Mark was born and brought up in West Wales, amongst the surf and sea cliffs of North Pembrokeshire. Having been climbing since a youngster he ventured into the Alps for the first time thirteen years ago, finding himself strapped to a very snowy and cold West Face of the Dru for three days on his first route.
That rather intense introduction caused him to instantly fall in love with the idea of Alpine climbing. After many summer and winter seasons both in the Alps and in Britain, he joined the British Mountain Guides and then trained for four years to become a fully qualified International Mountain Guide. Some things Mark’s done and is doing at the moment include:
• Winter climbing at grade VIII,8, including new routes such as Soul Vacation and The Gnomon.
• Summer climbing up to E7 6c, including new routes such as Fever and Revival.
• Alpine Climbing up to ED2, including N. Face Dru, Grandes Jorasses, Droites, Scotch on Rocks and his new route Battement Du Coeur, Scottish VII.
• Holds the record for the Lakes 15 classic routes link up, 17 hours 16 mins.
• Holds the record for the most routes climbed in 24 hours in the langdale valley, 156 routes.
• Holds the record for the Ceredigion Coastal Path run, 100 kms in 12 hours 23 mins.
• Personal Best for Mont Blanc from Bionnassay, up and down in 6 hours 53 mins.
• Completed the 1st circumnavigation of Pembrokeshire, 120 km Run, 40 km Kayak and 130 km bike ride in 28hrs 36 mins.
• 1st guided ascent of Bananiere Republique, Grepon, ED1 E4 6b
• 1st Guided ascent of the Traverse of the Chamonix Aigs, including a reverse of Grepon-Charmoz traverse, 3 days.
• Team Wales Lowe Alpine adventure racing team 1997-2002 world circuit touring.
• Made the 1st ascent of Arctic Monkeys in the High Arctic – Baffin Island, on an unclimbed 1400m Vertical wall on an un climbed peak, living on the wall for 3 weeks, graded A4.
• 2012 - 1st circumnavigation of Pembrokeshire-ultimate triathlon.
• 2012 - 1st ascent of 6,000m peak Tharang 1 in the Indian Himalaya and of 5,500m peaks Tharang Fang and Jasminka.
