Dewsbury explorer sees his expedition project hit the television screen

Darren Clarkson-King was born in Dewsbury and attended Brownhill School on Windmill Lane and then Batley Boys High School.

In his formative years he was active in local scout groups and with Pennine Canoe and Rowing Club.

More than 30 years on from his first time in a kayak. Darren is now the premier white water explorer across the Himalayas.

His adventurers have taken him down roaring rivers and challenging rapids, and seen him kayak all the rivers that flow from Everest and K2, along with exploring major first descents across Nepal, India, Bhutan, Tibet and Pakistan.

Darren has written guidebooks to the areas along with working on a number of TV shows.

Recently he was the trip leader for TV presenter Steve Backshall during the ‘Eexpedition’ series in Bhutan.

Darren said: “Adventure has inherent risk but this doesn’t mean that adventure should be sanitised.

“Often we look at the world as a spectator, adventure allows us to be part of the world in a unique way.

“I started kayaking in a small way with the scouts and a few taster sessions with school. After leaving university I was a member of the GB team. But my first trip to Nepal 20 years ago cemented the fact that I wanted to explore more of the Himalayas - even then I was exploring descents on unknown rivers

“For me it is the exploring that matters - the remote areas. I am lucky to achieved so much, from kayaking down all the rivers of Everest, to unknown rivers across the Himalayas.

“I am proud to be a position to work on TV shows and in particular with Steve Backshall on this expedition series, where we explored Bhutan.

“Ladakh is an amazing remote Himalayan area of India, as close to Pakistan as China. Buddhist culture, high mountains and amazing rivers.

“I live mostly in the Himalayas but the lifestyle is very transient.”