Emily Coates is a North Wales based Mountain Leader both summer and winter. She also has a Geography degree from Oxford, a Master’s in Sustainability from ImperialCollege, and six years’ experience as a secondary geography teacher. Emily now works as a freelance leader in North Wales and beyond. She runs her own company, Visit Wild Wales, founded on strong ethical principles, and also works with Leading Edge and the Field Studies Council, while enjoys the odd shift at Joe Brown’s outdoor shop.

In 2025, Emily had a tense adventure in the Himalaya. What began as a trekking trip to a remote part of the range turned into a full-scale mountaineering expedition as Emily and her team were forced to extricate themselves from a serious situation.

The expedition was badly reported in the mainstream media, with Emily and her friends being targeted rather than celebrated. It’s a fascinating story.

Ron spent over ten years working for North Yorkshire footpath team. He was recruited for his skills as a historian. We have a great chat about Public Rights of Way, the definitive map and how it all works. Ron is also a former police officer, support member of Swaledale Mountain Rescue team and a volunteer for Mountain Rescue Search Dogs England.

Emma Shipley is an experienced outdoor leader and thefounder of Yorkie Talkies Outdoors. Holding Mountain Leader, Lowland Leader and Paddle Sport Leader qualifications, Emma is passionate about leading people in the outdoors and helping them build confidence, achieve personal goals, andexperience the life-changing benefits of adventure. Her business offers a wide range of accessible outdoor activities, including guided group walks, bespoke hikes, paddleboarding days, navigation courses, challenge events such as the Yorkshire Three Peaks, and corporate and charity events, catering to everyone from beginners to experienced walkers. Yorkie Talkies Outdoors also runs year-round events, including regular walking, trail running and paddleboardingsessions. Alongside this, Emma is the creator and host of The Yorkie Talkies Talk podcast, where she shares conversations about outdoor adventures, wellbeing, walking challenges and community stories.

We find out all about how she’ bubbles with enthusiasm and her passion for the work she does. I think you’ll find her quite inspiring.