Mountain Guide Gary Dickson and his team of three have just returned from a ski tour based out of Tasman saddle Hut at the head of the Tasman Glacier . A week of great weather, good snow and great banter.
Ski tour Tasman Glacier
Tag Archives: Alpinism & Ski
Climbing course NZ
Coming up in December, IFMGA Mountain Guide Gary Dickson will be delivering a classic week long Alpine skills course for Alpine Guides Aoraki. Have a desire to learn from one of New Zealands leading mountaineering instructors?
Fox Glacier ski tour
Just back from a week of magnificent ski touring at the head of the Fox Glacier, based out of Pioneer hut 2400m , with a young, enthusiastic couple from Nelson. Wow , what a great settled week of weather.
Skinning back to Pioneer hut 2400m, Fox Glacier after ski touring for the day. What a spectacular home for a week!
Descending at the end of the ski tour to Chancellor Hut perched beautifully above the Fox Glacier hard ice
Ski touring locally
Ski touring locally off the back of Treble Cone and Cardrona is looking good as the snow is there and the storms have put the snow down. A reasonable cover of snow has been good for the ski fields and also the back country ski touring conditions. The weather forecast this coming week is for great sunniness and excellent local ski touring.
Recently on the Treble Cone back country – new storm snow brewing…
Recent ski touring off the back of Treble Cone ski field
Mountain guiding @ Tasman Saddle
Matt arrived from Aussie for what was planned as an Aspiring climb. The weather and conditions dictated that that was not a good plan, so Matt and Gary went North and flew into Tasman Saddle Hut and spent 5 days in that area. They took snow shoes which was great for dealing with the soft snow conditions.
A very uncommon sight was the red dust from interior Australia on the snow. Amazing how it can travel the 3000km over the Tasman Ocean to the southern alps….
The red Aussie dust on the Tasman Glacier
Matt on snow shoes – Aoraki Mt Cook in the back ground. Tasman Saddle area.
Ski touring in NewZealand
Winter in NZ has arrived down under. Enjoy the slopes and get into the groove and shape for an awesome ski tour in late Winter/Spring( the most superb time for alpine ski touring on the NZ Glaciers).
The Alpinism & Ski team will be back from the Dolomites Mid September, back at the Wanaka Base ready for a great Kiwi ski touring season.
Enjoy the snow…. 🙂
Fresh winter snow – September ski touring in NZ
Pontresina Switzerland
Mid July and Phil, Barb , Gaz and Iris have had a fantastic trip to Pontresina ( just up the road from St Moritz), the Engadine region of Switzerland.
On top of a spectacular alpine vista, 20cm of fresh snow was had overnight as the team stayed overnight in the awesome Diaviolazza alpine ‘hotel’.
We then relocated to the beautiful Roseg Gletsher hotel and did a day of alpine trekking up to the Techierva rIfugio.
The final night of the trip was had in the superbly crafted alpine chalet of the Talli Hutte.
Brilliant alpine cuisine, spectacular alpine flowers, marmots, and great company.
Superb alpine views in the Pontresina region of Switzerland
The Awesome Bianco Grat on the 4000m Piz Bernina as seen from the Tschierva Refugio
Phil enjoying the awesome scenery, trekking Switzerland
Switzerland 2019
Recently we booked an itinerary for long term client/friend Phil and his wife Barb, to visit the stunning St Moritz alpine area of Switzerland.
Are you thinking of a climbing trip or instruction course in July/August 2019. Join us in Switzerland again where you can enjoy great mountains, stable continental weather, great mountain infrastructure and alpine history/culture.
The stunning view from alpine hotel and restaurant Diavolazza, Pontresina/St Moritz region of Switzerland
Swiss multipitch rock climbing
Recently Gary and Iris have been out cranking some classic big multipitch rock routes.Fabulous sunny weather, and great, inspirational rock.
Classic Swiss granite slab climbing
Inspirational Swiss rock climbing
Iris belaying on 10 pitch ‘le singe’
Classic Swiss mountaineering
Mt Blanc du Cheilon 3,869m “undoubtedly one of the most beautiful peaks in the Western Valais….” A perfect 3 day adventure completed by Mountain Guide Gary Dickson and Anand.
Yes, this is a fantastic classic Swiss alpine mountaineering trip with a superb Cabane ( Cabane des Dix) as the launch point. Fine alpine rock ridge travel then superb views of the Matterhorn, Dent Blanche and Dent d Herens at the summit ridge and then fun, exposed ridge travel and a final summit mini pitch to the very ‘airy’ summit where one can look directly down the very steep north face to the Cabane Dix 1000m below.
Crampon time
Matterhorn background
Summit ridge