Plas y Brenin

The highest outdoor qualification I hold is International Mountain Leader, a qualification that can only be awarded by one of the UK's mountain centers. 

Returning to Plas y Brenin today as a subject specialist instructor I took a moment to pause, to let myself feel gratitude for the journey back to here. The National Outdoor Centre, nestled in the heart of Snowdonia, has been a cornerstone of British mountaineering since 1955, shaping countless adventurers, helping make the outdoors safer, literally setting the standards to aspire to. To come full circle—from student to now instructing others, for that to still feel so special—is a testament to the enduring legacy of this remarkable place. 
As a Trustee of the wider Mountain Training organisation I now get glimpses behind the curtain that make me all too aware of the cracks and the fragile nature of our national center, and just how precarious and challenging bringing that legacy into the 21st century can be. Today even to the casual visitor it was clear that much work needs to be done on the bricks and mortar, not as visible or easy to recognise is the work being done to engage underrepresented groups and people who perhaps haven't always felt welcome here, to put people skills on the same level as rope skills, to put the learner and not the syllabus at the centre of our goals. 

I'm honored to contribute even a little to its rich history and inspire the next generation of outdoor leaders to be the best they can.