Extreme Adventures

Description

A white-knuckle tour around Britain with professional explorer and extreme adventurer, Andy Torbet Andy Torbet has been to some of the world's most dangerous places in his previous career as a soldier and now as an explorer, adventurer and TV presenter on programmes such as The One Show and Coast. But, he insists, you don't need to go to the farthest flung corners of the globe to find real challenge and push yourself to the very edge of your capabilities. There is genuine exploration on your doorstep. In Britain, between towering cliffs and stormy seas - and deep underground too - you can experience some of the most exciting physical and mental trials a human being can face. Whether it's scuba diving to the bottom of a pitch-dark flooded slate mine in Wales, climbing the crumbling chalk face of the iconic white cliffs of the Needles or pot-holing through the claustrophobic dank of one of Scotland's deepest caves, Andy Torbet takes on the most extreme adventures nature can provide - and comes out on top. Extreme Adventures is a book of high-octane extreme quests for adventurers everywhere.

After completing a degree in zoology, Andy spent ten years in the British Forces as a paratrooper, diver and bomb disposal officer, including serving with the Airborne Brigade, the Army's Underwater Bomb Disposal Team and the Maritime Counter Terrorist Group. He was involved in operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kosovo, Northern Ireland and the Falklands. Andy started diving at the age of twelve and has been at it ever since; on operations in the Forces, on commercial vessels, over sunken cities, in caves, deep wrecks and across abundant reefs. He has a long list of technical diving qualifications, including cave, mixed-gas, rebreather and free-diving as well as his professional qualifications as a military and commercial diver and supervisor. Since growing up in the wilds of Scotland, Andy has always had a fascination with the natural world. Although his diving has exposed him to some amazing marine biology he maintains a varied interest in wildlife, specialising in the evolution and behavioural ecology of carnivores at University. He's also a highly qualified mountaineering and climbing instructor, caver, sea-kayaker, boat operator and extreme sportsman. Andy is also a regular television presenter, who first appeared on BBC Scotland. He recently co-presented Operation Iceberg on BBC1 in the UK and Discovery Channel internationally as well as the tenth and final series of Coast.

Anyone who thinks the UK is tame, think again. Andy proves that adventure can be found literally everywhere, and our own nation can be as hardcore as anywhere on earth. * Steve Backshall * Britain's ballsiest explorer. * FHM *