Learn , develop, extend you Alpinism skills in Switzerland this 2016 season. Join IFMGA Mountain Guide Gary Dickson for a week during July or August this 2016.
Switzerland has brilliant terrain for delivering excellent, high quality climbing courses, and you can take advantage of the knowledge that Gary has gained over the last 15 seasons doing such courses.
Contact us now to work out when you can head into the Swiss Alps for your tailor made Swiss climbing course ….
Grant has just booked with me a week of mountaineering in the Swiss alps in August. You too can come and join the alpinism and ski team and enjoy the massive supermarket of mountaineering peaks and routes with good access, light packs, excellent mountain accomodation in Switzerland.
On his recent trip in the NZ Alps, Ant is inspired to get into more mountaineering again and will maybe join me in the swiss alps too………………… what about you?
Nadelhorn, classic summit, Switzerland
Almageller hut. Sass valley, Switzerland
Leysin is a fantastic alpine village nestled in the pre alps of Switzerland, perfect as our base to launch mountaineering trips into the swiss alps from.
Leysin has all grades of rock climbing on superb rock
Leysin has excellent local hikes pre and post mountaineering
Awesome mountain veiws from this 1500m veiw point – Leysin
Leysin is easy to get to via the fantastically efficient and reliable Swiss train system or road if you have a rental car.
It is about the same size as Wanaka, NZ – a small alpine type town with cafes, restaurants, sports stores, supermarket, a variety of nice accomodation options and importantly central to the main mountaineering regions.
So perfect for a warm up acclimatisation hike, rock session or via ferrata if required for skills acqusition , skills tune up or best weather option, and then ideal for launching off to the best venue for conditions, weather, your skills and objectives….
Helicopter action recently rennovating the Hornli hut -Matterhorn in the background
Me, Gary Dickson, IFMGA mountain guide on Swiss rock
Swiss alpine flora, on a rock climbing excursion near Leysin
The traverse of the Weissmies is a very popular mountaineering trip in Switzerland
What a mixed bag of weather in the Swiss, Italian and French Alps for the last few weeks. For the first time ever, mountain guide Gaz left with an umbrella for a mountaineering trip, however, he did not end up using it. The Gran Paradiso team made it albeit the conditions but the Mont Blanc ascent just didn’t have the weather gods willing to co-operate. Then a traverse of the Weissmies was possible between the storms middle of the month and last week’s team started with the charming Champéry via ferrata which becomes more wild with more rain. The four blokes then proceeded to the Weissmies hut – feedback about the hut has improved – and from there climbed the Lägginhorn, 4010 m. Back to Saas Grund and Zurbriggen Sport accommodation for a night before heading to the Almsgellenhut and the ascent of the Nadelhorn, also over 4000 m for which the sky was finally blue! More from our Euro Alpinism play ground:
Above Leysin at the Tour d’Aï, Switzerland
The stunning vanilla orchids
Lime stone rock climbing at its best in the Swiss Alps
Climbing in Europe is behind us for another year and one of the last weeks there, mountain guide Gaz was out with friend and colleague Steve Jones on the Matterhorn, part of a team on a filmed documentary climb. Here, pictures of a helicopter near the famous peak and hut and Jamie training for his special summit, with camera man Keith, the Trient glacier providing the perfect background, (photos are by Brian Hall, prof. IFMGA mountain guide).
Jamie filmed by Keith with the Trient glacier in the back ground
action flying near the famous peak
Helicopter action near the Matterhorn
Ski touring conditions are good after the recent wild storms on the South Island and plenty of snow fall in the back country of the Southern Alps. Excellent for the New Zealand ski touring missions during the next couple of months. Barely over jet lag, but we had to take the opportunity with blue skies and a fresh covering of white gold to put on ski touring gear for a bit of back country fun. The last week has been fabulous and there was more action on the ski field for Iris while Gary is teaching rope rescue techniques. Get in touch for a ski touring adventure just for you and your team.
On a rock climbing excursion near Leysin
Only a couple of days left this month and the Swiss National day on first of August will bring fireworks aplenty. There are many keen hikers and mountaineers very dedicated to create a bonfire on just about all the mountain tops. Heavy loads of wood have to be carried up hill along with yummy picnics and appropriate beverages to celebrate the occasion. While party mode is happening for many, climbing and mountaineering fun continues for others and mountain guide Gaz has started this week with Jim on a multi pitch route in Valais. High alpine climbing is on the program for the rest of the week, starting today at the cabane des Dix in the Swiss Alps. Continue reading
Climbing in Europe, many colorful views
The month of July in the Swiss Alps has been absolutely fabulous with lots of sunshine but with the appropriate amount of rain, often during the night, for mother nature. Gary is presently on the third climbing course in Switzerland. Coming week he’ll be on an alpinism trip with Jim from Australia. Jim’s flexibility is a great bonus in terms of choosing the best possible locations with regard to weather forecasts.
We have had some excellent rock climbing adventures during the middle of the month, first at the Wandfluh/ Gastlosen then moving on to the Grimsel. Continue reading
Mountaineer Doug Ball, ready for Mt Aspiring, aged 79
Checking up on keywords, I came across these 8 youtube creations about alpinism activities by Doug Ball from New Plymouth and Gary Dickson, his IFMGA/UIAGM mountain guide from 2005 until 2009. Those two were all in all on a douzen mountaineering adventures in New Zealand’s Southern Alps as well as the Swiss, French and Italian Alps. On days where climbing in Europea and/or mountaineering in NZ were affected by the weather, they kept busy with technology and smart talks and somewhere along these were made:
– 2 climbs from Centennial hut, Westland National Park, NZ
– climbing from Homer hut, Fiordland Nationl Park, NZ
–climbing the Dossen, central Swiss Alps
– rock climbing on Pierre de Moëlle, near Leysin Switzerland
– a windy day on the Remarkables, near Queenstown, NZ
– climbing in Fiordland, Southern Alps New Zealand
– climbing from Pioneer hut
– climbing from Centennial hut
A Poppy below the Tour d'Aï, Leysin
This last week in July has been absolutely beautiful weather wise and a number of alpinism activities have been going on for us: visiting the ancient alpine botanical garden high above Leysin, rock climbing and hiking plus climbing peaks over 4000 m altitude in the Swiss Alps. Earlier, Phil Melchior from Wanaka was on his sixth visit in Europe for alpine climbing with chief Gaz and he kindly made this photo album available. They stayed at the historical mountaineering hotel Rosenlaui, then climbed up to the Dossenhut. Continue reading
Ibex in the Swiss Alps
End of June in the European Alps saw Andrew from Wanaka, with Gaz, our chief mountain guide, head off to higher altitudes. Firstly, they traversed the Weissmies, a 4023 m peak in Switzerland with just all right conditions. For their second goal, the Nadelhorn, the weather improved and blue skies were part of this alpine climbing adventure. This peak of 4327 m can be reached from the Mischabelhut and a reasonably good fitness level is required. Strong high winds and more rain approaching brought the team back to Leysin, to finish the week with the local via ferrata of Les Plans, a short but quite demanding adventure in itself. Continue reading