Team Members

John Hegarty

Has led over fifty expeditions including ventures to Bolivia, Canada, China, Ecuador, France, Iceland, India, Peru, Thailand and the United States. He is a Churchill Fellow, a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, a Member of the National Council of the Young Explorers Trust, a Plato Award holder and an Assistant Principal of a Technology College.

2002 Teaching Award Winner for South England for School and Community Involvement

Clive Burgess
Head of Upper School in a large Weymouth Sports College. Co- Founder of the Dorset Expeditionary Society, he has 20 years experience of youth expeditions in the UK and overseas. He is a Fellow of The Royal Geographical Society. He has led expeditions to Canada, the USA, South America, Europe. Climbing experience covers Alaska, Colorado, the Alps, Andes, Canada. His most recent climb was on Mt McKinley (Denali), one of the world’s most demanding mountains.

Martyn Hastings
Joint Services Mountain Expedition Leader. 25 years experience of leading young people’s expedition groups worldwide in a variety of mountain environments. Countries include Nepal, Mexico, Ecuador, Malaysia, Spain and Morocco. Leader of 13 previous expeditions to Kenya. Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme assessor.

Josie Hastings
Recently retired Outdoor Education teacher from Budmouth Technology College. Extensive experience of overseas expeditions for young people built up over the last twenty years, specialising in trips to Kenya for the last ten years.

Mark Salmon
Mark is head of physical education and teacher in charge of outdoor education at The Wey Valley School, Weymouth. He has taken part in and lead many expeditions. These have included trips to Nepal, Colorado, Spain, French Alps and Mt. Rainier. Mark is very involved in the delivery of the outdoor and residential programme at the Wey Valley School and is in charge of their Duke of Edinburgh Awards Programme.
In 2006 Mark became a Churchill Fellow for his expedition to Colorado. More information is available at www.bikecolorado.co.uk.

He also founded and runs the Big Fish Adventures website www.bigfishadventures.co.uk dedicated to fostering the spirit of adventure and encourage, through active participation, the development of leadership.

Ollie Bray
Ollie has been climbing for the last 15 years. He is a full member of the Association of Mountaineering Instructors, the Institute of Outdoor Learning and is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. He is currently Deputy Head Teacher at Musselburgh Grammar School in East Lothian, Scotland.

Previous expeditions include ventures to British Columbia, Alaska, Norway, Wyoming, Mt. Rainier, Dolomites and South Africa. Many of these ventures have been approved by outside agencies including the Young Explorers Trust, the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme and the Dorset Expeditionary Society. Ollie is a keen mountaineer, sea kayaker and open boater. www.olliebray.com

Dr Frank Swinton
Frank is our Medical Director. He is our UK based medic to whom we refer for advice/ medical consent forms. Frank is part of the expedition screening committee and comments specifically on medical issues/concerns and also give advice to peer led trips.
Frank has been an assistant leader and expedition medic on several expeditions with Leading Edge Expeditions and is a qualified Anaesthetist. His previous medical placements have included Canada and Antartica.

Lucy Wyman
Secretary of the Dorset Expeditionary Society (part time)
Webmaster for www.dorsetexp.org.uk & www.leadingedge.org.uk, www.twitter.com/expeditions.
Produces DESpatches magazine back copies can be downloaded from www.dorsetexp.org.uk

Karen Edgeley
Karen is leading the 2011 Nepal expedition. She has participated on numerous expeditions including Cascades 2008 and Nepal 2009. She teaches art at the Wey Valley School, Weymouth. She loves walking, painting, wild landscapes and is forever in search of PEACE!
 
Richard Backwell MBE
Richard is a retired teacher and expedition leader. He established the Okhle Village Trust in 2003 with Bimal Gurung. The Trust runs a variety of projects in a cluster of villages in the Mahabharat hills of Northern Nepal. Its aim is to contribute funds, expertise and manpower to enriching the remote communities it enjoys close ties with, in both a sustainable and ethical way. Find out more at www.okhle.org.uk

Richard Edgeley
Director of Sport at The Wey Valley School. Married to Karen. Two children Rosie and Tom. Been involved in sport all his life. Loves mountain biking, real ale and cheese. Richard particpated on the Beast of Briatain Mountain Bike Expedition in 2009.

Louise Burgess
Head of Art at Colfox School. Married to Clive with twins Megan and Charlotte (Both of whom went on the Beast of Briatain expedition with her aged 1 ) Loves art, good coffee and adventure sports.

James Monypenny
Mountain Leader and Young Leader. James has led several expeditions including trips in the UK, Alps, Corsica and Kyrgyzstan. He plans to lead a trip to Morocco in Summer 2011. Read more at http://africaexpedition2011-morocco.blogspot.com/

Sarah-Louise Kelly
Leader of the Corsica 2010 Expedition. Sarah has previously led Expeditions to the Dolomites on the Via Ferrata. She also participated on the Cascades 2008 Expedition.

Matthew Christmas
Leader of the Cycle Norway Expedition in September 2010, Matt has previously taken part in Expeditions to India & Tibet.

Trevor the bear
Veteran teddy bear (thought to be in his 30's) and Dorset Expeditionary Society mascot. Adopted by J. Hegarty some twenty-five years ago after being abandoned by embarrassed previous owner (a pupil) on a Welsh school trip. Has travelled on annual expeditions with John ever since. He luckily survived a nasty incident in Peru with a customs officer.