www.topout.co.uk

About Flt Lt Ted Atkins

My major successes and my great joy has been as a result of the many opportunities offered to me within Service mountaineering. I decided to take a commission in 1995 as an Aero Systems Engineering Officer. My appointments have been the Staff Officer for the RAF Mountain Rescue Service, in command of the Scottish teams. This gave me my greatest opportunity; to organise the RAF team that first climbed Mt Everest on 22 May 01. I built Tornado jet engines at RAF Marham then left the Service after being the Chief Engineer on a Search and Rescue helicopter squadron.

Brief resume of my mountaineering exploits. In 1983-85 I explored in Antarctica for 18 months as: Mountain Leader, Skidoo Mechanic, Surveyor and Cartographer. There I lived in tents, snow holes and igloos throughout the Antarctic winter and made maps of places that no other person had ever seen. For this work I was invested with the Polar Medal by HM The Queen. While serving at Kinloss I led: The RAF team that climbed Everest via the North Ridge. I ‘Topped’ out on the South Side in 2004. I lead the first RAF ascent of the Eiger’s North Face and the climbing team for the 1st British ascent of Gimeghela . I have climbed extensively all over the world including many times in the Himalayas.

I have completed 4 tours with the Mountain Rescue Service and achieved the status of Party Leader. In my free time I enjoy riding, skiing and of course mountaineering. I have given a number of charity lectures supporting: Early Pregnancy Unit, Autistic Children and the ATC.