Best known as an alpinist in his youth, Rob Collister was in his element climbing unnamed peaks in obscure corners of the Himalaya. In 1976 he qualified as a British Mountain Guide, and was one of the first British guides to ski the Haute Route with clients, soon taking parties to places such as Kashmir, Kulu, Alaska and the Lyngen Alps - long before they became popular destinations. Recently, concern about carbon emissions has led to a reduction in his expedition mountaineering and to the use of public transport to travel to and around the Alps. Throughout his career he has been based in North Wales, raising a family of three children with his wife Netti. He has been a trustee of the Snowdonia Society and the John Muir Trust, served as a nominated member of the Snowdonia National Park Authority and was president of the British Mountain Guides from 1990 to 1993. Rob has contributed to a number of anthologies and has written regularly for the Alpine Journal and other outdoor publications. His previous books include Lightweight Expeditions (Crowood Press), Over the Hills and Far Away (Ernest Press), and Snowdonia, Park under Pressure (Pesda Press).