A life of adventure
As one of the founders of Spirit of Adventure, John is a respected, experienced climber and instructor and for over 25 years he has led many groups to spectacular places all over the world.
Born and raised on the family farm in Sussex, John was a restless child with a great desire to see more of the world. He left the farm aged 30 and took a job at Gatwick Airport where he joined the landscaping and grounds maintenance team. A year later he was offered a job at a school in London for children with challenging behaviour, initially as kitchen staff - but before long John was asked to take on their outdoor education. He took the children camping, climbing, trekking and canoeing and eventually gained qualifications in mountain leadership, the SPA climbing award, and the BCU canoeing & kayaking award which broadened his horizons, enabling him to travel and work anywhere in the world.
In 1988 John was invited to join the British expedition to Kusum Kangguru in Nepal; he took two months off work and enjoyed it so much he didn’t want to return. Soon after he met kindred explorer, Sandy Simpson and discovered they both wanted to deliver thrilling and challenging expeditions, which provided people with opportunities to push boundaries in breath-taking locations. So together they devised an idea for a new project called ‘Spirit of Adventure’. He has canoed in Alaska alongside whales, eagles and bears, guided a group to a source of the Amazon in Peru, and spent time discovering the delights of tiny islands off Mexico; he has taken multiple teams trekking in remote areas of Pakistan and Greenland, and has led climbing courses in Spain and of course his beloved Nepal. He has particularly enjoyed scouting out new locations that push boundaries, as well as working with teams of locals in the field. A fair share of unforeseen adversity has also come his way – such as when he and his group were caught in a devastating earthquake in Nepal in 2015. Fortunately, none of his party were hurt and everyone made it safely home, although for the local Nepalese it was a hugely destructive earthquake which left villages destroyed and over 8000 dead. John has lost colleagues and friends over the years who shared the same wanderlust but weren’t so fortunate. He is quick to say that this lifestyle is not without risk; he is often in remote locations with little opportunity for rescue, but the thrill of achievement and the joy of travelling to the wild places of our world, pull him back time after time.
Over the years, the company has evolved to encompass adventures for children, and now works closely with The Prince’s Trust, local primary schools and the National Trust. It runs two bunkhouses – the newly refurbished Dewerstone Cottage and another one at Powdermills. Over the course of a year it provides residential outdoor education to over 3000 local primary school children who experience Dartmoor’s great outdoors through dynamic and challenging activities such as rock climbing, canoeing and trekking. The company uses experienced, enthusiastic guides and instructors and has become a leader in facilitating the necessary expedition requirements for the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme; it has also been delivering residential team-building courses for The Prince’s Trust for over 20 years. Founded by Prince Charles in 1976, the charity aims to support vulnerable young people, many of whom face homelessness and mental health issues; taking part in activities builds confidence, develops self-esteem and has a lasting impact on the attitudes and outlook of the young people who attend.
Semi-retired, John now works in a consultancy role with Spirit of Adventure, although he is still quite hands-on and continues to maintain his long association in support of a group of adults with learning disabilities. For now, John is enjoying Dartmoor and the home he has made there overlooking its beautiful wild landscape. He also seems to have come full circle, enjoying helping a local farmer with the stock in a field at the bottom of John’s garden - and whilst he still enjoys back-packing across the moor, he finds quiet delight in sitting in his garden in the summer, watching barn owls track back and forth. John says it’s all about finding quality not quantity - I would say he has had, and continues to have, a quality life full to the brim.
Nichola Williams
For more information visit spirit-of-adventure.com