Team Background
Action Outdoors was founded in 2004 by Mark Gillis and David Robertson through their frustration of searching for a reasonably priced way to go skiing and then discovering UCPA.
For many years thier ski holidays were spent squeezed into a tiny French ski apartment with a large group of mates. The final straw was in 2002, when they had 14 people in an "8" person apartment resulting in friendships being put to the test. They then discovered how the French went skiing with the UCPA, could afford to return on various trips throughout the season and didn't have to share their bed with 4 other sweaty bodies.
A partnership was formed with UCPA in 2004 to introduce the UK public to UCPA and bring them to the 140 UCPA centres across France. Although we only offer a select few at present, we have found it easier to concentrate the English speakers first before expanding further. The UCPA concept has proved extremely successful with the British and the numbers have grown every year since.
Today, Action Outdoors bring guests to France not only during the winter season, but also during the summer. The summer programmes are extremely worthwhile offering courses in the mountains (trekking, mountain biking, climbing etc), along the coast (sailing, kite surfing, diving, etc) and all activities in between (kayaking, coasteering, horse riding etc). As always the focus is on sports and the exploration of the great outdoors.
David Robertson
David is actively involved with Action Outdoors and outdoor sports in general. He is a qualified International Mountain Leader (IML) and spends his free time exploring the peaks around Chamonix. His enthusiasm for all things outdoors is infectious and naturally his experience is invaluable in managing his forward thinking team.
Mary Herbert
Helping out behind the scenes, Mary joined the team to provide endless cups of coffee and a bit of structure to the office. After running an outdoor centre for the Army she is very capable of managing the winter mayhem and strategically planning our next adventure. Originally a keen kayaker, we are doing our upmost to transfer her enthusiasm into climbing and skiing.
Jim Tan
Jim has recently joined the team as an intern from uni. Jim's main passion in life is climbing but he can often be found with a pair of skis on or mountain bike in hand.
Dave Manley
Dave manages the logistics side of Action Outdoors working directly for SnowExpress. He is more likely to be found on the golf course than carving fat ones in fresh powder but we'll forgive him as his attention to detail is incredible.
Asa Drugge
Asa is the teams graphic designer. Originally from Sweden, she is a natural on the slopes putting the rest of us to shame.
James Elliot
The whizz behind the computer, James puts the thoughts into action. Whether it be a facebook marketing campaign or updating the booking system, he seems to manage it with ease.