Alexander Clay 154300
Membership BAIML
Membership Type Full Member
Membership Number 893/16
Renewal Date 31/12/2024
Membership Mountain Training Association
Membership Type Qualified Member
Membership Number 154300
Renewal Date 01/10/2024
Membership AMI
Membership Type Full Member
Membership Number 24705
Renewal Date 01/07/2024
Snowdonia and the wonderful areas it has to offer, have always fascinated me. I have extensive local knowledge and am qualified across multiple disciplines; You can find me instructing all kinds of activities, from mountaineering and climbing, both in summer and winter, to kayaking, canoeing and sea kayaking, and gorge scrambling, coasteering and sea level traversing.
I'd like to think my enthusiasm for the outdoors is contagious, and whether I am out working or playing I will never be too far away from the mountains, crags, rivers, lakes or sea. For many people the outdoors is a vast unknown, but there is such opportunity to learn!
My work and my passions have taken me to many wonderful places, and I continue to be in search of new experiences. Memorable destinations include Nepal, Thailand, Borneo, Costa Rica, Tanzania, Morocco, Kenya, the Alps, Pyrenees, and Scottish Highlands & Islands. I move with the seasons; A typical year will look like this:
Winter: Scotland
Spring: Snowdonia/Skye
Summer: Alps
Autumn: Overseas/Snowdonia
From here-on I have intentions to instruct and guide all around the World for as long as my body will allow. I am currently striving towards completing the Winter Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor Award, so drop me a message if you want to get out and climb in Scotland this winter!
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Winter Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor | 01/03/2024 | |
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Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor | 19/10/2018 | |
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International Mountain Leader | 02/03/2018 | |
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Winter Mountain Leader | 26/02/2016 | |
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Mountain Leader | 23/03/2014 | |
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Single Pitch Award | 12/07/2012 |
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Winter Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor | 01/03/2024 | 3.00 |
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Course Directors and Staff Update Workshop for Climbing and Walking Leadership and Skills schemes - MTE/MTC | 17/10/2023 | 1.00 |
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11. WMCI(T) Update/Refresher/Pre-assessment shake down..! | 08/01/2023 | 1.00 |
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AMI Winter CPD Weekend - Aviemore, Scotland | 07/01/2023 | 2.00 |
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03. Trainee Teaching Winter Climbing | 07/01/2023 | 1.00 |
My first experiences of the outdoors were whilst growing up - camping and canoeing trips with the family, and days out exploring the hills around Northern Snowdonia. This extended to trips as a Scout, and the completion of my Duke of Edinburgh Awards at school.
During my final years of education I participated in a Student Expedition to Madagascar. My eyes were opened to the possibility of a career within outdoor education. Inspired by my Expedition Leader, I dropped out of University and dedicated myself to this new goal, completing my Mountain Leader Training in 2011, before embarking on a few seasons with PGL to get started within the industry.
My first placement at an outdoor education centre was at Blue Peris Mountain Centre, between 2013-2014. Afterwards I chose to pursue a career within freelance instructing. Over the course of the subsequent 3 years, I had come full-circle, instructing for a reliable breadth of outdoor education centres, and leading my first of many expeditions, two of which were for the same company I had gone to Madagascar with. In 2018, I completed the Instructor Scheme at Plas Y Brenin, further enhancing my skill-set and opening up many more opportunities.
I have been fortunate enough to work across the UK and overseas ever since; For an innumerable amount of fantastic outdoor education centres and independent providers, and through guiding on over 20 student/adult expeditions, venturing to some of the World's highest peaks. I am forever thankful for having the ability to combine my passion for the outdoors and enthusiasm for travel in the work that I do.
I remain self-employed, working in a freelance capacity for many organisations, and privately with my own fantastic clients (www.alexanderkay.co.uk). Nowadays the hardest job is striking a balance between work, play and completing a few more qualifications as the years go on...
Alex is a very conscientious and well organised instructor of outdoor activities. He combines technical ability with an enthusiasm that motivates those he works with. I have no doubt that Alex will make an excellent mountaineering instructor and am more than happy to endorse his participation in the MIA scheme.
Activity
- Hill walking
- Indoor climbing
- Rock climbing
- Other
Relationship
- Colleague
Alex is a very professional, conscientious and friendly instructor. I first met him when I was Senior Instructor and he was a Trainee Instructor at Blue Peris in 2013, and quickly realised he was very capable and talented across a multitude of disciplines and saw that he would progress well in his career as an instructor. Since moving on from Blue Peris, he and I have kept in regular contact and have climbed together on numerous occasions on UK and Alpine rock and ice and he has proved steady, efficient and competent. I introduced Al to Scottish Winter in 2014 and he has since dragged my sorry backside up ice which was far too steep for me in Cogne. Most notably, as equals we enjoyed (!) swinging leads on an ascent of the Cassin Route on the NE face of the Piz Badile this summer, doing the round trip from Chamonix in under 36 hours. Al's determination and sense of humour shone through right up to the 5am arrival back in Cham. He's very good with all manner of clients having recently completed a stint at PyB, and I thoroughly recommend his suitability for the WMCI award - he will be a very strong candidate with youthful energy and vigour balanced by a measured and mature approach.
Activity
- Hill walking
- Indoor climbing
- Rock climbing
- Winter walking
- Winter climbing
- Other
Relationship
- Friend / partner
- Colleague
