ABOUT
Paul Christodoulou is the founder of The Path Ahead, and leads all guided walks.
My story
I caught the hill walking bug at an early age - and it stuck.
Family holidays in Wales and Scotland, youth hostelling in the Lake District, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award at school got me hooked on the Great Outdoors. Since then, hill walking has been my main pastime, and I have guided walks in most of the hilly areas across the UK.
Walking in beautiful nature has always helped me reset, recharge, and see my way forward.
There’s something special about combining fresh air, the rhythm of walking, and the inspirational lift of nature. It clears the mind, puts things in perspective, and lifts the spirits. I hope to bring this to others through The Path Ahead – whether through a relaxed guided walk, or a challenging outdoors adventure crossing multiple peaks and valleys.
I have extensive experience walking in hills across the UK and beyond
Through most of my life, I've been fortunate to live close to wonderful hilly areas (in North and South Wales, Northern England and Scotland). This means I've been able to get out into the hills almost every week for several decades, allowing me to develop a deep affection for, and knowledge of, the hills. I have also completed a number of long distance trails in the High Alps (Mont Blanc to Matterhorn, Tour de Gran Paradis, GR54 Tour des Ecrins).
I am fully qualified to take groups out into remote upland terrain
I trained for my Hill & Moorland Leader qualification when living in the Yorkshire Dales. This is a British Mountaineering Council qualification that took 2 years, including initial training, 40 logged case study walks, and a 3-day (and 1 night!) assessment in the hills. This means I am trained in leading groups, navigation skills (I can navigate in the dark or thick mist to within 10m!), risk mitigation and emergency procedures (just in case). I am also trained in outdoor first aid.