Steve Holland - UK Operations

Steve is an Engineer specialising in the use of lightweight and novel materials, mainly to counter the effects of explosives. Over the years he has applied his performance materials background into the design and build of a range of expedition equipment. The project that started this was while he was working for BAe Space Systems and was asked to develop some lightweight amphibious sleds for Ran Fiennes' attempts to reach the North Pole unsupported.

The Arctic Ocean is covered by very active ice, which constantly moves, creating ‘leads’ of water that block any team’s way en route to the North Pole. The idea of having a sled that could also be used as a simple boat to maintain the straightest, most efficient line was seen as the one of the keys to success. The balance between food and fuel carried vs. speed over the ice vs. the weather makes the chances of success of such attempts marginal. Ran managed to set a series of records and proved that given the right conditions the Pole was attainable.

Other projects include the design and build of two buggies for Rosie Swale-Pope's round the world run that she completed in 2008. This was an interesting prospect as Steve did not become involved in this expedition until Rosie was already in Russia and in need of help. The trials and tribulations of 'Hercules' that saw her through Siberia and the 'Charlie' that saw across the United States are recorded in her recent book.

In parallel with selecting and developing equipment, Steve has become very used to selecting and developing personnel for expeditions. These skills were honed on the Training Wing of 10 Para (V) and have been applied to many people since.

One selection candidate that made it through the net was a certain Mac Mackenney - back in the days when we both had hair. This was for the Land Rover Global Expedition discussed in detail on this website.

As Max Adventure’s ‘Selections & Training Manager’, Steve has trained teams heading off to climb Kilimanjaro, drive a double-decker bus to Beijing, drive 4x4’s across Africa and complete the 3 Peaks Challenge. He also trained teams of the country's leading adventure racers for the epic 'Eco-Challenge' races in Morocco and Patagonia.

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