Mal Thomas
Mal is a full-time outdoor instructor and holds the International Mountain Leader, Mountain Leader, Rock Climbing Instructor and has completed Winter Mountain Leader training; he also holds REC Advanced First Aid qualification and is working towards becoming a caving instructor.
Mal’s love of the outdoors started as a young boy on his first outdoor education residential to the English Lake District and this has taken him all over the world. He has trekked and climbed extensively in the European Alps including Mont Blanc, Nepal, Mongolia, Morocco, Peru, New Zealand, Spain, Italy and Slovenia; his first taste of international expeditions began in 2000 when he was an expedition member to climb Tharpa Chuli (Tent Peak) in Nepal.
Mal has led many expeditions overseas, his most memorable trips are to the Tavan Bogd national park in Mongolia, spending 3 weeks living on the glacial moraine next to the Potaniin and Alexander Glaciers and climbing Nairamdal (Friendship) Peak which straddles Mongolia, Russia and China; another highlight was trekking through the Cordillera Huayhuash in Peru amongst the wild alpaca and towering 6000m peaks. Mal has recently returned from leading an alpine climbing expedition to Putha Hiunchuli (7248m) in Nepal, reaching a high point of 6300m before a medical emergency led to the abandonment of the summit attempt.
Getting to know Mal Thomas
I really enjoyed trekking in the Dolpo region – the area is so remote and the people so friendly.
My Katadyn Be Free water filter – the importance of clean drinking water cannot be emphasised enough and this thing is so easy to use!
Go slow, take it easy and soak in the sights and sounds of the place. Enjoy it, the mountains are not going anywhere.
Maybe a trekking trip to the mountains of Slovenia with my family if I can convince them!
Fire and Ice Pizzeria in Thamel, THE best pizza in Kathmandu. You might even bump into someone famous like Reinhold Messner (like I did)!! The Himalayan Java coffee shop just across the road is also fantastic, with great coffee and atmosphere.
Antarctica is the ultimate destination for me, so remote and pristine.