Darren (Daz), is the founder and catalyst of the specialist adventure provider, Pure Land Expeditions. He has been guiding and leading expeditions in the Himalayas since 2000, as well as being an International Rafting Federation class 4/5 guide, with countless first descents & Himalayan exploration credits.

Raising awareness around sun protection outdoor recreation is something he is passionate about, having lost his father to melanoma a few years ago.  This was a surprise as unlike his son, he was not a particularly outdoorsy person.  With this most dangerous form of skin cancer, the risk is heightened with family history, so the loss focused on his own vulnerabilities, particularly as he is someone who spends most of his time outdoors, around water and at altitude, tripling the risks.

Before becoming an official Sunguard, Daz supported the Melanoma Fund by volunteering as the charity’s ‘Sunburn’ character, receiving national TV coverage running around Leeds in a red blow-up suit, with the slogan “Watch out, sunburn’s about! “. Alongside his role as mascot and of course running expeditions, Daz is a speaker, a media-trained TV fixer and writer, and is looking forward to bringing these skills as well as his experience, ‘have a go’ attitude, and passion, into his role as a Sunguard ambassador.