Pat Parsons
Pat’s passion for mountains started at school where he spent rather more time and energy on the mountains of North Wales than he did on studying! The upside of this was that it led him to join the Royal Marines as an officer and to specialise as a Mountain Leader. He eventually became responsible for all their mountain and cold weather training.
Whilst following a full and varied military career, Pat seized every opportunity to climb and trek in wild places all over the world. He has led expeditions in Europe, North America, Africa and the Himalayas. Amongst his most significant achievements are organising and leading the first-ever ascent by a British team of Gimmigela in the Himalayas, and the award of a Royal Humane Society Bronze Medal for carrying a severely wounded mountaineering colleague off Tent Peak in the Himalayas (down to base camp where Pat had to provide life-saving first aid until medical help arrived 24 hrs later).
Pat is highly experienced in cold-weather climates and has trained teams travelling to the North Pole in winter survival techniques. In 2007 he led an expedition to South Georgia and the Antarctic peninsula which undertook a programme of adventure training, glaciological and archaeological research, and environmental surveys. He has lived and worked in Norway, spending many happy months leading groups ski-touring in the mountains. He is a BASI qualified Telemark and Nordic ski instructor, a rock climbing instructor and an International Mountain Leader.
Apart from mountains, Pat’s other loves in life are his wife Nicky, who often accompanies him as a co-leader on Explorers World expeditions, and expedition photography.
Having been at the sharp end of mountaineering and exploring for most of his life, Pat also appreciates the comforts of life and strongly believes that a good expedition includes time for fun, good food and company, and a few beers!