Failing those accountancy exams in 1999 were the best thing that ever happened to me.  The subsequent winter that I spent in Verbier really opened my eyes to the joys of ski touring, an alpine pursuit that gave me the freedom to explore the mountains away from the crowded pistes.  And being so accessible to London, I have gone back time and time again.

In May 2000, I completed the famous ski traverse from Chamonix to Zermatt – the Haute Route.  The route takes six days and takes in some of the most breathtaking scenery in the Alps.  The Patrouille des Glaciers in 2004 was an obvious progression.  The Alps have also proved a useful training ground for many of my mountaineering expeditions