James Thompson - Personal Profile
 I spent most of my childhood exploring
the Berkshire countryside by bike. My passion for the UK mountains
was sparked by a desire to attain the Gold Duke of Edinburgh's
Award. This introduced me to the British Trust for Conservation
Volunteers (BTCV) and at the age of 17 was leading my first
group holidays. A desire to travel took me to India
to work in a botanical sanctuary and to go trekking in the
Himalayas. After 3 years at Nottingham University I graduated
as an Environmental Engineer.
Putting the engineering on hold,
I cycled to the Middle East on a Tandem to try out life on
a Kibutz! I retuned to spend a summer working for PGL children's
holidays as a "Group Leader". The inevitable happened
and I worked as a frustrated engineer for a couple of years.
The way out was provided by Rough Tracks biking adventures.
Spending the summers cycling around France and the winters
working as a rep in a ski resort - a great lifestyle!
In 1999 I started working as a full time group leader for
Exodus Travels. This demanding and varied work took me around
the world leading mountain biking, trekking and snowshoeing
trips. Countries included Peru, China, Vietnam, Romania, Italy,
Tanzania, Morocco, Cuba, Spain, Portugal and lots of time
in France. I qualified as an International Mountain Leader
in 2002 and I am a member of the Union of International Mountain
Leaders.
In my spare time I can be found
exploring new regions, rockclimbing, cycling, hiking and enjoying the outdoors.
I successfully climbed Huascaran, the highest peak in Peru
and one of the world's most imposing summits at 6768m, in
2002.
I moved to the Valley of Ax in
the Pyrenees in 2003 and set up Marmot
Tours Limited so that I could continue to share my enthusiasm
for the mountains around our new home. Cathy moved out
to join me and Marmot Tours a couple of years later and we got
married in October 2007.
During the last few years I have
been gaining some extra qualifications in the activities that
we offer, and after an excellent training trip in Norway, I
got my Snowsport England Nordic on snow Instructor
Award. I have also been working towards my SMBLA
mountain biking qualification, and have the first half of
this, namely the Trail Cycle Leaders Award. I should
complete my training for the next Award by the end of
2008.
Please have a look at my Personal
Photo Album to see what I have been up to over the past
few years.
Relevant Qualifications:
International Mountain Leader (2002).
First Aid (2008)
Advanced Driving for carrying Passengers (PCV).
SMBLA Trail Cycle Leader (2008)
Snowsport England Instructor (2007)
I am a Member of the following professional
associations:
The British Association
of International Mountain Leaders.
The Syndicate National des Accompagnateurs en Montagne.
The Union of International Mountain Leader Associations.
Scottish Mountain bike leaders Association
British Cycling.
Snowsport England
Cathy Thompson - Personal Profile
 For
me, my new life began in 2005 when I moved to a small hamlet
in the French Pyrenees with James, and started to work with
Marmot Tours.
You will be forgiven for thinking that I
have chosen a bizarre route to get to where I am now, and I
would agree with you! I am an Occupational Therapist (OT) by
profession, having qualified in 1999 from University of
Brighton, following a 2 year postgraduate Diploma.
Prior to this, I was at Nottingham University for 3
years where I studied Biology and first met James (1994).
From 1999 to 2005 I worked in a variety
of settings as an OT, including the wheelchair service, a
rehabilitation hospital and mental health services.
I settled on working in the community for Surrey County
Council, where I was Senior OT in Esher and Dorking, managing
a team of OT colleagues, and together working to keep people
with disabilities and the elderly, independent within their
own homes. In
2005 I did an Open University Professional Certificate in
Management.
On first working for Marmot Tours, I was
helping out with much of the ‘behind the scenes work’.
I ran my first trip independently in Sept 2006
(Atlantic to the Mediterranean) with 16 cyclists, and loved
it. Since
then I have upped my profile, and am now working with James as
a leader on the cross country skiing trips, the gentler
walking trips we offer, plus the road biking holidays (Raid
Pyrenan, Atlantic to Mediterranean and Classic Cols of the Pyrenees).
I am an absolute convert to both cross country skiing
and road biking, and have climbed several of the Tour de
France cols (if somewhat slowly!).
I am thriving on the challenges that working with
Marmot Tours gives me, and am gradually learning more about
the amazing area and country that we live in.
Early in 2008 I qualified with BTEC and
ITEC Diploma's in Holistic Swedish Massage.
I have already worked with some Marmot Tours clients during my
training, and we are now offering a Massage Therapy Service to
complement our activity holidays.
I have traveled fairly extensively
through extended holidays in Western Europe, Thailand, India,
China, Canada and much of Southern Africa.
Now
I am settled in France, if I am not doing DIY with James on
our house or gite, in our spare time, or out
exploring the area by foot or bike, then I will probably be
found with my nose in a good book.
I have always preferred a country
lifestyle, and although I have done my stint in
London, I am relieved to be living in the stunning valley of
Ax, where the tranquility and friendliness of the local
community has made James and I feel very at home.
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