An adventure events company is taking business professionals on mountain hikes across the UK in a bid to help them reach peak performance.
Robustours, which was set up in 2020 by army veteran John Beamson, creates adventures for every level of experience and fitness, ranging from easy social hikes to challenging mountain climbs that will take people to new heights and test their personal endurance
After spending ten years in the British Army and undertaking worldwide operational tours, John returned home and became a truck driver, but after completing the National Three Peaks Challenge – the highest three peaks of Scotland – he realised he wanted to help people become a better version of themselves through adventure.
John said: “After leaving the army in 2011, I became overweight and unhappy. I did the National Three Peaks Challenge and instantly fell in love with the outdoors, which led to me spending two years undertaking long-distance hikes, climbing all of the highest mountains in the UK and working with senior mountain leaders before becoming a qualified mountain leader myself and setting up Robustours.
“During the pandemic, I found a gap in the market for one-to-one adventure events, specifically aimed at CEOs and managing directors, as we often forget people who hold a lot of power within the business world are human beings with everyday human problems. I’m inviting them to take time out and nourish their personal growth, in the same way they would their business. Dine out on what you do, not what you did.”
As an introduction, John takes his clients to Roseberry Topping – which he calls his ‘office away from the office’ – where he is able to understand their fitness levels and what they’re hoping to achieve from an adventure experience.
John added: “My aim is to create world class adventures for people. I recently took one business owner ice climbing in Scotland – it doesn’t get much better than that. Our strap line is ‘Boots On, Bag On, Crack On.’”
Robustours also hosts group events for businesses with up to 40 people and works with charities to create challenging but safe fundraising events.
At the beginning of 2022, John made a base for Robustours at Business Central in Darlington, taking up coworking space that has given him a professional business address and space to work when he’s not on the move.
Speaking about the coworking space, John said: “I got to a point where I couldn’t work from my kitchen or coffee shops anymore. I heard about Business Central and went to look around before signing the paperwork there and then.
“It’s a great space to be for meeting new people, hosting meetings and receiving my business-related mail. I’m thinking of getting my own office space here within the next six months.”
Vanessa Wood, centre manager at Business Central, said: “We’re delighted to welcome John to our coworking space here at Business Central, which was specifically designed for businesses like Robustours that need somewhere flexible to work from.”