Born in Lancashire, Nick moved south to attend the University of London, where he studied for a degree in Environmental Geography. During this time he served for four years with the Officer Training Corps, having been awarded an Bursary with the Queen’s Lancashire Regiment (QLR). At university Nick spent a month in northern Pakistan trekking in the remote Karakorums, and was attached to 1QLR in Germany and Canada, having completed an officer training course with the United States Army on Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Due to a mis-diagnosed knee injury, Nick did not join the regular army but went into a career in property. After four years, and having had his knee injury correctly diagnosed and treated, Nick took a sabbatical. Over the next two years he led treks in China, India and Nepal.

Nick was also worked for both John and Rebecca Ridgway for six months at John’s Adventure School at Ardmore, Sutherland, described as “the UK’s toughest management training school”. Here, Nick was senior instructor and taught rock climbing, sea kayaking and mountaineering to multi-national corporate management teams. A return to property after this period in the outdoors led to a second degree in surveying.

He has summited both Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and Elbrus in Russia, 2 of the 7 Summits, and climbed Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in the contiguous United States, solo. Nick is a qualified Mountain Leader, is Winter Mountain Leader and Single Pitch Award trained, is a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

Nick's other interests include SCUBA diving and sea kayaking. He has run the London marathon twice, completed several triathlons at Sprint and Olympic distances, Trailwalker, the Highland Cross, and Caledonian Challenge events. in 2009, Nick completed both the London and Edinburgh marathons, and in 2010 he ran the Glasgow to Edinburgh Double Marathon and the legendary Marathon des Sables. In 2011 he became a father, and in 2012 he landed on Rockall during a reconnaissance expediton for his biggest challenge: Rockall Solo, which he completed in 2014, setting a new 45 day occupation record.