WRITER | EDITOR | DESIGNER
Copyright © Sean Simms. All rights reserved
Website created by Sean Simms. 2014
sean@seansimms.co.uk
MY FIRST PHOTOGRAPH LOOKING OUT OVER THE PERUVIAN AMAZON
ME AT THE SUMMIT OF MT. KILIMANJARO
CARLI ON LOCATION IN THE OXFORDSHIRE COUNTRYSIDE
A YACHT I SNAPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ATLANTIC
A SUPER BARBEL TAKEN FROM THE RIVER AVON
CARLI:
When talking about myself, obviously I couldn't miss out the most important aspect of my life, my partner Carli. Together, we enjoy travelling around Europe, trying new cuisine, walks in the countryside, and badminton. We actually met when she moved in next door, talk about finding love on your doorstep! Carli is a bit of a self confessed poser, so I couldn’t refer to her without showing you a picture I snapped of her; looking resplendent in the Oxfordshire countryside.
AMAZON RAINFOREST:
After finishing my Postgraduate studies, I decided to take some time out and go and volunteer in South America. My chosen destination was deep in the Amazon Rainforest in Peru, where I lived for five weeks trudging through the jungle, monitoring species and collecting data for the future sustainability of the Amazon. This was one of the most rewarding experience of my life, allowing me to see some incredible species of animal in their natural habitats in one of the most awe inspiring locations on the planet. I also visited tribes and small pockets of civilisation within the rainforest as well as completing the Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu.
TRANSATLANTIC SAILING:
My intention from a young age was to experience as many remote destination as possible around the world, so when the opportunity came up to sail across the Atlantic Ocean it was impossible to turn down. In 2011 I flew out to Nelsons Dockyard in Antigua and set sail for Portsmouth in Southern England in the bid to cross the Atlantic. Along the way I experienced some fantastic spectacles, from whales turning over in the doldrums to force seven conditions that shook my bones to their very core. Highlights for me were swimming in 20,000ft of water and all variety of porpoise tracking alongside the yacht. After five weeks at sea I was however glad to reach old Blighty – definitely much more comfortable on solid ground as a lily-livered land dweller!
KILIMANJARO:
Always up for a challenge and desperate to visit Africa, back in 2009 I travelled to Tanzania to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest freestanding mountain in the world. Described as ‘the rooftop of Africa’ the hike saw me follow the Machame route over seven days, climbing to an altitude of 5895m (19,340ft) above sea level. Although this is one of the easiest of the seven summits to conquer, it certainly tested my stamina and pushed my psychological staying power to its very limits. Here is the picture of me at the summit looking rather battered and bruised!
FISHING:
A family tradition passed down through the generations, I first graced the fishing bank at the tender age of four. I caught a beautiful little spotted fish with whiskers, called a gudgeon, and became truly hooked (if you will excuse the pun). Dedicating much of my spare time to fishing over the next decade, at the age of sixteen I won the national championships, making me the British number one seed course fishing match angler in the UK in the sixteen and under class. I also won the team event in this discipline three times which then lead me to captain the leading under twenty-ones sponsored fishing team in the UK.
Now my fishing is less about competition, but more about getting out into the countryside, targeting particular species and beating personal bests. I am chairman of a local fishing club that has been running since the 1940s and really enjoy the much tamer competition between friends and a good level of banter on the bank. Having travelled to many exotic destinations all over the globe, I have always managed to sneak a bit of fishing into my expeditions; which are an absolute pleasure to write about. The ultimate goal is to one day have my travel/angling writing book published, so that hopefully people can share in my angling successes and failures and re-live the many adventures I have been fortunate enough to experience throughout my lifetime.
MORE ABOUT ME...