Andrew Stephenson 15258
Membership Mountain Training Association
Membership Type Qualified Member
Membership Number 15258
Renewal Date 29/12/2025
Phone 07968973711
Email bolivianandy@hotmail.com
I am happy to travel further afield for the right project or if an area cannot supply what you are looking for because the instructors there are too busy!
I have led and assessed Duke of Edinburgh Award groups at all levels of the Award and provided first aid cover at festivals, and provided rigging to help children with autism fly as part of projects with the Bare Toed Dance Co and adults flying with La Fura Dels Baus.
My main background is 30 years plus as a Youth Worker and Registered Social Worker with children.
It’s been a privilege to travel extensively including the mountains of Europe and Nepal to jungle expeditions in Bolivia and Ecuador.
My particular love is introducing people of all ages to the outdoors and helping them to derive as much pleasure as I get, from camping, bivvying, climbing, walking, scrambling and running.
On the running front, 38 of my 54 marathons have been ultra marathons. I have completed the UTMB, Sandstone Way 120, The Lakeland 100 and the Hardmoors 160. I can assist with prep, packing and navigation.
I'm a great believer in being in nature and having goals and challenges, and I would love to help you achieve yours. My current challenge is trying to learn to do a handstand!
I started coaching fell running in 2019 and offer navigation practice as part of this as well as navigation at a slower pace!
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Single Pitch Award | 25/09/2005 | |
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Mountain Leader | 30/08/2002 |
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Advanced First Aid (2 or more days beyond basic 16 hour) | 17/05/2022 | 2.00 |
I attended Trewerne in 1990 and completed my ML training. It was 12 years later that I found myself at High Borrans with Mike Margeson assessing. Apart from secretly setting my hand on fire with the trangia meths it all went pretty well! That'll teach me to move the burner when it's lodged at an angle. I have spent so much time in the outdoors with amazing people, young and old. Took over as Duke of Edinburgh Award Leader at a high school in 2002 and spent the next 4 years taking 100s of people into the outdoors, Lakes, Scotland, Wales, Alps and Bolivia. In 2005 completed my SPA at Glenmore Lodge. So lucky to have been trained and assessed by some awesome mountaineers- hope even a fraction of it has rubbed off.
The SPA allowed me to set up a climbing wall in a Secure Children's home and deliver NICAS qualifications to really damaged and disadvantaged young people. Since 2010 I have done sporadic expeds and a lot of aerial and circus rigging ( including working with La Fura Dels Baus and training with Thomas Loriaux, working on the Trincamolee at the Maritime festival, rigging off the beautiful ship).
2012 saw me embarking on ultra running- completed 20 or so now including the West Highland Way (twice) and Sandstone Way 120, Hardmoors 110. I have completed stage one of my UKA Fell running leaders training and want to use my MLA and fell running together to coach people towards more adventures safely on the fells.
