About The Adventure Cafe Team!

Jon - is Adventure Cafe's head honcho, taking on directorship of the company in 2022. Never 'short' of a story and a bright comment to inspire even your darkest moment on a challenge. With long distance triathlons and marathons aplenty in his locker of experience (19 Iron Mans to date), he knows about training hard, preparing for challenges, and getting through, even when things are looking tough. Jon will actively find a competitive element to any situation, recently driving back through 8 countries in 48 hours post event. When not training on Zwift, you will find Jon spinning past on his mountain bike (yes its electric) and having now throwing in a stablising wheel and motor on his latest adventuring in a Tuk Tuk round the trails of Thailand we wonder if this is a sign of his age or just a 'small' break ready for another full on year at AC!

Dave - is Adventure Cafe's Operations Director, specialising in trekking, multi activity and urban events. Having first led in the mountains whilst living in Malawi, Dave has worked in Youth Development, Personal Coaching and Education. With a wealth of travel, events and adventure experience, as well as leadership in canoeing, kayaking, climbing, caving, rafting, canyoning and cycling, his specialism is in designing multi activity journeys showcasing the very best our National parks have to offer. Some memorable challenges include Kilimanjaro, 3 volcanoes in 3 days, Hadrians Wall in 4 days, South Downs in 4 days, Mt Olympus Trek of the Gods, 1000 people walking in 5 cities on 1 night and a London marathon walk by night for 30 London homeless charities.

Sam - joined Adventure Cafe in November 2021 as a graduate with a wealth of business administrative / event planning experience; bringing lots of invaluable skills and qualities to the team. She has an adventurous spirit and loves pushing her limits! This, most recently tested with a trip to Transylvania, Romania which included hiking and E-MTB in the breath-taking Carpathian Mountains (sadly no bears were spotted!!). In addition to Romania she has been scuba diving off the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, sky diving and bungee jumping in New Zealand and spent a month on the east coast USA. Sam’s enthusiasm for what Adventure Cafe delivers is evident through the high quality of organisation and care she applies to bringing each event to life.

Alan - is Adventure Cafe's Cycling Events Manager - with a range of experience as an Outdoors Education graduate, including getting into injury defying 'big air' situations on his mountain bike. Alan has led on trips as diverse as Lichtenstein to London, Pilgrimage to Paris on foot, Cycling Bilbao to Malaga, our Mallorca Round the island and 24 hour London to Paris. He may also be found on some of our mountain events in his shiny new support vehicle now he has a van to take him wherever his adventures take him!

George - is most content when trekking in Europe for work or play. He has guided in Austria, Germany, Norway, Italy, Switzerland, and Madeira, but his favourite place to explore is the Picos de Europa in Northern Spain. He assures us it’s because of the mountains, but it’s more likely because of the local delicacies. As an aspirant International and Winter Mountain Leader, he’s motivated to spend long periods of time driving and sleeping in his faithful Kia to reach areas that enable him to gain experience operating in cold and snowy environments.

Paul Having given up a “proper” job, Paul has devoted his life to travel and adventure! He is an experienced worldwide Tour Guide and Expedition Leader, a qualified cycle guide, cycle mechanic, support driver and massage therapist. Everything that a successful event needs! He is also a Mountain Leader and British Army Instructor, and likes to spend the Winter seasons in the Alps. He describes himself as “the happiest and luckiest man alive!” His biggest travel memory? - a three day trek around the sacred Mount Kailash in western Tibet, a spiritual journey rarely permitted to Europeans. Life is an adventure!!!

Steve escaped the nine to five in 2017 and joined Adventure Cafe as a support driver and cycle leader where a lifetimes experience of road and mountain bike riding has proved invaluable leading groups on adventure rides across most of western Europe. A former rally driver, hot air balloon chase crew and a background in Customer services and logistics management mean Steve also has the perfect skill set to get bikes and equipment across Europe on tight time schedules. When not driving a van full of bikes across Europe or leading a group of cyclists Steve will most likely be found drinking coffee up a mountain in the Pyrenees where he works in the winter months harvesting and bottling tree sap (Yes people drink it)

Jo - joined our team in earnest in 2017, and instantly made use of her depth of experience, leading in the French Alps, cycling across Scotland, leading on our 24 Hour London to Paris ride and running the South Downs Way. Her background as a pro-triathlete (with in excess of 20 Full Distance Ironman events) gives her an in depth understanding of what it takes to prepare for big challenges, and how to get the best from yourself.

Andy - is Adventure Cafe's most widely travelled cycle leader! With somewhere in the region of 40 countries under his belt, and with crossings of the Australian Outback, Iran and Indonesia under his belt, he has more cycling experience in the bank than most. Ask him about sailing to West Timor if you want a good yarn... or trekking across Polar Ice Caps!

Tim- A real outdoor enthusiast with a passion for mountains! Tim is an avid climber/mountaineer but also enjoys sailing, caving, mountain biking and kayaking! Always keen to crack a joke and have a laugh even when the conditions are tough and the weather is not on our side!

Lee-is a keen & Passionate outdoor enthusiast with a Wide range of experience Climbing & Mountaineering in the UK and across the World from Summiting mont blanc to Trekking in the himalaya's to more recently taking up Cycling and Traversing 500 km across Costa Rica .he found his love for the outdoors from an early age Climbing & Walking with his family in Snowdonia and the Lakedistrict .you will see Lee often in the UK mountains with his Cheeky Smile and buckets of enthusiasm encouraging likewise people in the outdoors.

Si- is one of our highly experienced mountain and cycle events leaders. As well as being a regular 3 Peaks Leader, Si is also a qualified Rock Climbing Instructor, and Canoe Coach. Recently equipped with Road Cycling upgrade chip, Si is now a fully fledged Cycle Events Leader! With over 20 3 Peaks Challenges in the bag, ask for Si on your 3 Peaks... he has the experience you need!

Rich is a passionate and active outdoors professional. His wealth of experience ranges from cycling across the Tibetan Plateau, to swimming the English Channel as part of a relay team, rowing the straits of Gibraltar, as well as Rock Climbing and Caving. Richard set up AC in 2003, ... Richard is a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society, a qualified International Mountain Leader, and Climbing Instructor and has cycled in over 39 countries around the world. Currently in the midst of a mid life return to Triathlon and seriously enjoying swimming... variety is, after all, the spice of life :-)

Oli Our resident chief Mechanic with over 26 years experience in the cycle industry and 15 years running his own local cycle service business. Oli will do his upmost to guarantee your trusted machine will keep rolling no matter how serious the mechanical issue. Now in his second year with Adventure Cafe, Oli is proud of his 100% bicycle completion record. When not working, Oli can be found Bikepacking around the UK and Europe or mixing electronic music to unwind.