Kevin Beattie
Programmes Director
Kevin set up Adventurous Horizons ltd in 2013. At that time it was called Venture Out expeditions because it was an off shoot of his second company, Venture Outdoors ltd, which was an Activity Centre in South Manchester. Before 2013 Kevin had been a youth worker, biology teacher, human resources trainer, and outdoor sports coach and leader. He continues to bring his love of education and the outdoors into every aspect of our work. Our company ethos is to explore your horizons and find out that you are capable of more than you realise, both physically and mentally comes from his years of pursuing rewarding challenges and qualifications in the outdoors. He values the wellbeing this continues to bring him and wants to share that with others.
Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management
Diploma in Advanced Study in Educational Leadership & management
Advanced Diploma in Teaching Studies
Advanced Certificate in Teaching Studies
Postgraduate Certificate in Education (Science / Biology)
British Cycling Level 2 mountain bike Leader
British Cycling Level 2 cycle coach
British Cycling mtb coach endorsement module
Advanced Water Endorsement – White Water Coach
5 Star / Advanced Canoe Leader
BCU/UKCC Level 3 (Advanced coach) – White water kayak
Advanced White Water Rescue Endorsement
Mountain Leader Summer Award
Mountain Leader Winter Award (trained)
Relevant experiences
Trekking & mountaineering
Almost finished the Scottish Munros (285 peaks) and has walked all 446 mountains (610m) in England and Wales (Nuttalls).
Winter climbing: Grade 1-3 climbs in Lakes.
Winter Munros.
2008 Multiday hut-to-hut routes. Self led, glacial trek with PD peaks. French and Swiss Alps
2013 Austrian (Stubai) Alps multiday trek (self-led) hut to hut. Swiss alps 4000m Weissmiess self-led.
Independent trekking holidays:
2005 Italian Dolomites – single and multiday treks and via ferrata.
2006 Morocco – Atlas mountains Jebel Toubkal then treks into valleys around villages
2007 Ireland (West coast, Kerry) walked most of Irelands ‘munros’
2008 Crete – Lefka Ori mountains. Traversed mountain range West to East staying in shepherd’s huts
2009 Iceland – Landmannalgaur – Skogar trek (4 days). Skaftafell National Park (3 day trek), Snaefellsnes (glaciated peak)
2014, 15,16 Tenerife walking and mountain biking.
2017 Gran Canaria, single day treks and mountain bike rides.
2018 Nepal, 3 Passes trek, Everest region (with guide)
2019 Patagonia: Chile: Torres del Paine National Park 8 day O-Trek (self-led, camping). Argentina, El Chalten, 3 day Huemul trek (self-led, wild camping). Single day walks into Mt Fitzroy range.
Kayaking
Europe: France, Italy, Swiss, Austria, Germany, Greece (Northern mountains), Slovenia, Norway.
2011 onwards: Professional work guiding holidays in the French Alps and Slovenia
Indian Himalayas:
1999 (5 weeks) Menali then over into Ledakh for a 12 day descent of the Tsaraptu and Zanskar gorge towards Leh. Grade 3 to 6 then 3 day descent of the Indus (grade 4/5) from Chinese to Pakistan border areas. 2 man team.
2001 (5 weeks) kayaking the upper tributaries of the Ganges. 2 man team.
Mountain biking and gravel biking
Biked in different areas of the UK:
Multiday trip on the Sandstone Way, St Bede’s to Hexham via Cheviots.
Badger Divide – Gravel bike packing route from Inverness to Glasgow.
Tenerife & Gran Canarias – walking and cycling here for a few weeks every Dec for 4 years (2014-2017)
Becca Lounds
Expedition manager
Becca brings a wealth of experience to our company and expeditions. Having been a maths teacher who ran DofE for her school, to having worked for 15 years as trainer, assessor, expedition coordinator for many organisations around the UK. She also continues to pursue qualifications and personal challenges in the outdoors. She's currently working towards Performance Coach (climbing) and training for a list of mountain running events. She has been working with Adventurous Horizons since it's inception and has contributed greatly to the supervision of or expeditions and staff, our operating procedures and teaching resources.