Michael and James, a week with ISM, here on Tête Blanche

August last year, Thanks for the feed back and photos Michael:

“Dear Gary,

On behalf of James and myself, thank you very much for an excellent week at the Orny and Dix huts.  It was an ideal mix of instruction, rockclimbing, snow and ice experience, and mountaineering on mixed terrain.  Mt Blanc de Cheilon was a great way to end the week – a beautiful mountain and a superb, satisfying climb.  Thank you especially for your patience and for not only ensuring our safety but taking the time at every stage to explain clearly what we were doing and why.  We also greatly appreciated your steady pacing, which provided several first-hand examples of the hare and tortoise principle in practice; I can’t speak for James, but do not underestimate the achievement of getting me to the top of Mt Blanc de Cheilon in (just) under guide-book time, still breathing comfortably and with an acceptable pulse-rate.

Many thanks again.”  Michael Firth

James enjoying the views from the summit of Mont Blanc de Cheillon, Matterhorn in the background( above his helmet) - well done team!

Here some memorabilia of Alpinism during the last decade: youtube legendary Doug Ball who spent considerable time climbing with mountain guide Gary Dickson aka Gaz from January 2006 until August 2009.

Doug Ball, 79, on Mt Aspiring, New Zealand

Doug at 80, climbing a few peaks over 4000m in a week in Switzerland

Doug climbing high above the Dossenhütte, Kingspitze in the back ground

Doug had climbed Mt Cook Aoraki with his wife Peggy and many other peaks, but never Mt Aspiring. He got thwarted twice while climbing with Gaz because of conditions and weather but third time lucky and for a brief time he was considered the oldest climber to have sumited. He must have been an inspiration … more

Based at Centennial hut for some more alpine climbing

He sent us these lines just recently …”I use a slide show of my mountaineering photos as a screen saver so that my memories are not lost but are refreshed every day. Alpinism and Ski certainly made an enormous difference to my life. What would have become of me if I had just thrown in the sponge after Peggy died?  I have so much to thank you both for and am not likely to ever forget it.”

keep going strong Doug

Winter mountaineering skills in the Southern Alps; training for a Patagonia adventure

September 2011

“We’ve had a great trip as part of our training for our Patagonia trip. We loved being taken up to the Tasman Glacier and improving our off piste skiing skills and we appreciated the expertise Gary showed in extending our skills slowly but surely. We came away refreshed and more informed and skilled for future ventures. Great food, great fun, great location, great weather.

The hospitality back in Wanaka is exceptional – thanks for feeding us beautiful food and making us so welcome.”

Linda, Kerryn, Rob  – here a link to their Patagonia adventure and more

Southern Alps of New Zealand, a great play ground for Alpinism

May 2011

Dear Gary,

I’d just like to take the opportunity to thank you again for your help, support and instruction on our recent visit. We all appreciated the way in which you were able to tailor the package to meet our requirements and were most impressed with the professional conduct and level of instruction given. Everyone gained a huge amount and this has hopefully sewn the seeds in the guys to take this new capability forward. Please pass on our thanks to Callum and Iris for their instruction and assistance during the package.

We look forward to having the opportunity to work with you again in the near future to help further develop our capability in the mountains.

Best wishes and safe climbing.

Frankie

G.J. FRANCIS

mountaineering courses in New Zealand, specialized training

wild & full on, beautiful & awesome

Perched high in wild places for alpine climbing

“We would like to express our appreciation and thanks for the recent rock and alpine Search and Rescue training Gary delivered to the Wanaka Police SAR team on Mt Aspiring. For us to respond in the field on SAR operations we need both safety and competency. Gary’s excellent technical knowledge, ability to role model sound decision making and facilitate real time training with appropriate learning outcomes is highly regarded. We all enjoyed his enthusiasm and commitment to improving the team’s skills in this alpine environment. We look forward to our next professional training opportunity

Sergeant A. Nicholson, Officer in Charge, Wanaka Police SAR”

Mountaineering instruction and training in Mt Aspiring National Park

Some feedback just received from Jules, Australian participant in special mountaineering training during May 2010 based at Tasman Saddle hut:

“For me it is the first time that I have been exposed to a reasonable length of time living and working in an environment such as this, and to be honest, the time I had with you guys up in Mt. Cook National Park was invaluable, and I would like to say thanks very much (again) for the efforts you put into our training. It definitely paid off for me”.

Nice one, thanks Jules!

Specialised alpine climbing training

Tasman Saddle hut in Mt Cook National Park

climbing Hochstetter Dome on an instruction course

Ski Tour 'Melchior Team' 2010

Many thanks for the annual ski touring trip. Great weather, great organisation, and the trip from Centennial Hut to Chancellor Hut was a classic. Plus which, visiting “my” glacier was a bucket-list tick. Gary tells me this was my 15th adventure with New Zealand’s leading boutique guiding company which probably says it all! Many thanks.
Phil Melchior, Oct. 2010

Australian adventure couple Karin and Peter have for the second time this year been on a trip with Alpinism & Ski, first in The Darrens, Fiordland NZ with mountain guide Sam Bosshard, and during July with Gary Dickson in the Swiss Alps :

“Just want to thank you both for a great trip….Gary for keeping us safe and showing us a little more of the Alps and Iris for organising everything (Gary included)” , 31st July 2010

Adventures in the mountains can provide some tricky moments and last May an evacuation was needed for one participant of a 9 day private mountaineering instruction course. We have just received positive news from him:

“I just wanted to write and thank you for all that you did for me during a recent course with you, the instructors and their training abilities were second to none and most specifically after I suffered a spontaneous pneumothorax up on the hill the team from Alpinism really came into their own. The expert Medical and rescue assistance provided by your organisation was absolutely first class and at all times I was in good hands, I have found this to be somewhat of a rare occurence with other companies but all of the alpinism staff are stand out operators. Of note I would like to thank the guides Dave, Callum and Gary, Iris and of course the fantastic Mountain Rescue Team who trudged up the hill in inclement weather to assist me. Also I would like to thank all of the NZ rescue/medical services who made my extraction and subsequent operations and return to health possible, You have my appreciation.

I am home now, healing quickly(running again) and back at work.

Thankyou Alpinism crew, your abilities and professionalism made a potentially dangerous situation a benign one and for that I am extremely thankful, the beers are on me.”

Jim H

Dear Gary and Iris,

a wonderful experience and thank you for making me so welcome in your home and your hospitality. Gary, thanks for opening up such a wonderful place which I have always dreamed about venturing into. Greatly appreciated being able to feel so relaxed and totally confident in your skills and experience when venturing out into such a challenging environment. Your use of a minimal equipment to achieve maximum function is something I really value and enjoyed learning from you. Look forward to many future climbs. All the best with your future adventures together, best.

February 22nd 2010, Craig Anderson