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
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Alpinism & Ski, Alpinism adventure, Alpinism in Europe, Alpinism in New Zealand, Alpinism Wanaka New Zealand, climbing, climbing in Switzerland, climbing Mt Aspiring, Europe, Mount Aspiring ascent, mountain guiding NZ, mountaineering, New Zealand Mountain Guides, NZ, Switzerland, Wanaka New Zealand
Second half of July here in Europe – the Alps with fresh snow all around. Rain galore for mother nature and good for the glaciers and mountaineering later on in the season, but definitely making it tricky right now for us to go climbing rock up high. We have managed a bit of climbing between the showers on the lower rock climbing crags and Gary prepared this photo album of the specialized climbing instruction a few weeks ago, enjoy.
Some of the Icelandic team approaching the summit of Point De Mourty, Switzerland
Ivar, Chief guide for Icelandic Mountain Guides enjoying some swiss granite
Some of the team take a refreshing dip after 8 days of training.
Latter half of June, and Gary and Chief guide of Icelandic Mountain Guides, Ivar, spent 8 days in Switzerland with 8 of IMG’s senior guides for some assessment of Alpine trekking skills and knowledge and up-skilling/training of guiding on solid alpine rock. Both the Zinal (Moiry Glacier) and Trient Plateau areas were used and provided perfect rock ridges for training missions and snowy passes and glaciers for assessing skills and knowledge.
The Icelandic team head back to Iceland for another busy season guiding on the dynamic guiding terrain of Iceland with hopefully ” a few more tools in their tool box”.
Gary having a few days off rock climbing with Iris on the local Swiss crags before heading away for a week with an ISM client.
Last week of August and it’s time to pack up our mountaineering gear for alpinism in Europe until next summer. Gary was working with legendary mountain guide Steve Jones and a group of students teaching them the essential alpine climbing skills. Earlier he’s been on a week of adventures with Jim who’s based in Zurich, starting with a multi pitch rock climb, then heading up to the cabane de Dix. They enjoyed the ascents of La Luette and Mont Blanc de Cheilon. They moved on to the Almagellen hut and finished the trip with the traverse of the Weissmies.
Mont Blanc de Cheilon
European Alps, goats with bells
In the Swiss Alsp, sheep have bells too
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
2 hours into the hut walk and its time for a strudle and coke - now thats civilized
Climbing in a singlet on the 4000m summit ridge - a little unusual. 2 days later, fresh snow
With the weather turning, the team sneak in an 8 pitch rock climb in the valley
Peter and Karin from Australia as part of a holiday in Europe came to Switzerland for a week of climbing with Gary. Starting off at the beginning of the week on some 3500m peaks to get acclimatized, they then headed to the Saas valley and traversed the 4000m Weissmies. A check of the weather forecast on the internet – a front coming in, so an eight pitch rock climb was completed just before the rain started on Thursday. Friday had heavy rain in the morning, so the team checked out the Castle at Aigle (built in the 1600′s) and then whizzed up a Via Ferratta that traverses a spectacular gorge and rock face in nearby Champéry. Friday night the team met up with Iris for a great meal out at the top of Leysin, at the restaurant Prafandaz.
As usual, one of the great things about Alpinism in Switzerland is the abundance of things to do and alternate objectives when the weather is less than perfect.
July weather continues to be wonderful with conditions in the mountains excellent as well. Gary just headed off with Australian couple Karin and Peter, their aim this week to climb some 4000 m peak or several. Phil Melchior from Wanaka went on mountaineering adventures again in the Swiss Alps the week before and kindly supplies this photo collection of his alpine climbing week with Gary Dickson: picasa album
Phil Melchior from Wanaka enjoying Alpinism in Europe, excellent weather and climbing conditions
Alpine fauna and flora, part of alpinism adventures and this time of the year in the Swiss Alps is bliss for addicts of these beautiful little wonders of mother nature. Just the other day above Leysin, on the way to the Via Ferrata, we saw black salamanders and marmottes and Iris was lucky enough to see a viper high above Chamonix last week, while on a botanical study tour with Karen. Here some pictures of alpine flowers in full bloom… more coming
Alpine plant, a magnificant buttercup like flower called Troll
Vanilla Orchid, alpine flora and fauna
Beautiful colors, delicate forms in wild environment
Aiguille de Midi, Mont Blanc Tacul, Maudit and Mt Blanc 4808 m
Thursday 1st July 2010 Summit day for the Alpinism team Bill Day, Matt Slatter and Gary Dickson. The weather has been stunning for the whole week. The guys have been acclimatising and training their mountaineering skills during the first half of it climbing several peaks in the Swiss Alps from Orny and Trient huts while Karen and Iris enjoyed the Chamonix walks and studying the alpine plants. The ladies accompanied the climbers up to the Aiguille the Midi at 3842 m altitude to see them off on their mission for the big one. Thursday evening the news were that the team had a successful ascent and here some pictures from the week.
start of the climb, Aiguille de Midi 3842 m
Descending from Aiguille de Midi, on the way to the Cosmiques hut
on the way to Mont Blanc, beautiful scenery
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