Ed is familiar with all the Upland Escapes regions and has been especially involved with creation of walks in Gran Canaria and the Julian Alps. He brings to Upland Escapes a wealth of Operational experience, and when not working, Ed is busy training his three children to become adventurers and mountaineers.
After studying French and Portuguese at Oxford University, Ed spent four years with walking-specialist tour operator ATG Oxford, first leading walking groups throughout Western Europe, then joining their management team as Operations Manager and Contracts Manager Spain & Portugal. In 1999 he joined the luxury tour operator Abercrombie & Kent Europe where he further developed his skills in Operational Management, heading up several departments before becoming General Manager. In 2003 he became a Director of A&K Europe, and in 2004 became Executive Director with overall responsibility for all Operations, Purchasing, and Sales & Marketing, before joining Dick and Laura to found Upland Escapes. His upland walking experiences span much of Europe, as well as the Himalayan foothills and Peru.
Laura has visited, walked and fallen in love with all the Upland Escapes, and is especially fond of the Majella region as she has been involved in researching the walks in this area. She and her husband, Dick Bayne, also own the B&B Number 31 in Decontra, which they have carefully restored.
After a childhood in Tuscany, Laura returned to Italy to live and work in 1995, as Contracts Manager Italy for walking-specialist tour operator ATG Oxford. She then joined Abercrombie & Kent Europe where she spent five years in the roles of Forward Planning Manager, Contracts Manager for Europe, and Marketing Manager. In 2001 she achieved an MBA at Oxford Brookes University. In 2002 she fulfilled a long-held ambition by successfully completing a 1500 mile journey on foot with Dick Bayne, from the southernmost point of mainland Italy to the French border. She returned to the travel industry as a consultant to several companies, working on projects involving new-company business planning, company acquisition, financial control, forward planning, contracts management and product development, until founding Upland Escapes in 2005 with Ed and Dick.
Dick has meticulously researched, walked and photographed every inch of every walk of every region (except for a few of the Gran Canaria walks, where Ed led the research), in order to create the Upland Escapes Handbooks. Although very involved in the restoration of Number 31 Decontra in the Majella region, he has no favourite Upland Escape: he loves them all. Dick graduated from Cambridge University in French and Italian. Before founding Upland Escapes with Laura and Ed he led walking tours for ATG Oxford throughout Europe for over 10 years, researching and creating new walking holidays and taking responsibility for the development and accuracy of their range of self-guided walking booklets, while also working as a writer and translator. He is married to Laura, and planned their 1500 mile route along Italy’s Apennine backbone. Dick has enjoyed upland walking throughout Europe, as well as in Africa, Peru, Bolivia and Reunion, often with Laura.
