The best of my adventures and the little things that take my breath away
7th March 2016
There isn't a place Katie would rather be than walking high in the mountains or idling along the valleys below. Almost two decades has passed since her first visit to Snowdonia on a school trip. In the years that have followed, she has spent many happy moments walking and exploring the mountain peaks of North Wales, the Lakes and Scotland. The best days have been shared with friends and Reuben; the more special moments with family and topping out alone with a map and compass.
The Nepalese earthquake of 2015 has left its mark and in the two years since, time in the mountains has been limited. However, with the beautiful Highlands on our doorstep, we are never short of the views and of the landscape as we run, bike and paddle our way round the surrounding glens and forests. It is with hope that as time heals, the mountains will once again become a place to journey to often and with gratitude.
The Nepalese Himalayas are a vast and sacred landscape, home to many of the world's highest peaks. Nestled in the foothills, villagers live simply and care free, many now making a living from the many thousands of tourists who visit annually.
Katie's first visit was to the Annapurna region in 2006, trekking to base camp and following in the footsteps of many great mountaineers. Returning twice over the following four years, she trekked to Everest Base Camp, crossing rivers and ascending higher and higher until EBC was reached at 5535m.
In 2014, Katie returned to Nepal with her partner, Reuben to live and work in the Himalayas. Settling into the village of Machermo at 4400m, she provided assistance to locals, porters and trekkers for the autumn trekking season - the pinnacle of which was summiting Island Peak at 6189m. Together, they returned to the Himalayas in the spring of 2015 to work and volunteer at the HRA Pheriche post.
After wild adventures in the Nepalese Himalayas, Katie's first trip to the Western Isles was as a newly married woman. Sailing from Oban, the first stop was Barra for a few days exploring its barren beaches before heading north up through Uist, Harris and Lewis. The following spring, it was the Orkney Islands for an Easter bike-packing adventure, pedalling into Inverness, boarding the train to Wick and heading via John O'Groats to the ferry terminal. Skye is only a few hours drive from home and has provided some superb mountain biking trails.
Based in Inverness, capital of the Scottish Highlands, we have access to some of the most beautiful landscapes in the British Isles. Exploring from our front door along the shores of Loch Ness or chasing past Culloden Moor, we have plenty of routes to explore on our road bikes. With a vast array of forests, we've explored trails in the Cairngorms and plan to attack those in the far North towards Torridon. And not content with just the odd day pedalling, we've also strapped luggage to our bikes and explored beyond the UK mainland as far as Orkney. What more could you want on your back door?
Specialising in expedition and high altitude medicine, Katie holds the UIAA Diploma in Mountain Medicine. She has completed two treks to Everest Base Camp, 5535m as an Expedition Doctor and has also lived remotely in the Himalayas volunteering for two seasons at the IPPG Machermo Rescue Post and HRA Post Pheriche, respectively. At both posts, she was one of three doctors working to ensure the safety and wellbeing of locals, porters and tourists during the peak trekking seasons. During the Spring 2015 season, Katie had just returned to the HRA post before the earthquake struck, devastating the region. Her team were subsequently involved in helping stage a mass casualty evacuation from EBC down to the lowland.
In addition to high altitude medicine, Katie's interests include trail running and endurance events; she has spent time volunteering as a Race Doctor for the Lakeland 100 and Ultra Tour de Mont Blanc (UTMB) ultra marathon events in the Lakes and Chamonix respectively.
With a passion for travel and adventure, Katie has been exploring the globe for almost three decades. Though her career and interests have previously taken her to Nepal and the expanse of the Himalayas seven times, her recent adventures have been chasing the sun’s shadows across the Sahara and Wadi Rum deserts. Before motherhood, Katie travelled extensively through Europe, South America, Asia, Southern Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Fiji.
Since her first backpacking adventure in 2001 to Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, Katie has spent time exploring temples in Cambodia, following the footsteps of the Incas in Peru, travelling the length of Vietnam and travelling by boat in the Amazon Rainforest.
During a fortnight in the USA, Katie drove from Chicago to LA following the classic Route 66 and after a stroke of luck, travelled with Reuben courtesy of free KLM tickets to Cuba. Following the theme of road trips, with our children we have journeyed from Sydney to Brisbane and from Marrakech to the Atlantic coast, taking in the sights and waves of Essouria and Casablanca.
