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Nigel has been at the forefront of adventure, exploration
and expeditions for the last 40 years.
He has a unique
relationship with Mt Everest, having been a high altitude climber on the
successful expedition in 1976 that put two SAS soldiers on the summit,
as well as leading his own expedition to the remote Lho La of Everest
through Tibet, and organizing the first Everest Skydive which introduced
freefall parachuting to the Himalayas… An Everest trilogy without
comparison.
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 As
an entrepreneur, Nigel brought the Merrell Outdoor Footwear brand to UK from
the United States establishing Merrell as the undisputed
top European footwear brand in the mid 1990s. It still holds that position
today. What he learnt, and still learns, from the world of adventure he often
applies to business risk assessments, strategies, tactics and what he calls
“guerrilla marketing”.
Nigel has written
books on the planning of expeditions and adventures
(notably Telegraph “Adventurous Traveler”) and has been
a consultant editor to “Geographical”, the official
magazine of the Royal Geographical Society. He was instrumental in the
structuring and launch of BS 8848 the British Standards Institute’s benchmark
for fieldwork, expeditions, and adventurous activities.
In October 2008, he organized the first skydiving from
29,500ft in front of Mt Everest with the international skydivers landing on
the highest drop zone in the world. This adventure received more media
coverage than any Himalayan expedition since the first ascent of Everest in
1953 projecting Nigel late in his career into the limelight.
He was instrumental in the structuring and launch of BS 8848
the British Standards Institute’s benchmark for fieldwork, expeditions, and
adventurous activities. In 1996 he was
made an OBE by Queen Elizabeth II.
Highlights of Nigel’s Career
An Everest Trilogy
Creating, planning and leading the First
Everest Skydive 2008; leading a lightweight expedition to Everest’s remote
and seldom visited Lho la in Tibet 2006; being a high altitude climber of
the successful 1976 expedition that climbed Mt Everest via the South Col,
Nepal.
Rafting the “Everest of Rivers”
Through the Siang Gorge of the Brhamaputra.
One of the most spectacular, forbidding and unforgiving rivers in the
World in the remote tribal Areas of NW India.
The Sámi Reindeer Migration
Living and working with a Sámi family in
the Artic circle while escorting their reindeer herd deep into their
grazing grounds during three separate migrations.
Climbing the Lotus Flower Tower
2000ft granite wall of Lotus Flower Tower,
in the Yukon’s Cirque of Unclimables, where the grizzly bear and wildlife
have seldom seen people and have no fear of humans.
Thar Desert Expedition
With the Clifton Scientific Trust.
Reconnaissance and leadership of a science based expedition with 30 Indian
and British young people to study the socio-economic and health impacts of
irrigation in arid lands.
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Chronological History of Events
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1969
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First British Ascent of the
multi pitch Squamish Chieftain Grand Wall, Canada |
1970
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First Ascent of “the Curse”,
the biggest overhanging climb in Britain |
1975
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One Day ascent of Mt Kenya
(170,25ft) |
1975
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Nuptse South Face Expedition
(25,790ft) ~ Greater Himalaya |
1976
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Everest South Col (29,028ft) |
1976
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Old Man of Hoy Sea stack |
1978
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Solo Ascent of Mt McKinley
(20,320ft), Alaska |
1978
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First Sherpa-less Himalayan
expedition – Himal Chuli (25,890ft) East Face |
1979
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Multi pitch Big Wall Climbs ~
El Capitan, Half Dome- Yosemite USA |
1980
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Big Wall Climbs USA ~ Devils
Tower, Wyoming. Diamond Wall, Colorado |
1980
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First Continuous Traverse of
the Palisade Range ~ California |
1981
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Lotus Flower Tower’s Big Wall
~ Yukon Territories |
1981
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Member of British rock
climbing delegation to Japan |
1981
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Represented the Royal
Geographical Society at Pakistan’s Mountaineering conference |
1982
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Chairman of National
Mountaineering Conference |
1983
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British Record 50 way freefall
attempt |
1985
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Rhine Army Parachute
Championships |
1987
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Crew Member ~ World Record
Parachute Stack and British 50 way record attempt |
1988
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Journey from Kashmir to Ladakh
on the World’s highest road and Reconnaissance of Masheru Kangari
(20,030ft) |
1990
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Lightweight Alpine style
Expedition to Kulu Himalaya |
1991
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Balloons over Everest ~ Design
and provision of High Altitude camera platforms |
1992
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First British Ascent Hanuman
Tibba West Face (19560ft), West Himalaya |
1994
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Thar Desert Expedition (Indo-
Pakistan border) ~ study of irrigation in arid lands |
1996
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Round the World Balloon
Project with Richard Branson |
1998
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Facilitated a private audience
with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India for the All Party
Parliamentary Group for Tibet, Palace of Westminster. |
1998
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(1999 and 2001) White Tiger
Protection Programme with the Maharaja Pusperaj Singh of Rewa at Tala
Bandhavgah, India |
2000
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Made a journey searching for
the history of the Lama Ferra healing practices practises used by Buddhist
monks over the last 2500 years ~ Sikkim and West Bengal |
2005
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(also 2006 and 2007) Arctic
Reindeer Migration with the Sámi |
2004
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Parikrama over the Charang La
(17,596ft), Kinner Kailash |
2005
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Second descent of the Siang
Gorge of the Brahmaputra, Tribal Areas NW India |
2006
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Mt Everest Lho La Expedition
Tibet/Nepal border |
2007
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GKN Mission Everest- Permits,
Permissions and all preparation and logistics for Bear Grylls and Neil
Laughton |
2008
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Mt Kilimanjaro (19,340ft) with
two times British Para Olympic Representative David Padgen |
2008
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Created the highest Drop Zone
in the world at 12,350ft and test skydived in front of Everest onto it |
2008
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Project Director and Leader of
the first Everest Skydive from 29500ft in front of Mt Everest (29,035ft) |
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