Gary Dickson of Alpinism & Ski
Hi, I am International Mountain Guide Gary Dickson. I run a small boutique guiding company, Alpinism & Ski based in Wanaka, NZ that I run with my wife Iris. We as Alpinisn and Ski Wanaka, have been organising quality trips into the mountains since the Millennium year.
What are the advantages of having a trip organised and run by Alpinism & Ski?
Because small and boutique appeals to many outdoor inclined folk and experience counts a great deal in the mountains….
I have literally ‘written the book’ on key elements of mountain instruction. My high quality instruction skills and knowledge base reflect a quarter of a century in the guiding industry, starting as a glacier guide on the Fox Glacier on the West Coast moving to serveral years Guiding at Mt Cook cumulating to a few years as chief guide there before starting Alpinism & Ski as New Zealand’s leading boutique mountain guiding company based in Wanaka. I have so far worked with clients as diverse as Australasia’s elite special forces, the New Zealand Mountain Guides Association and Icelandic Mountain and Glacier Guides.
NZMGA/IFMGA internationally qualified mountain guide since 1995
I am a NZMGA/IFMGA internationally qualified mountain guide since 1995 , was President of the NewZealand Mountain Guide Association(NZMGA) for 6 years 2010-2015 and currently NZMGA training officer and am one of the team leaders of the Wanaka SAR Alpine Cliff Rescue team. I Hold a Diploma in Parks and Recreation Management
My expertise was appreciated on an international level too, like in Iceland where I was instrumental over 8 summers setting up and implementing their glacier guiding qualifications , and in Switzerland guiding since 1997.
My wife Iris, Originally from Switzerland, has extensive experience in the tourism industry and with a commercial and administrative background runs the Alpinism & Ski base operations and accommodation side of the business. Her mountaineering experience enables her to offer sound and practical advice.
Alpinism & Ski operations started in September 2000 with a ski touring trip in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. Extending the alpinism activities to the Northern Hemisphere with guided ascents and mountaineering instruction courses in the Swiss, French and Italian Alps during June, July and August each year was a natural thing to do with the obvious Swiss connection. We are now living and working full time in NZ again.
During our 20 years to date, we have built a small, high quality global enterprise providing a professional mountain guiding and instructional service to climbers, ski tourers, aspiring mountaineers and future mountain guides.
We look forward to meeting you and seeing if what we offer fits what you might be looking for as a guided mountain climb, mountaineering course or technical consultation service.
let’s talk soon…….
