Andrew Denton

Outdoor Industries CEO, Ski mountaineer, mountain biker and Ironman.

[Andrew Denton @OIAUKCEO]

Listen to this man!!!

[Andrew Denton @OIAUKCEO]

RT @HelenGrantMP: I was deeply saddened by the passing of my dear friend Kanya King CBE MBE this week. Kanya was a visionary who transforme…

[Andrew Denton @OIAUKCEO]

@AlexHonnold @HBO Well said Alex. It’s done you no disservice despite, perhaps an editing attempt.

[Alex Honnold @AlexHonnold]

This is an article that I wrote following the death of Dean Potter in 2015 that I think does a good job of highlighting how inspirational he was to me personally and showing how much I admired his approach to his arts. The recent @HBO show The Dark Wizard used some of my interview clips to really make our relationship seem hyper competitive and dysfunctional, but the reality was a little more prosaic - we didn’t know each other super well and rarely saw each other. I was always kind of afraid of him because he was so intense. But I’d always been super inspired by his climbing and his vision.

We overlapped in Yosemite to some extent from 2006 until his death in 2015, so that’s nearly a decade in which I was normally spending about 3 months a year in Yosemite. We each did a handful of climbs over that time that were considered “competitive” (the Nose speed record being an obvious example). When you see it all in a 4 episode documentary it seems super fast and extreme - when you actually live it over a decade it all feels a lot slower and more normal…

The Dark Wizard does an amazing job of remembering Dean as the visionary climber that he was and it’s certainly worth a watch. Just remember that it’s edited for maximum effect.

https://t.co/ZujUomWKcV

[Andrew Denton @OIAUKCEO]

@tracey_crouch @ToughMudder 😂😂 Dame in the dirt- your right it looks neither elegant or remotely comfortable- Chapeaux fir doing it though!!!

[Andrew Denton @OIAUKCEO]

@tracey_crouch Sterling effort!!!

[Netflix @netflix]

Alex Honnold waves to the crowd as he begins his free solo climb of Taipei 101. One of the tallest buildings in the world.

LIVE right now on Netflix. #SkyscraperLive

[Andrew Denton @OIAUKCEO]

Wow https://t.co/gsFALxr2Tu

[Andrew Denton @OIAUKCEO]

@EverestToday A legend in the mountains. One of the greats

[Everest Today @EverestToday]

Gone on this day, 17.01.1977; Dougal Haston, Scottish mountaineer, widely regarded as one of the boldest and most innovative climbers of his generation. He is best known for being one of the first two climbers to successfully ascend the Southwest Face of Mount Everest in 1975. On September 24, 1975, Haston and Doug Scott reached the summit via one of Everest’s iconic routes, becoming the first Britons to stand on the world’s highest peak.

Their descent became legendary after they survived an unplanned bivouac at around 8,750 meters without oxygen or a tent, setting a record for the highest open bivouac in mountaineering history.

Born in Edinburgh, Haston rose rapidly through the elite ranks of alpinism. His career was marked by visionary climbs that pushed technical and psychological limits: the first ascent of the South Face of Annapurna I in 1970 with Don Whillans, the first direct ascent of the Eiger North Face in 1966, the pioneering ascent of Changabang in 1974, and the South Face of Denali in 1976.

Beyond the mountains, Haston served as director of the International School of Mountaineering in Leysin, Switzerland, shaping generations of climbers through his disciplined yet risk-aware philosophy.

He died tragically on this day, January 17, 1977, aged 36, after being caught in a powder-snow avalanche while skiing alone near Leysin.

Though his life was short, Dougal Haston’s legacy remains as symbol of a deeply thoughtful approach to risk that continues to influence modern alpinism.

Photo showing Dougal Haston approaching the Hillary Step on Mt Everest (8848.86 m), 24.09.1975. ©: Doug Scott.

[Andrew Denton @OIAUKCEO]

@RoryStewartUK @Dominic2306 Well done you Rory. Thank you for that. Just signed up as Trip Plus member!

[Steven Bartlett @StevenBartlett]

this is probably an unexpected opinion coming from me... entrepreneurship is over-sold and self-awareness is under-sold 👇🏾

The not so popular truth is, most people would be happier with a good salary than a successful startup.

But social media continues to push a generation to optimise for lives they don't actually want.

Entrepreneurs like me get a lot of likes and followers when we tell people to quit their jobs and chase their dreams.

But here is the context that we nearly always miss👇🏾

Entrepreneurship can be really really boring - you will have to do things you do not enjoy.

You will deal with big, hard, stressful problems, every day - including bank holidays, christmas and any other time off - for years.

If you're lucky enough to be successful, the problems will get bigger, not smaller.

You will not have one boss. You will have hundreds - every customer, every investor, every employee. You will answer to them 24/7.

You will probably work 3x the hours you do now, have 10x the stress and a tiny probability of significant success.

A recent survey found 87.7% of founders deal with at least mental health issues. That's not a bug. It's a feature of entrepreneurship.

You'll see your kids less. You'll probably earn less (for years, maybe forever).

You will probably pay yourself last and as little as possible.

You'll struggle to switch off. Forever. Your phone will probably become a prison.

And here's the punchline: If you succeed, it all gets harder.

More money = more complexity. More growth = more anxiety. More success = more people depending on you.

In life, when you find yourself following someone else's playbook, you are at risk of winning someone else's prizes. All I'm saying is be intentional.

I'm not AGAINST entrepreneurship, I'm FOR self-awareness.

Truth "wealth" is probably👇🏾

✅ Knowing what game you want to play and why
✅ Having the courage not to play other people's games
✅ Understanding your real strengths and weaknesses
✅ Designing within them, not against them

Happiness is not about the structure, the social media post or the story.

Happiness is about alignment. Building a life that's aligned to whoever you are!

This does the beg the question, why do I do it?

If I'm honest, the answer is probably....I don't know.

It's probably some blend of lower t trauma, my inability to fit inside normal structures like school and conventional work-places (I was fired a few times), my adhd brain that makes working on something for 14 straight hours feel like 7 minutes and some childhood self-esteem issues.

Whatever the reason, this is who I am and what works for me.

This is the weird way I make myself happy and fulfilled.

To someone that is not me, it would probably feel like torture.

And to me, their life would probably feel like torture.

And that’s the thing… when you create a life that feels like home to you, it will probably look like hell to tourists.

Please know what you are not!

[Andrew Denton @OIAUKCEO]

@DavidWalshST superb article today in @thetimes - what eloquence had me in tears. Thank you.

[Andrew Denton @OIAUKCEO]

@jk_rowling @coolstaggie @lumos @JamesChiavarini Donated. What a fab idea- hope it raises millions- I’ll donate the price of everyone’s dinner if I’m
One of those the hat!

[Andrew Denton @OIAUKCEO]

@MarkJohnEssex @parkrunUK 100%- I’ll pace you , let’s crack a 29.59!

[Andrew Denton @OIAUKCEO]

@MarkJohnEssex That’s an awesome result. 90mins for full distance? Really great result Mark. Well done! 👍

[Andrew Denton @OIAUKCEO]

@keithdunn It’s on!

[Andrew Denton @OIAUKCEO]

@tracey_crouch Omg you’ve done one! I’m training for it now! How was the Burpee broad jump? I can’t even do it yet!

[Andrew Denton @OIAUKCEO]

@MarkJohnEssex Sounds like this one’s accurate then and the last was under. Proper ramp test is likely to be more accurate. Great result!