Our Staff

Qualified, experienced, expert instructors, who know the place like the back of their hand!

 

Guy | Founder / Instructor

Guy is an experienced outdoor enthusiast spending all of his free time in the mountains. He has climbed and skied all over the world including the Alps, Greenland, Alaska, New Zealand, USA and Himalayas - including several first ascents in the Greater Ranges. He currently splits his time between the Alps and Sheffield. When not developing Pure Outdoor and The Pure Outdoor Foundation, Guy gets out most days, climbing, running, biking and skiing. He holds the Winter ML qualification and is a qualified Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor.

 

Jennifer | Finance

After a decade skiing and playing in the Alps, Jen returned to Sheffield and the Peak District where she now looks after the finances at Pure Outdoor. When she's not in the office chasing staff, Jen can be found chasing after the kids, finding adventures in the local woods and hills.

 

Gavin | Operations / Instructor

Gavin believes that climbing holds the answer to many of life’s problems and is passionate about sharing his enthusiasm. He is at his happiest moving over rock in some quiet, undiscovered corner of the Peak District which is why, in addition to climbing, he teaches navigation skills year-round. In his role of Head of Operations, Gavin is often the first point of contact with Pure Outdoor and is generally believed to be unfailingly cheerful. However, he is not a morning person and it is wise to avoid him until after the first coffee of the day!

 

Stephen | Operations / Instructor

An experienced mountain skills coach, road cycling guide, caver, climber and fell runner, Stephen instructs navigation and mountain skills year round and has led countless mountain challenges and expeditions throughout the UK and Europe. Always cheerful in the face of adversity, and with a taste for the epic, Stephen achieved a long-held ambition by completing the Bob Graham Round in June 2015 - loving every minute of it!

 

Charlie | Instructor

Charlie has been an active and passionate climber and mountaineer for over 20 years. In this time he's pursued all the different disciplines climbing has to offer, from ice climbing in the arctic circle, to adventurous traditional climbing in the middle east, and of course climbing extensively around the great British isles! Having completed a degree in Outdoor studies and Sport science, he qualified as a Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor (MCI), and now delivers a whole host of courses for Pure Outdoor.

 

Ella | Instructor

Ella started climbing with Brownies in 2006 and competed nationally for 8 years and progressed into competition coaching for 4 years, leading her into outdoor coaching for the last 5 years. She was the youngest female to pass her Development Coach and Rock Climbing Development Coach. In her personal climbing she has achieved 7b sport and working towards the higher grades as well as E3 on Welsh slate and 7B boulder on both limestone and grit. She absolutely loves a good slab in any form of climbing.

 

Dan | Instructor

Dan has been working as a freelancer in outdoor activities since 2013 and has climbed and caved extensively around the UK and Europe. He holds a First Class Honours Degree in Outdoor Activity Leadership and Coaching on top of various Mountain Training and Cave Leader awards including the Rock Climbing Development Instructor, Development Climbing Coach, Summer Mountain Leader and Local Cave and Mine Leader award. He has worked with many organisations and has trained and assessed other instructors on the same pathway. He has also coached people of all abilities in climbing, from first time beginners to GB Youth and GB ParaClimbers competing at an international standard.

 

James | Instructor

James is an all rounder who's equally happy fridge-hugging the latest boulder project, balancing his way up a bold sea cliff or swinging axes on the Ben. Another day might bring enthusiasm for teaching contour interpretation, fell running or chatting kit over a coffee. Past cold weather adventures have taken him dog sledding in Greenland, skiing over volcanoes in Iceland and following wolf tracks over frozen lakes in Canada. James holds the Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor, Winter Mountain Leader and Development Coach qualifications.

 

Rick | Instructor

Rick’s passions are climbing snowy peaks and walking in wild places. He has over 25 years experience of climbing and walking in the UK, particularly on his doorstep in the Derbyshire Peak District, his home country Scotland, and further afield in the European Alps, Nepal, USA and North Africa. Through his service in the Royal Marines navigating in jungles and arctic environments, he enjoys teaching navigation to empower others to have the confidence to explore further.

 

Rachael | Instructor

Having graduated with a degree in Outdoor Education, Rachael qualified as an RCI and ML(S). She is often found around the UK, from Southern sea cliffs to climbing Scottish winter routes. "I'm happy whatever the weather and my passion is sharing my knowledge and love of the outdoors!”.

 

Matty | Instructor

Matty is a self-proclaimed climbing obsessive. Having discovered climbing and mountaineering after uni, he left a full-time career in pursuit of the outdoors and began a new life as a climbing instructor. Having never looked back, Matty can usually be found somewhere on the grit delivering courses or climbing with friends any time the sun is shining. "Climbing has given me some of the richest and most treasured memories in my life so far. From the amazing places it's taken me, to the closest friendships that have been formed, it's something I couldn't live without and I love nothing more than sharing my passion with new people.”

 

John | Instructor

John got introduced to all things outdoors through the Boys Brigade in N Ireland during the Troubles, and now live in Sheffield, the undiscovered gem of Yorkshire. He is a WMCI and AMI member. He has been working as a freelance AALA inspector for the North of England for the last ten years.

 

Chris | Instructor

Chris has been a climbing, caving and boating Instructor for over 20 years. He has a contagious enthusiasm for all outdoor activities and is always more happy to share his knowledge (and anecdotes) with anyone that will listen (or is fortunate enough to be in a cave with him).

 

Tomo | Instructor

Tomo has been wandering the trails, crags and mountains of the world for 30 years and leading folk on them for 20. A passionate environmentalist with an inability to sit still, he runs the local branch of CPRE, is a volunteer countryside warden, a veteran and a member of the local mountain rescue team. He takes quite a few photographs, and owns far too much outdoor gear.

 

Neil | Instructor

Neil has been enjoying the wonders of traditional and sport climbing since the 80s, moving to Sheffield in ’87 to have all the fantastic outdoor activities of the Peak on my doorstep. He’s climbed in Europe, the USA and Australia, though his favourite areas are the grit of Derbyshire and Yorkshire, the sea cliffs of Pembroke and the mountain crags of Wales and the Lakes. “Being able to pass on my experience to others is just marvellous”. *Neil fails to mention that when he's not being the stunt double for Matt Damon in ‘The Bourne Identity', he made the first of ascent of one of the world's hardest trad routes of it's time, Equlibrium, E10 7a at Burbage!

 

Jez | Instructor

Jez is a passionate mountaineer having a wealth of experience climbing in the Peak National Park. He has a passion for passing on his extensive knowledge of the area and the skills needed to keep you safe. He is an affiliate of Mountain Training as a Rock Climbing Instructor (RCI). His pursuit for adventure has taken him worldwide climbing rock and ice though currently he often enjoys the warmth of Spain for Sport Climbing.

 

Matt | Instructor

Matt is an instructor in a variety of activities that the Peak District has to offer, including rock climbing, caving, mountain biking and paddling. Having spent 11 years as a teacher he now works full time as a freelance instructor, with his main passion being rock climbing. He is based in the Peak District, but has climbed across the UK, Europe, America and New Zealand. His plan is to climb a 'big wall' in the near future.

 

Mark | Instructor

Mark has been climbing for over 40 years and instructing for over 30 of these. He is still passionate about climbing and regularly gets away on trips to the crags in North Wales, the sea cliffs in Pembrokeshire and the mountain crags in Scotland as well as sport climbing in Europe. He still gets excited about an evening out climbing in the Peak, especially local gritstone crags such as Stanage Edge.  Mark was also an A level Geography teacher for 30 years so feel free to ask him questions about the landscape but don’t expect a short answer! Always cheerful when he’s in the outdoors unless he hasn’t had enough Yorkshire tea or he’s hungry.

 

Becca | Instructor

Becca has been climbing for over 20 years after discovering it at University. She has climbed all over the world including the Alps, America and South Africa but always returns to her beloved Peak Gritstone. A keen fell runner, she makes the most of the cold, damp days training for Ultra Marathons and basically getting wet and muddy. She is passionate about introducing people to the outdoors through climbing, running and expeditions. A Climbing Development Coach, RCDI, ML, DofE assessor and NNAS tutor, she has a wealth of experience in helping people engage with their environment.

 

Pat | Instructor

Pat is a passionate secondary school teacher and climber who has worked in a number of contrasting schools. Pat is a firm believer that the outdoors and climbing can be used to bridge social division and improve mental well-being, especially for the young. During his time at Hope Valley College, he helped run the very popular climbing club that included weekly indoor bouldering sessions, taking part in local competitions and outdoor trips. He has climbed across 6 continents in a variety of disciplines from Patagonian alpine climbing, Scottish mixed, sport multi-pitching in Mexican desert,  to first ascent choss climbing in the Orkney Islands.

 

Hannes | Instructor

Originally from (East) Germany, Hannes has always been a keen camping and watersports enthusiast, taking part in regular dinghy sailing comps until he discovered climbing in 2006. Since then he’s been trying to spend as much time as possible climbing and going on mountaineering trips rather than spending time earning the funds for them! After giving up trying to be a (MFL) teacher, he’s returned to full-time instructing - climbing, caving and navigation activities year round, as well as running 16hr first aid courses.