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
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
It’s all go at the Alpinism & Ski base in Wanaka: two more double glazed windows are going in, another sustainable action we have been planing and saving for. At the same time, we are preparing to spend summer season from June – August in the European Alps with some thoughts already happening for our ski touring adventures in September and October. Gary also has some Search and Rescue stuff going on and after the AGM of the New Zealand Mountain Guides Association on the last Saturday of this month, we shall say good bye to Wanaka for 3 months. Here is a great thing to do in Wanaka during our absence, enjoy… 
http://www.mountainfilm.net.nz/
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