The Team

This page is currently under construction BUT to whet you appetite here is the team!!

Brian Roy, Kev Griffiths, Ian Sloss, Mick Butters, Paul Bowen, Justin Beeley, Jason Humfries, Andy Topham, Keith Townsend, Simon Lilley, Ross Asgreagan, Martin Thomas, Paul Adlington, Paul Snape, Dave Annakin, Nick Shatwell, Mark Brunt

We will also be assisted by a number of Mountain Guides from the Royal Marines.

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Mick Butters

Mick Butters – former Royal Engineer 1976-86
West Midlands Police Officer from 1986-2002.
Currently seconded to Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service as an Arson Reduction Officer. Thus the reason I am on board with the Fire and Ice Expedition.
Notable achievements – cycling over the Andes in 2001, low level glacial trek in Alaska in 2000.
I have been keen to climb Denali since then and this trip has given me the opportunity.
It is costing me a trip to for my family to go to Australia while I am on Denali!  A small sacrifice indeed.
As part of the fundraising we have just taken 24 of our staff to complete the ‘Old County Tops’ of Helvellyn, Old Man of Coniston and Scafell Pike. This has enhanced awareness of the challenge we face and also assisted in raising some funds for the fire service benevolent fund. More weekend challenges are being planned.

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Kev Griffiths 

My name is Kev Griffiths and I am a member of the Fire and Ice team who are attempting to climb Denali in Alaska in May 2008. I am a serving member of Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Service and have been a fire fighter for 27 years, I am currently stationed in the Central Risk Reduction department working on projects to promote fire safety within Staffordshire’s communities.
I have been an out doors person for most of my life and have always enjoyed pushing my limits in all sorts of pursuits, namely, walking, climbing, canoeing, sub aqua diving, para-gliding, mountain biking and triathlon but this adventure is the most ambitious and exciting.
I have always had a dream to climb one of the world’s big mountains and feel very privileged to be part of this team. We have two objectives, one to climb the mountain and two to raise a large sum of money for the Fire Service National Benevolent Fund (FSNBF), the FSNBF is a modern, dynamic, award-winning charity which provides assistance to serving and retired personnel, their widow/ers and young dependants through the provision of sheltered accommodation, recuperative facilities, rehabilitation and therapy, in addition to financial support for those who need it.
If you are reading this and feel you can support our venture in any way please go to the sponsors section, leave a contact number and we will get in touch ASAP.

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PAUL SNAPE – AWAITING PHOTO

My name is Paul Snape, but I answer to Snappo! I’m 38, and currently work for HomeBase Ltd as a Team Leader.
I have been involved in the outdoors in one form or another for over 20 yrs, since going on several trips with school and college.

 In 1995 I summited Mt Elbrus in the Russian Caucasus, (at 5642 metres Europe’s highest mountain), with Andy Topham, one of the organisers of this expedition, and we have been friends ever since. Denali is a mountain I have wanted to visit and climb since then, being another of the ‘Seven Summits’ of the world – the highest peak on each of seven continents.

To help me prepare for the climb, I have been back out into the mountains of North Wales, getting as many 3000’ers under my boots as possible, and I am going to Norway in early December for a weeks skiing, as it’s not something I have done before.

I am looking forward immensely to the personal challenge of Denali, and to help the team as a whole raise as much money as possible for the FSNBF.

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Si Lilley

My name is Simon Lilley and I am currently a Crew Manager on White Watch Burton on Trent. I have been with SFRS since Oct 2000.
Prior to joining SFRS I served from 1987-1999 with the Royal Marines.

A keen outdoor and sports person I enjoy walking, running, mountain biking and skiing. Basically anything that will challenge me and get the adrenalin flowing.

Whilst in the Royal Marines I got to travel the world and work in a variety of climates and environments including Norway, where my interest in skiing was born. I have therefore experienced the temperatures we may encounter on Denali, however I have never experienced anything of its size and so for me this is the chance of a lifetime.

The attraction of this expedition for me is fourfold – the challenge of the ascent of the mountain, raising a great deal of money for a cause we may need one day, sharing the experience with friends and colleagues and working with the Royal Marines again.

This expedition has given a purpose to my training and a real determination and focus.

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Martin-Thomas

Hi I am Martin Thomas, nick named Panther by Topsy many years ago because of my climbing prowess ?? that was a long time ago !! I have always had a passion for mountains , stemming back to family holidays in the lakes and Wales thanks to my Dad and Uncle for Snowdon , Kinder Scout, Helvellin etc. etc.

About 15 years ago Topsy , Brutus and I attempted to climb Mt Blanc and after a couple of attempts over a couple of  years successfully summited, on that occasion with Skywalker, since then I have had a burning passion for the High Wilderness experience and  have since climbed Matterhorn with Brutus , Kili with Topsy and then braved the great outdoors with others including Aconcagua in Argentina ,Kala Patthar, Island and Mera peak in the Himalaya , Toubcal in Morocco, trekked to Macchu Pichu in Peru and many others . Many of the expeditions I have been fortunate to be part of have been sponsored events and am pleased to say I have raised thousands of pounds for many Charity’s over the years.
I am very fortunate to have a loving and understanding wife, Carol, who supports my strange addiction – in fact she encourages me (I can’t understand why) although we do share a passion for travel and together with our son Oliver are all keen skiers and love the outdoors.

Oliver is getting better at playing Squash and some day may even beat me , he has some years to go as he is only 12 years old, he is also good a Rugby ,Cricket and Football .

I am a 47 year old self employed electrician and  hope that my experience on mountain expeditions and as a High Altitude team player will be use full to the rest of the team.

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Keith Townsend (Awaiting Photo)

1983 – 1997 :Royal Engineers. Based at Ripon - North Yorkshire, Osnabruck - Germany, St Kilda – Outer Hebrides 1997 – 2001 :MOD Airfield Crash Rescue Firefighter.
2001 – present :Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Whilst in the military I took part in numerous out adventure tours learning to ski, climb,  abseil, pothole and kayak undertaking a three week tour in Canada. After leaving regular service I moved over to the T.A. side of the British Army and took part in 4 military patrol competitions.  The team I was a member of winning the small units event on two consecutive years also achieving the Silver Medal standard in the Cambrian Patrol competition on two occasions during this same time.
I took part in The World Firefighter Games performing the Olympic distance triathlon finishing in a time of 2 hours 29 mins.  I also took part in the 10 mile cycle time trial finishing in 26 mins, both of these events being my first steps into either competition.   

Since then I have taken part in one duathlon event and one adventure race. My pastimes are weight training and cycling on my road bike, both of which take the vast majority of my free time.
I have become more interested in hill walking of late due to the preparation for the climb in Alaska.  This preparation culminated in a weeks training in Norway with the Royal Marines. 
This is my first attempt at climbing a mountain and although apprehensive I am looking forward with great anticipation to the expedition due to both the training we have received also due to the fact that so many of the team have vast experience on mountains and we are being accompanied by Mountain Leaders from the Royal Marines plus some guides from the Denali Park also a world famous mountain guide.
It would be a very good thing if this event led to other fund raising events of this nature and assisted with the Fire Service Benevolent Fund.