Author and adventurer Matt Dickinson visited pupils at the E-ACT Oldham Academy North to share stories of his exploration of Mount Everest and beyond.
Matt spoke to students about his remarkable experiences of summiting the world’s highest peak as part of a BBC film crew, as well as his exploration of places like Antarctica, Greenland, Alaska, the Sahara Desert and beyond.
During the presentation, Matt shared stunning photos from his time on Everest, which were a hit with the students, providing a visual insight into the harsh conditions and breathtaking beauty of the Himalayas.
In addition to the Everest experience, Matt discussed how his time on the mountain sparked his love for storytelling, leading him to pursue a career in literature and writing children’s adventure books.
His journey from mountaineer to author resonated with students, showing them how passion and adventure can shape a career path and ignite creativity.
Geography teacher Mr. Day, who organised the event, commented on the impact of the talk: “Matt’s stories from Everest were not only educational but truly inspirational.
“It was a fantastic opportunity for our students to engage with someone who has such a wealth of real-world experience, both in the field of geography and literature.”
Tom Campbell, Chief Executive Officer of E-Act commented: “Opportunities like this for our students to meet fascinating people like Matt will help broaden their horizons.
“We want pupils from all our schools to know that they can pursue their careers and futures in any field they choose – even if that is as a modern-day explorer and adventurer!”
Matt has worked with some of the great characters from the worlds of adventure and literature, including Bear Grylls and Brian Blessed.
Along the way he has survived an avalanche, a killer storm in the ‘death zone’ on Everest – the area above 8,000 meters where the oxygen pressure is too low for humans to survive for long- and even a beaver attack in Alaska.
In his popular events for schools, he describes what motivates explorers to take risks in the extreme corners of the planet and brings alive the challenges faced by the people who live in the highest, coldest and most dangerous regions on Earth.
