GARY EVANS I love the Outdoors, always have. Having been first introduced to walking and camping outdoors, then to outdoor activities in my early teens as a Scout, I have been involved in some kind of outdoor pursuit ever since. It was walking and horses for many years and then something of an obsession with Caving set in. I enjoy anything outdoors – climbing, walking, skiing, paddling – whatever, but it always comes back to caving in the end. Working in Engineering for 13 years was fine, but I felt there was something else, so taking the opportunity whilst I had the courage, I left full time employment in 1990 and set up my own business running outdoor activities and outdoor development courses. Hawk Associates handle the development work and Adventure Wales deliver all the outdoor activity aspects. One of the things about running a business that can be hard is the isolation that is experienced when all decisions and thinking are down to one person. It can be hard to find ways to move forward and continue to push the boundaries of what is possible. Setting up and continuing to work with the co-operative has been a super way to escape from the isolation and work with like minded people. We help each other and challenge each other to be as good as we can be. There is a hell of a lot of skill, experience and enthusiasm in the group and it really motivates me in a way that I was struggling to achieve previously. I hope our enthusiasm is evident on this website – we really want to be able to give you the experiences you are seeking and we want to do it in a safe and sustainable way.