A WARM WELCOME to the International School of Mountaineering Ltd, an organisation dedicated to sharing the skills, enjoyment
and adventure of mountaineering in all its aspects.
Forthcoming courses - Summer Alpine Mountaineering
Our expertise has been developing through 44 years of
operation and the combined experience of our guiding team
is probably unrivalled
anywhere in the world. This is the key to our continuing
success in striving to provide the best mountaineering courses,
Ski-Tours
and High Alpine Treks while maintaining an outstanding
safety record.
We look forward to climbing with you!
ISM Activities through the Year
The ISM year begins with Ice Climbing Courses in the Alps
and Canada, taking advantage of the very reliable
ice climbing conditions to be found in these world-renowned
icefall climbing venues. By late February, temperatures in the Alps
are beginning to rise a little and the days get longer – this
is when our Ski Touring courses and Off-Piste
Ski weeks begin in earnest. Our earlier alpine ski
touring courses focus on building skills, while during
the later weeks we ski the finest alpine Haute Routes, including
the famous high level route from Chamonix to Zermatt.
Throughout the winter and spring in the UK we run a personalised
and flexible programme of Rock Climbing courses and Alpine Training days,
both to introduce novices to the sports of rock climbing
and mountaineering and to prepare people for any
alpine courses they might be aiming to do in the summer. For
experienced climbers we offer guided climbing on
the best UK rock climbs as well as rock climbing
holidays in Sardinia (perhaps
the best of the ‘Sun
Rock’ venues in the Mediterranean).
The first of our regular Expeditions – Andes Summits – sets out around the end of May
to climb peaks in the fabulous Cordillera
Blanca in the Peruvian Andes,
then once into June the spring snows in the Alps have compacted
enough to allow us to launch into our main Summer programme
of Alpine Mountaineering Courses.
We offer the
widest range of summer alpine courses available, with something
for all mountain-lovers
whether you want to learn the skills of alpine climbing,
climb famous peaks like Mont Blanc, the Eiger and
the Matterhorn, climb the Alpine 4000m
Peaks or trek hut-to-hut over the glaciers and high passes on one
of our summer High Alpine Treks.
Our mountaineering courses and 'Haute Route' Treks range
over the whole of the Western Alps, from the Bernese Oberland
in the north to the Gran Paradiso and Mont Blanc Massif further
south. We also run customised programmes in such far-flung
areas as the Dolomites, the Ecrins, the Vanoise and Bregaglia.
Our summer season of Alpine mountaineering
courses extends well into September, while at the start of
this month our longest-running mountaineering expedition - Virgin
Peaks of the Tien Shan - sets off to one of the most remote mountain regions in the
world, the Tien Shan mountains of Kyrgyzstan. ISM has been
at the forefront of exploring the Tien Shan mountains (with
fifteen expeditions over as many years) and one of the most
rewarding times of our guiding year is to share with our clients the great adventure of tackling a previously untouched peak.
October is the month when the ISM guiding team
gets together to review our year's programme in the
light of your feedback, and to add any newly-inspired peaks
and itineraries to our schedule. Then, while the Alps take a rest from the
tread of mountaineers and gradually build up their cover of winter
snow, many of our mountain guides are off on their
own climbing projects mixed with mountain guiding assignments
in Europe and further afield. By the close of the year we're
razor-keen to get back on the ice, as our ice climbing courses commence again on the wonderful icefalls
of the Alps and Canada.
Hoping that you too have a great year in the mountains,
Pat Littlejohn OBE - Director, International School of Mountaineering Limited
