Our Team
All Imp Adventures Mountain Leaders are current, competent and qualified to undertake their allocated activities. They all hold the relevant National Governing Body (NGB) award or equivalent, and are all qualified in mountain first aid.
Our Team
All Imp Adventures Mountain Leaders and Cycle Guides are experienced, current, competent and qualified where required to undertake their allocated activities. They all hold the relevant National Governing Body (NGB) award or equivalent, and are all qualified in Mountain First Aid.
Imp Adventures only employs responsible, mature outdoor enthusiasts to lead its activities so you can be sure of a first class service, and a rewarding experience for your hard earned cash.
Damon Blackband
Director – Damon Blackband
Damon has been an active mountaineer and climber for over 32 years. A holder of the Summer and Winter Mountain Leader awards as well as his Single Pitch Climbing Award and the prestigious International Mountain Leader Award. He has led over 100 expeditions around the world including North and South America, The Pyrenees, Corsica, Norway, Morocco, Russia, Italy, The Himalayas, Vietnam, Cambodia, Kenya, Cuba, Tanzania, Borneo and most of the Alpine regions. He has led technical climbing expeditions to over 6000m including numerous ascents of Aconcagua 6962m, Everest Base Camp and Kilimanjaro, including guiding over 400 clients to the summit of Kili with 18 summits. He has also climbed many of the Alps 4000m peaks.
Damon has planned, organised and led hundreds of cycling challenges throughout the world for dozens of charities, corporates, open challenges and individuals, he has also provided mechanic support for the 2019 World Road Race championships in Yorkshire
Damon's hobbies and Interests when not away leading expeditions are food, wine and travel, in addition to clocking up thousands of kms a year on his road & mtn bikes. Damon is a Cytech qualified cycle mechanic and owner of a large collection of cycling shoes and multi-tools!
Damon holds the International Mountain Leader (IML) award, is a member of the British Association of International Mountain Leaders (BAIML) and offers mountain walking and snow shoeing activities within the remit of the IML. He also holds additional qualifications to cover other activities that are outside of the IML remit.
Chris, Damon & David on a recent Coast to Coast challenge
Phil Allen
Activity Leader - Phil Allen
An Ex Royal Marine Helicopter Pilot, 'Darby' is a very experienced and capable Mountain Leader who has climbed all over the world in both summer and winter to over 6000m including numerous Alpine 4000m peaks. He has extensive experience in High Altitude Mountaineering and has recently climbed in the Andes the Himalayas, Africa, Russia and Morocco. Darby holds qualifications in both Trekking and Climbing and is remote mountain first aid qualified.
Imp Adventures staff celebrating another successful cycling challenge
Chris Hare enjoying a Scottish Winter
Activity Leader – Chris Hare
Chris has climbed and led on expeditions to the Andes on a number of occasions, climbing Aconcagua 6962m in Argentina in 2008 and 2013, and in recent years to over 6000m in Peru and Bolivia. He has spent more than 10 seasons in the Alps climbing over 30 of the 62 four thousand meter peaks. He has climbed all over the world and has trekked some of the established classic trails including both the Corsican GR20 and the Appalachian Trail in North America.
As well as Mountaineering, trekking, rock and ice climbing Chris is also a passionate Mountain Biker and Snow Boarder, where he is ever searching for the ultimate high.
Chris brings with him a wealth of experience and talent and is a valuable member of our team.
Beth HT
Activity Leader/Doctor - Beth Hall-Thompson
Beth could only be described as ‘crazy for the mountains and altitude’, and therefore any means of getting up them under her own steam. She has been hill walking for years and added climbing and mountaineering more recently; with recent mountaineering expeditions to the European Alps, Greenland, The Andes, Nepal, Africa and the Indian Himalaya. She lives on the edge of the Lake District and works as a Doctor locally, fitting in expeditions where she can with a view to further specialising in this area. Beth was lucky to recently spend a 6-week period working in the Medical Facility at Pheriche (4,200m) en route to Everest Base Camp. Beth successfully climbed Mt Everest In May 2013 on her first attempt.
Activity Leader - Bronwen Davies
Bronwen is a long-standing member of the team, She has climbed and guided on Kilimanjaro and Everest Base Camp and assisted on the National 3 Peaks and Mt Toubkal as well as on numerous trekking, walking and cycling challenges around the World. In her spare time Bron can be found either in her local Brecon Beacons or further afield gaining more experience towards her Mountain Leader award and her Single Pitch Climbing Instructor Award.
Cycle Leader - Liz Powell
Liz joins the team as a keen and experienced road cyclist
She has completed numerous charity challenges and cycling events throughout the UK and in Europe including The European 3 Cities Challenge, London to Paris, Paris to Geneva, Edinburgh to Dublin and the Italian Lakes. Liz is a keen amateur mechanic and enjoys nothing more than getting her nails dirty whilst fettling her prized Wilier road bike.
Chris Rhodes - Mountain & Cycle Guide
Chris has been a member of the team for a number of years now. A very active mountaineer, cyclist, climber, and Fell/Mountain Marathon Runner.
A qualified Mountain Leader, Climbing Instructor and Cycle guide - Chris has led in a variety of areas around the world. Being ex forces his interests mostly involve all of the afore mentioned activities!
He lives in the heart of the Lake District and most of his down-time is spent cycling running and climbing. Good weather equals a combination of all these together with a wild camp and swim thrown in for good measure.
As a keen club cyclist and runner the Bob Graham Round and Fred Whitton challenges have both been fun along the way.
Chris enjoys the company of other like-minded individuals with a sense of humour and a good yarn to tell
From summiting 4000m Alpine Peaks, cycling across the Alps ( a number of times) to gentle plods in the fells taking in the birds, animals and fauna, Chris brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to help others achieve whatever goals they may have.
Andy McIntyre - Mountain & Cycle Guide
Andy served as a Parachute Regiment soldier and Army Air Corps helicopter pilot for the best part of 24 years, and it was during this time that he developed a keen interest in the mountains and high areas of the country, where his love of fell running found him competing the length and breadth of these Isles. During this period, he won the Welsh 1000m Peaks Race no fewer than 3 times. He also had the fortune to train and qualify as a Mountain Leader.
On leaving the Forces he took up cycling, initially to commute, but then realised that this was the way to see the world. Regular self-supported trips on 2 wheels feature on his calendar. His attention to planning and nutrition has seen him complete and succeed in a number of long-distance events, most notably breaking the record for Wales in a Day, by completing the event in less than half a day.
Andy also represented Great Britain at amateur level in the UCI World Championship Gran Fondo in Australia 2016.
He is Cytech qualified in order to keep himself (and others) rolling, and generally cycles approximately 1600km every month.
When not in the saddle, he enjoys fine wine, real ale and folk music.
Jase Grime - Mtn Guide
Jason Served as a member of the Parachute Regiment and as a helicopter pilot in the Army Air Corps, culminating in 24 years service. In his military career he excelled as a member of the Red Devils parachute team becoming champion of Great Britain in formation skydiving on no less than three occasions. As a helicopter pilot he flew around the world for UK Special Forces. Jason’s love for adventure started at a young age, coming from Manchester he was never too far away from Snowdonia, the Lake District and the Peak District. Being a keen mountaineer see’s him often climbing from Chamonix and exploring the high Alps. This has seen Jason summit a substantial number of the 4000m+ peaks of Europe. Jason was also one of the first three members of the British armed forces to complete the Swiss military high Altitude mountain survival course which took place in and around the infamous Eiger. Landscape and adventure photography is another passion which brings another discipline to his outdoor skills.
David Eastwood - Cycle Guide
Dave recently joined Imp Adventures as a cycle guide. A long distance and endurance cyclist Dave achieved the lifetime award of Super Randonneur from the Long-Distance Cycle club, that’s a 600km, 400km, 300km and 200km rides in the same season, all timed events. Having complete the London to Paris 24 with 12 minutes to spare he has experienced some of amateur cycling’s toughest events.
Mark Cunningham - Cycle Guide
Edinburgh to Dublin cycling challenge start pic
Isle of Wight ‘round the island trek’