Biographical note

After taking early retirement from his career as a physics and sports teacher, Brian Johnson found time for three thru'-hikes of the Pacific Crest Trail, a 2700-mile round-Britain walk and a single summer compleation of the Munros (Scotland's 3000ft mountains), as well as climbing all of the Corbetts (Scotland's 2500–2999ft mountains) and Grahams (Scotland's 2000–2500ft mountains). He also completed a 2200-mile cycle tour of Spain and France and multi-week canoe tours in Sweden, France, Spain and Portugal. A keen climber and hiker, he led school groups in Britain, the Alps, the Pyrenees and California and completed ten traverses from Atlantic to Mediterranean on the Pyrenean Haute Route, GR11 and GR10. As a fanatical sportsman and games player, he competed to a high standard at cricket, hockey, bridge and chess. His crowning achievement was winning the 1995/96 World Amateur Chess Championships. Sadly, Brian passed away in 2021.