Main Team

Teams

Squadron Leader Dave Tait RAF – Expedition Leader

Having grown up in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, Dave was commissioned into the RAF Regiment as a direct entrant. He has served in Germany, Belize, the Falklands, Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq. He is currently employed within the Equipment Capability Area of the Ministry of Defence and in his previous tour commanded the RAF Regiment’s Parachute Squadron.

Dave started climbing while he was at school and after joining the RAF managed to continue his pursuit of vertical challenges. He has climbed extensively in the UK and the European Alps as well as in the Canadian Rockies. He summitted Ama Dablam in 1998 and was a member of the 2004 Expedition to Makalu’s South East Ridge.

Dave is looking forward to getting to grips with the mountain after nearly three years planning and organising the Expedition – not without a few grey hairs along the way!

Flight Lieutenant Jonathon Percival RAF

Born in 1974 and educated at Carnoustie High School, I joined the RAF in January 1993 as an Operation Theatre Technician and commissioned as a Medical Support Officer in April 2002. I am married to Emma and we live in Gloucester. I am currently posted to the Defence Medical Education and Training Agency (DMETA) in Fort Blockhouse, Gosport where I am part of the Commitments team who are responsible for the Force Generation of Secondary Health Care personnel for deployed operations.

I have been rock climbing for 12 years and started Scottish winter climbing in 2003. My first alpine mountaineering trip was in 2005 and I have returned every year since. My biggest mountaineering expedition to date was to the Garhwal region of the Himalayas in India. We successfully managed to put 3 members on the summit of a mountain called Satopanth at 7095m above sea level.

I am looking forward to the physical and mental challenges that Makalu will bring. Working in a close and technical environment, where your fitness and mental strength are constantly tested brings a satisfaction that cannot be found outside of the greater mountain ranges. The photographs are just a bonus...

Major Matt Hing RLC

Matt Hing grew-up in the the town of Ramsbottom, North Manchester. The local moors provided endless days of bog-hopping in between playing football and rubgy. It was, however, trips ot the Lake District and the West Coast of scotland with his father and friends that really whet his appetite for bigger things. A trip to Switzerland, when 15 years old, confirmed his wish to spend as much time as possible in the hills.

A few years later Matt, who genuinely did believe the stories of enless sport, adventurous training and beer drinking, joined the Army. Within four months of joining his first unit as a young officer he led his first adventurous training expedition. Several have followed with each being more ambitious than the last as experiance and qualifications improved. He has now led expeditions to Switzerland, Ecuador, Peru, USA and Nepal. In his spare time he has travelled widely.

Matt is delighted to have been chosed as a member of the BSME 08 squad. He first saw the top of Makalu towering over the massive rock and ice wall at the head of the Imja Valley, Nepal. From that day he has been fascinated by such an imposing and striking mountain. This expedition is the trip of a lifetime.

Matt is a major in the Royal Logistic Corps. He has served on operational tours to Bosnia, Rwanda and Iraq. He is married to Ann-Marie and they have a daughter, Eleanor, aged six. Eleanor has her own climbing harness and wants to come along to Makalu.

Major “MOLLY” MacPherson RM

Molly joined the Royal Marines in 1980 at the tender age of 17. He has served in all of the Commando Units on numerous occasions and has completed a number of Operational tours in the Falklands, NI, Iraq (both times!) Sierra Leone and Afghanistan. He was also fortunate enough to spend two years as an instructor with the USMC at their mountain warfare trg centre in North California. He specialised as a Royal Marines Mountain Leader in 1986/7 and completed his advanced course in 91/92. He is also a military ski instructor and teacher and has spent much accumulated time (About 5 years in total)!! in the Arctic tundra of North Norway. In his time he has been involved in numerous mountaineering expeditions around the globe, most recently he lead a 16 man development team to Everest base camp and climbed 3 peaks over 5500m. He was also a key member of the highly successfully RN/RM expedition to climb previously uncharted peaks in the Tian Shan region of Krygystan in September 2007. Currently he is involved in assisting a group of 14 teenagers plan and organise a youth development expedition to EBC in 2008 and is proposing a single service initiative “Project Fortitude” a series of Expeditions for RN/RM personnel both physically and mentally disabled in recent conflicts, culminating in Ama Dablam in 2009/10. The reason Molly is involved in this exciting project, is really as a result of a “mid life crisis”, no self respecting 20 something blond was interested and he was barred from buying a fast, expensive motorcycle by his children! He currently lives in Dorset with his four children, Tara, Katy, Annie and Alex and his partner Laura, they share their home with numerous animals, including bearded lizards, snakes, guinea pigs, rabbits and two mental dogs to name but a few.

Flight Lieutenant Kate Simmonds RAF

Kate joined the Army in 1995 and was initially awarded a commission with the Royal Corps of Signals. After five years she transferred to the Army Air Corps, flying Lynx in Northern Ireland, Germany and Iraq. Kate is currently instructing at the Defence Helicopter Flying School and has recently transferred to the Royal Air Force to start a career in Search and Rescue.

She first became interested in mountaineering as a young girl at school summiting Mont Blanc at the age of 16. Since then she has spent many months climbing, mountaineering and telemarking in the Alps and Himalayas.

Other interests include triathlons, adventure racing and a glass of red wine or two!

Lieutenant Commander Tom Boeckx RN

Tom Boeckx was born in Margate and brought up in Broadstairs. He has camped and walked in the mountains and hills of Britain and continental Europe from a young age. Initially introduced to abseiling through Scouting this led to a greater interest in all things vertical and at 13, despite living in one of the flatter parts of the country, he started climbing on Southern Sandstone with his school.

At University he broadened his climbing horizons with the University club, discovering Scottish winter and Alpine climbing. Tom Joined the Navy in 1999 and has had 8 interesting years serving around the globe which rather curtailed his climbing opportunities for a number of years. The MAKALU expedition however falls between appointments and therefore presented an unmissable opportunity.

Tom lives in the south east with wife Claire and sons William (Jan 06) and Oliver (Nov 07). He is extremely lucky to have her support in pursuing two obsessions that keep him away from home; his job and his ambition to climb in the Greater Ranges. At home Tom remains involved with his local Sea Scout group and is also a DIY enthusiast achieving varying degrees of success across a range of projects.

Major Matt Skuse RM

Major Matthew Skuse joined the Royal Marines in 1991. As a junior officer he served in 45 Commando, 3 Command Brigade's Recce Troop, the FLEET Protection Group and Naval parties in Diego Garcia and the Former Yugoslavia. A Cardiff University Medical Biochemistry graduate he attended Staff College in Oslo in 2002, which was followed by subunit command back in 45 Commando and a staff tour in Whitehall. His climbing career started in the late 80s on British and Alpine rock. He qualified as a RM Mountain Leader in 1997, which gave him a unique opportunity to mix work and play. He is married to Marianne and has two young daughters, he lives in Dorset. His non climbing hobbies include kayaking and home baking.

 

Lieutenant Angela Laycock RE

I started climbing and hill walking as a fourteen year old member of the Bedfordshire Army Cadet Force. I made an escape from the flatness of East Anglia by signing my life away to the Army when I joined Welbeck Sixth Form College. I was sponsored to study Engineering at Cambridge University where I was a member of the Officer Training Corps. We took part in a number of expeditions ranging from scuba diving in Egypt to mountaineering in Greenland. I concentrated on climbing in the summer gaining my Rock Climbing Leader qualification and Nordic skiing in the winter. I am a Nordic ski instructor and biathlon shooting coach and this winter I have been teaching and competing in the Royal Engineer Ladies team. When I am not adventurous training I work as the HQ Combat Support Troop Commander at 35 Engineer Regiment in Germany.

Lieutenant Commander Richard Walters RNR – Media & Public Relations Officer

Growing up close to the sea in Weymouth ensured it was almost inevitable that one day I would join the Royal Navy. 19 years later I cannot seem to get away. In 2003 I left the regular service but immediately the Royal Navy Reserves and ever since the lure of the sea seems to keep me in check. Once a Warfare Officer I now specialize in Media Operations which is exciting and varied. One week I can be organising media launches, the next filming documentaries or escorting news teams around the World. It certainly beats an office job.

In 2006 I was privileged to be part of the EverstMax expedition that journeyed from the Dead Sea in Jordan to Everest. During the trip we dipped our toes into the lives and culture of 8 countries and met some amazing people. At 37 I have had a late introduction into high altitude climbing and still have much to learn, but being around the very strong squads assembled by David and the other leaders has helped me pick up lots of tips. In the future I hope to take on some trekking peaks and you never know maybe one day an 8000m giant.

First though I have a bigger challenge to overcome. Setting up an office at 5500m will be a huge technological challenge and taking you with us will be even harder.

Warrant Officer Stewart Boyce RAF

I joined the Royal Air Force in April 1980 as an Air Radar Technician. I have worked on Jaguar and Nimrod aircraft at RAF Coltishall, RAF Bruggen and RAF Kinloss, as well as completing tours at RAF Swanton Morley and RAF Cosford. To date the highlight of my career was undoubtedly the 14 month Loan Service tour I had with the Sultan of Oman’s Air force on the island of Masirah. I am currently based at RAF Kinloss where I have a responsibility for the integration of the new Nimrod aircraft onto the unit. I did not start climbing until 1998, but I have had an eventful and fun packed ten years. In 2001 I led an RAF expedition to Denali in where 6 of us successfully climbed Denali by the West Buttress Route and in 2003 I led an RAF attempt at a first British ascent of Lantang Ri (7203m) in Nepal. Unfortunately I was forced to abandon my attempt by bad weather and poor snow conditions at 6500m. As part of the 2004 Makalu expedition I had a torrid time, continually dogged by stomach problems I was unable to climb above Interim Camp. At 45 years of age this probably my last visit to an 8000 mtr peak and I am hoping to do considerably better than last time!

Lieutenant Lara Herbert RN

Lara grew up on a farm in Zimbabwe and completed her medical studies at Trinity College; Dublin in 2004. She was awarded a Royal Navy Cadetship in 2001 and received her commission in 2006. She passed the All Arms Commando Course last year and is now working as a medical officer at Cdo Logs Regt in Barnstaple. She has recently returned from a 3 month deployment to Norway, where she served to support 3 Cdo Bde arctic warfare training.

Her fascination with mountains was sparked by a cross-country ski trip to the Pyrenees when she was 16. Since starting work with the Royal Marines, her thirst for adventures has intensified! She summited her first high Alpine peak last summer and on return, continued incessantly to badger poor Dave Tait for a place on the Makalu team.

This is her first expedition to the Himalayas. She looks forward to experiencing a world most only read about.

 

 

Sherpas

 

Dawa Tsering Sherpa	Lhakpa Sherpa	Lhakpa Dendi Sherpa	Nawang Gechwo Sherpa

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