Martin Moran on a traverse of the An Teallach tops March 2015 (photo: Steve Loraine)

Martin with Simon Jenkins at the Schreckhorn Hut mid-way through their 52 day odyssey over all the Alpine 4000m peaks in 1993 (photo: Ian Dring)

Director Martin Moran is one of Britain's most experienced Mountain Guides. He was brought up on Tyneside, and developed a boyhood love of mountains into his professional career. After teenage backpacking trips in the Lake District and Scotland he learnt the skills of rock climbing and went on to climb some of the great faces of the Alps, including the North Faces of the Les Droites and the Eiger and Mont Blanc's Peuterey Integrale, plus difficult solo ascents on the Piz Badile, Chamonix Aiguilles and Aiguille Verte. He gained a BA Hons in Geography from Cambridge University and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1980.

After becoming a British Mountain Guide in 1985 he and his wife, Joy, moved to Lochcarron in the North-West Highlands of Scotland and set up their climbing school. Combining Martin's guiding skills with Joy's organisational and culinary talents their Winter and Spring courses soon established a reputation for adventurous climbing backed by high quality meals and accommodation.

Alpine courses became a major part of the guiding year with summer operations based in the beautiful Swiss village of Evolene for 20 years from 1994 to 2014. In 1992 the business branched into Himalayan expeditions with a trip to 6667m Gangotri peak, the first of over 40 adventurous treks and climbs across the Indian ranges, many of which have recorded first ascents. In 2005 Norway Ice Climbing and Arctic mountaineering holidays commenced and these have become a popular part of the programme. Moran Mountain became a limited company in 2002 and continues to provide top-quality guidng and courses through a team of committed and highly-trained staff.

In recent years Martin and Joy's son Alex has qualified as an MIC Mountain Instructor and has helped the business as an instructor in Scotland and trek leader in the Himalayas.

Martin has developed a secondary career in writing with 5 Books including his autobiography Higher Ground (2014) and regular articles in journals and magazines. He has recounted his adventures to lecture audiences all over Britain, incl Kendal and Dundee Film Festivals and the Royal Scottish Geographical Society.

Martin and his staff love to share their passion and commitment with their clients in mountain adventures, whether on the peaks of Torridon and Skye or the remotest corners of the Indian Himalaya. Among Martin's personal 'firsts' in the mountains are:-

• First round of all 277 Munros in a single winter in 83 days, 1984/85.

• First non-stop self-propelled traverse of the 4,000 metre peaks of the Alps with Simon Jenkins, in 52 days in 1993.

• Record-breaking run across the Cuillin Ridge of Skye in 3 hrs 33 mins in 1990 and 50 successful traverses with clients.

• Over 100 new climbs in the mountains of North-West Scotland, including major grade VIII winter ascents such as Beinn Bhan's "Godfather".

• 14 first ascents in the Indian Himalaya with clients incl South Face of 6861m Nanda Kot (1995), Nilkanth West Ridge (2000), and Cheepaydang (6220m) (2014)

• First British ascent of the Vettisfossen, Norway's highest single-plunge waterfall, in 2010.