ALEX KAY
Technical Guru who does all the hardcore stuff
Alexander Kay is a qualified Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor and International Mountain Leader with extensive worldwide experience. He has guided for over 12 years, his career taking him all over the planet. He has a vast knowledge of the UK’s national parks and most demanding mountain ranges. Throughout the spring months, Alex delivers guided Cuillin Ridge traverses and facilitates successful ascents of all 12 Munros on the Isle of Skye. During this time Alex also guides similar mountaineering objectives in Scotland, such as traverses of the Aonach Eagach ridge and ascents of Tower Ridge on Ben Nevis, both situated on the West Coast of Scotland.
Alex loves to teach, and to look after people, and he has a great talent for leading others. He gains the utmost satisfaction from seeing people realise life-long ambitions; learn; analyse; reflect; and achieve greatness. His enthusiasm is truly contagious, and whether he is working or playing, he'll never be too far from the sea, rivers, mountains or crags.
He tends to move with the seasons, spreading his time between many parts of the UK and further afield; A typical year will see him in Scotland for the winter season, home in Snowdonia for a short period in the spring, up to the Isle of Skye for May/June before heading to the Alps for the summer, finishing off the year being somewhere overseas for autumn before back home for November/December. Each destination offers a plethora of opportunities and experiences.
As well as for himself, he has worked for a vast array of renowned organisations, including national outdoor centres, local education authorities, military training facilities, public and private schools, and travel and expedition companies. He has worked with an innumerable amount of people, of all ages and abilities, from beginner to advanced. He has a brilliant aptitude for building relations and bringing out the best in people; he relishes every opportunity to work with someone new.
Alex holds the Summer and Winter Mountain Leader Award, Rock Climbing Instructor Award, Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor Award and International Mountain Leader Award. He also dabbles with paddling and holds another plethora of water-based qualifications. He's a member of Mountain Training Association, British Association of International Mountain Leaders and the Association of Mountaineering Instructors.