Personal Profile
Accredited Practitioner Achiever - RICHARD TARRAN
Who are you?
Richard Tarran, Swaledale.
What was your first experience of outdoor activities?
All dangerous – building rafts from railway sleepers to sail in a flooded active quarry, exploring old wells on building sites and making tunnels with straw bails but I survived and understand hazards.
Your most enjoyable day at work providing outdoor learning?
Discovering an old Estate’s Mausoleum in Scotland with a school group which they naturally developed into a full blown discussion about burial much to the teacher’s shock. Real experiential development.
Where do you see your outdoor career eventually going?
I want to slow people down and take them away from the fast thrill theme park sensation into a world that is less commercial and more rewarding.
Outdoor learning might be your career, but how much of your spare time is spent in the outdoors?
Loads – I live in it but the computer is a nightmare – I am sure 20 years ago I spent less time at my desk and was still able to do things.
What is your most invaluable piece of kit/gear?
My Leatherman Wave – it beats a GPS anytime – try cutting a salami or repairing a stove with a GPS unit. It works without batteries too.
What influence has APIOL had on your career?
APIOL is invaluable for a freelancer. It has made me appreciate how effective I am and encouraged me to focus more on what techniques are right compared to the processes organizations try to pressure me into.
If you could offer one piece of advice to new outdoor practitioners what would it be?
When you see someone using a great technique, energiser or icebreaker write it down straightaway. You cannot remember them all.
And Finally.....
Cake or pie?
Cake – especially rich fruit cake on expedition. You get odd stuff in overseas pies!