Blog - MatthewDThornton | Page 3 of 9 | Speed Wing Pilot, Everest Summiteer, Author and Speaker.

Controversial Big Mountain Acclimatisation Method

Posted on: 07/03/2017 /

Categories: Everest, General, Sports Science, Training

As a trained physiologist specialising in the effects of low oxygen and cold environments, a very recent article published by Bloomberg focusing on a relatively modern technique to dramatically cut down time spent on big mountains piqued my interest: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-01/alpenglow-expeditions-controversial-mountain-climbing-method The hypothesis is simple; pre-acclimatise in an altitude tent/chamber at home, allowing you to partake

Chamonix Speed Flying 2016

Posted on: 19/01/2017 /

Categories: Speed Riding and Paragliding

In the autumn of 2016, I made a quick decision to head out to the Alps in order to have a week of flying, and possibly some climbing. I didn’t have a defined scope, but I just made sure I had booked the essentials (flights, transfers and accommodation), and then wrote the all-important kit list.

Tom Patey’s Scottish Winters

Posted on: 03/12/2016 /

Categories: Dare to Dream, General, Scotland

Until the end of summer 2016, I spent 4 years based up in the North East of Scotland in the cultural metropolis of Aberdeen. Whilst that story itself could span an entire collection of books, the focus of this story is a strange but fascinating connection to Tom Patey. Tom Patey was not only one

My Fiat Doblo Camper Conversion: A Guide

Posted on: 21/08/2016 /

Categories: Equipment, General, Microadventures, Reviews, Scotland

*Caution – this is long read for those looking for a van conversion guide.* For the past year, I have been travelling up and down the country in my campervan. “Campervan” is a broad term for a vehicle used for both travel and rest, and so given that the quality of rest I get in my van

Ben Alder Speed Climbing Attempt

Posted on: 05/06/2016 /

Categories: Expeditions, Microadventures, Scotland

Recently, I’ve been searching for a challenge which would really test me, force me to push a few limits, and take me back a little way to a particular test I’ve dealt with on some Himalayan mountains, namely, self-reliance. To be able to look after yourself in challenging situations is both satisfying and rewarding, but

Partnerships

Posted on: 24/03/2016 /

Categories: Everest, Expeditions, Feature Articles, General

The original article features on the Bank of Ireland UK Inspiring Blog series: MDT Bank of Ireland UK Partnerships Over the past few weeks, I have been working on a project for the Bank of Ireland UK with the overriding theme being partnership. The concept of partnership is most commonly attributed with marriage, more recently

Prepping Your Smartphone for Your Next Expedition

Posted on: 10/12/2015 /

Categories: General

Before the invention of the smartphone, people with little to no mountaineering experience feared the great outdoors because they didn’t have the boy scout instinct or didn’t spend nearly enough time with nature. But with advanced smartphone technology, novice adventurers are much more confident in their expeditions, which is pretty evident at least in the

The Basics of Sports Psychology

Posted on: 21/11/2015 /

Categories: Sports Science

As a continuation to my previous Sports Science based articles, I wanted to put an article together to summarise the basics of sports psychology, giving an over view of the subject, an outline of its importance, and a little guidance on how you should incorporate Psychological Skills Training (PST) into your routine. It doesn’t matter

Dare to Dream Book Launch

Posted on: 26/08/2015 /

Categories: Dare to Dream

During the past 3 years since climbing Everest, I have been gradually hauling myself along the long road which leads to writing agents, printing houses and the publishing industry. It has been a long 3 years in this respect which has neatly been split into 3 phases, each one harder, more tedious and incalculably more

Scottish Winter Kit List

Posted on: 23/08/2015 /

Categories: Equipment

The winter season of 2014/2015 in Scotland was a great one in terms of the conditions that were experienced throughout the highlands and on occasion down in the beautiful Lake District which has seen some impressive ascents over the last couple of seasons. Scottish winter climbing, for the uninitiated, provides some of the most technically demanding climbing