Simon Dell is currently the Director and Co-ordinator of Moorland Guides www.moorlandguides.co.uk on Dartmoor having been a member of the Dartmoor Rescue Group for 20 years before becoming a Dartmoor National Park guide some years ago. In 1997 he was awarded the MBE for services to Mountain Rescue, the Dartmoor Rescue group and Search & Rescue Dogs Association South West. In 2002 he was awarded the Queen's Commendation for bravery for the rescue of a man and son in difficult circumstances. He now co-ordinates 26 guides on Dartmoor and beyond and also works on Lundy Island as well as Skomer guiding. He has written twelve books including walking guides in the west country on Dartmoor, Lundy and the Exmoor coast. He holds the local South West Mountain and Moorland Award Winter and Summer and also the WGL and HML. He has taken part in expeditions to the Himalayas, Nepal, Tibet and also the Alps, having submitted Mont Blanc in his 50s. "The MLTE qualifications are an essential park of my working life and also my leisure time enjoyment of the hills and mountains, but maybe it's time to take the plunge and go for the Mountain Leader award before I'm 60!"