Dave Talbot (MIA) – Ever since I can remember I have been playing around in the outdoors. I was brought up in the small village of Tytherington just north of Bristol and for me these were happy years: working on farms, riding mountain bikes and seeing how many cuts and bruises one could sustain in an hour away from my parents. At the age of 5 I went on a family skiing holiday to the famous ski resort of Kitzbuehel in Austria and (although this was my first ski holiday) I remember breaking away from my parents and taking the lift to the top of the world cup downhill racing ski slope ‘The Hahnenkamm”. Trying to ski down this incredibly steep slope was a bit dicey to say the least with my 3 days of ski school experience but I succeeded in making it down the slope in a mach 10 snow-plough – wildly out of control – but with a smile from ear-to-ear. From that moment on, the mountains, adventure and challenge has been part of my daily life.
As I got older I joined the scouts and learnt more about the natural environment – going on expeditions and camping trips around the UK. In my teenage years I raced motocross at a high level before a bad injury led me to the decision to start rock climbing. At the age of 18 I decided not to study architecture at university but to instead follow my heart and passion and work in the outdoor industry – something that I have never looked back on!!
Dave is a full member of the Association of Mountaineering Instructors
Membership No: 1376