms
Mt Kinabalu three times