Paul Maddison is the professional Mountain Leader behind Ridgeline Guidance, bringing over two decades of outdoor experience shaped by a career of military leadership, expedition involvement and a lifelong connection to the hills.

Beginning his journey in the Royal Navy as an Engineering Apprentice and rising to senior leadership roles, Paul developed a calm, structured and motivational approach to decision‑making in challenging environments. That same leadership style and organisation now underpins every day he spends guiding others in the mountains, steady, encouraging and quietly confidence‑building.

As a qualified Mountain Leader, he has spent years exploring the UK’s wild places, from classic ridges and remote moorlands to the quieter corners where history, landscape and craft meet. His experience extends to supporting UK and overseas expeditions in leadership roles, where his judgement, reliability and people‑focused leadership were valued as highly as his mountain skills.

Paul’s guiding ethos is simple: create safe, rewarding and engaging experiences that help people discover more in themselves and in the landscape. He blends navigation, environmental insight, local history and traditional mountain craft into journeys that feel personal, meaningful and grounded in place.

Clients describe him as warm, human, extremely knowledgeable and quietly challenging, the kind of mountain professional who brings out the best in people, helps them push their boundaries safely, and leaves them feeling stronger, more aware and more connected to the outdoors.

Through Ridgeline Guidance, Paul’s mission is to help others explore the mountains safely with confidence, curiosity and respect, and to experience the physical and mental wellbeing that comes from time spent in wild places.

Paul is a Member of the British Mountaineering Council and the Mountain Training Association. He is Mountain First Aid Trained and holds an Enhanced DBS (update service).