So What’s It Really Like to Be Guided Up the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc?

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So What’s It Really Like to Be Guided Up the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc?

Wendy Dodds has featured in a few of our blog posts over the last year. In July 2017 she booked some time with Chris, hoping to climbing the Matterhorn. In January 2018 we interviewed here for our Who Needs A Mountain Guide? series, and she also got a mention in last week’s blog post, Don’t You Just Love It When a Plan Works Out? This summer she booked a ten day slot with nine guided days, with the aim of revisiting her aim of climbing the Matterhorn, after her hopes were dashed in 2017 by an injury during the preparation days. Oh, and maybe Mont Blanc as a bonus - not a bad aim for a woman in her 60's. This is Wendy’s account of the two summits in her own words.

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Don't You Love It When A Plan Works Out?

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Don't You Love It When A Plan Works Out?

Every Alpine season is different - different clients with different aspirations, different weather, different conditions. We always start off with a plan (despite what Eisenhower said) but always with the attitude that no plan survives contact with the enemy. Some years we don't achieve any of our major goals, and some years we tick them all off. This summer was an all-round success, with two Matterhorn ascents and one Mont Blanc ascent, plus numerous other lesser summits in just four weeks. 

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2019: What Do You Want To Achieve?

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2019: What Do You Want To Achieve?

We may be only half way through August 2018, but it's never too early to start making plans and setting goals for next year. Isn't it a lovely feeling to have something fun and/or challenging booked in your diary to keep you going when it all feels a bit routine? We've set all our course dates for 2019, and we'd love to hear from you and see how we can help.

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Managing Risk in the Mountains #1: The Three Variables

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Managing Risk in the Mountains #1: The Three Variables

We go to the mountains for many different reasons - physical, mental, emotional, spiritual. John Muir put it like this more than a hundred years ago: “Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity”. Because the benefits are so huge, we choose to expose ourselves to the associated risks, even though we don't have to. Understanding those risks and how to manage them means that we return safely from every mountain adventure. 

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How To Pack Your Rucksack The Minimalist Way

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How To Pack Your Rucksack The Minimalist Way

We've all seen it: an expedition group toiling under the weight of huge rucksacks, with all kinds of things swinging around on the outside. They have no energy for enjoying the journey - all they can think about is getting to the campsite and crashing out. But it doesn't have to be like that. When I run Mountain Leader courses I set my candidates a challenge: to pack all their kit for a three-day two-night expo into a 45 litre sack weighing no more than 10kg. Most of them are surprised, and think it isn't possible. Here's why it's a good idea, and how to do it.

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