My Life on ‘Top of the World’ as a Mountain Guide -Stuart MacDonald
After leaving Merchant Taylors’ I spent ten years in the Army. I traveled extensively including trips to Africa, the Balkans, Germany, Cyprus and North and South America. However, my passion for mountaineering was growing all the time and my appetite was insatiable. I managed to get a two year posting to the Joint Service Mountain Training Centre in North Wales. This allowed me to see whether doing my hobby as my job would work for me – fortunately it did, so as the end of my posting loomed I resigned from the Army and spent the following 2 years as a full time climbing-bum. I lived in my camper van and on various sofas. This time allowed me to gain all the pre-requisites to begin training as an International Mountain Guide.
In 2008, after 3 years of training and assessment, I was fully qualified and began carving out a new career for myself in the world capital of Alpine Climbing – Chamonix, France. Seven years later I still love going to work. Winters are a mixture of ice-climbing and ski work, and summers are mostly spent guiding the classic high peaks of the Alps such as Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn and the Eiger. I meet interesting people every week, I live in a beautiful place, and I no longer suffer the seemingly constant rain of the UK !
I have now climbed and skied in some of the most incredible places on earth – from Antarctica to the summit of Everest, and from the North Face of the Eiger to Greenland. The adventure keeps me sane in a world where people seem to be working more hours every day, and constantly chasing money. I genuinely love my job and my lifestyle.
If anyone would like to get in touch, feel free to do so at [email protected]
Stuart MacDonald (Leaver 1991)
Latest News

- Year 2 ignite their understanding of the Great Fire of London
- It’s GOLD for Amabile at European Choir Games
- Boys aim to raise Mo’ Money
- Students soak up Italian architecture & design
- Amabile preparing for European Choir Games
Upcoming Events
- Royal Geographical Society Revision Day – A-Level on November 29, 2023 7:40 am
- Royal Geographical Society Revision Day – A-Level on November 29, 2023 7:40 am
- Year 5 Trip to World Museum, Liverpool on November 29, 2023 9:05 am
- Year 5 – World Museum on November 29, 2023 9:05 am
- Football 1st XI vs The King’s School, Chester on November 29, 2023 2:15 pm
Privacy Overview
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional | 11 months | The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". |
viewed_cookie_policy | 11 months | The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data. |