Summer IML Assessment, Switzerland

Aiglon College, Villars-sur-Ollon one of the most expensive boarding schools in Switzerland, educating students from all over the world. This was to be our base for the International Mountain Leader Summer Assessment.  












On the first  morning, meeting the other 10 candidates we were told which area we would be assessed in, sent out to buy maps and make sure our 'mini team' was prepaid with all emergency kit – groups shelter, rope, sling, karabiners, first aid kit, ice axe.


I was lucky enough to be put into an assessment team with Hannah and Sam.  We worked well together, complementing each other with our differing knowledge and experience base.  With each of us taking a different leg of the trip, being leader for that period, we were to navigate, enthuse, interest and entertain our team with our local and general knowledge.

Other tasks involved mini presentations, knowledge of emergency procedures, rope work, language skills, hut etiquette, altitude and general knowledge of leading trip throughout the world.

The three day trip took us through the mountains and over the magnificent Col des Chamois with its steep descent and great exposure.  The Cabane de Plan Névé was very welcoming and the display on the Swiss horn made it an unforgettable experience.  Our thoughts were with the warden who was retiring after spending his entire life running the hut.

The lead assessor, Simon made us feel relaxed and we even enjoyed some of the assessment.  With such a good team, it was unsurprising but a great relief that all three of us everyone passed with flying colours.  We are all looking forward to completing the final part of our IML qualification – the Winter Assessment – as soon as the snow comes.

Congratulations to everyone who passed their Summer IML.

Bring on the winter!

http://www.baiml.org/

Tour des Mouverans, Switzerland

Arriving at Geneva airport, I realised that the journey was only just beginning.  I met John off the plane and we quickly found a train to Aigle, journeying along the beautiful lakeside. A swift change onto a local bus taking us up to the mountain resort of Villars-sur-Ollon.  The next bus took us even further up to Solalex and the final 400 metre of ascent we walked arriving the Refuge Giacomi by the evening. It was a long day of travelling but the views and remote location we had arrived at, in just 12 hours, was well worth it.  What's more, we were sitting on the Tour des Mouverans ready to start the trek early tomorrow morning.

The first day of trekking took us down to Derborence, situated on the impressive Lac de Derborence, site of a tragic avalanche over 250 years ago. Finally, a 1000m ascent takes us up to the Refuge Rambert.  This refuge, situated on the Col has breathtaking views across the mountain range and Chamois living within throwing distance of the hut.  Although the thin walls of the dorm rooms made for quite a disturb night, we were tired enough after our long first day to appreciate anywhere to lay our heads.

The next day we made our way down a perfect glaciated valley identifying alpine flowers and their medicinal uses along the way. Our arrival at lunchtime at the Cabane du Fénestral meant we were able to shelter from the brief rain-shower whilst enjoying a cup of fruit tea and consuming our sandwiches.  Every mouthful eaten was a benefit as it lightened our load.  The logical aim for the day became to eat as much of our lunch food as possible.    

Once the rain had subsided we made our way to the Cabane Demecre, belonging to the Trotteurs running club.  This delightful hut manned entirely by volunteers was extremely welcoming. The smell of fresh bread being taken out of the oven as we arrived from the rain helped no end with this and the friendly chatter of the volunteers made us feel at home.  Once the rain had stopped the sun warmed the air and we wandered out to admire the view, practice some rope work, identify some more flowers and generally make the most of being in the area.

Day 3 took us along the high route over the Col des Martinets and down the Nant valley to Pont de Nant where we were to stay the night.  The valley was very long and the descent harder than any ascent we'd done while we were there.  However the magnificent views along the way and thoughts of a good meal when we arrived made it possible to drag ourselves on to the Refuge.  Once the typical afternoon storm had passed we visited the local botanical gardens where, once some interesting flowers had been identified, we were lucky enough to see a bat, drying itself on the leaves of a plant. 

The final day completed our Tour des Mouverans and brought us back to Solalex via the Col des Essets.  This circular trip of 70km and 4000m ascent is well worth the effort offering magnificent views and incredible diversity as it works its way round the mountain range.  Many thanks to John for accompanying me and testing my local knowledge along the way.  

http://www.tourdesmuverans.ch/carte-geographique.html

Tanzania - Kilimajaro (Machame Route)

I am sitting in another dance studio, in another school, at the other end of the country, nearly a month after I met my Scottish group.  This time I am appreciating my last few minutes of quiet before eight young men from Wilson’s School in south London, bound into Hayes Community College.  They break my silent reflection and explode their rucksacks all over the floor in preparation for a kit check.

Having removed all unessential personal kit (including Ed’s boot cleaning set), found space for the group kit and completed all final briefings, we board the bus, then the plane to Nairobi and finally almost 24 hours after first meeting, we land at Kilimanjaro airport, Tanzania.

With the town of Arusha our base for the next three weeks we make our way to a hostel and begin our orientation phase.  We have phones to buy, a city to discover, meths to find, a week’s menu to plan and purchase and some fun to have.  The team experienced a steep learning curve when accosted by a particularly persistent tout on their first day visiting the market area.

Finally we start making our way 80km north to Longido, home of the Masai and base for our acclimatisation trek and project phase.  Starting out on the trek, we make our way towards Longido Mountain, our objective towering in the background.  Our Masai guides protect us with spears and lead the way.  Our guides ease in the environment is clear as they carry little more than a small plastic bag of essential kit to accompany their weapons making us look slightly over prepared with large expedition rucksacks containing everything from tents and stoves to food and a change of clothes.  And why would you need a tooth brush? They clearly demonstrate the use of a natural version – a stick.

After a successful summit with an exciting scramble at the top, we find ourselves back in Longido preparing for our project phase.  The team is disappointed to find that the playground we had planned to help build will not be going ahead due to disputes over land ownership.  Luckily the creation of a football stadium is the centre of the town’s development and the team help make and transport bricks, dig foundations and build walls for it.   A lot of hard work rewarded with a game of football with the locals.

The project phase was intermingled with lots of cultural visits and the team were lucky enough to visit a boma (Masai village) and a Masai Warriors cave.  In the cave, young Masai men hang out and eat meat for anything from 10 days to a month, depending on how much meat they have.  The Warriors eat, sleep, chat and rest. When the meat has been eaten, they go home.

With the project phase and a day of preparation in Arusha complete, we turn towards our main objective for the expedition – Kilimanjaro.  The team are fortunate to benefit from an excellent acclimatisation profile with 8 days on the mountain.  This greatly enhances the probability of success by allowing the team enough time to adapt to the diminishing quantities of oxygen available to them as they make their way up the mountain.

The first few days take the team through rain forest and out onto dusty plains.  Finally, we are above the clouds and get our first glimpse of the mountain.  It still looks so big and so far away it is difficult to come to terms with the fact that we aim to be standing on the top of it in just a few days time.  As we look back down at the view, all we can see is a sea of cloud and Mount Meru rising out of it: an inspiring view which will stay with us for the rest of the trip.

On day 3 we have lunch at Lava Tower (4600m) before descending to Barranco camp for 2 night’s acclimatisation.  An acclimatisation trek takes us onto the ridge above the camp.  With just a few light headaches between the team there has obviously been eating and drinking plenty and looking after themselves in order to acclimatise properly.

The daunting Barranco wall is scaled more easily than the team expected and the scramble to the top was enjoyed by all though watching the porters dance up the wall with their loads balancing precariously on their heads made us feel like we were making rather a big deal out if it.

After passing spending an extra night at Karanga Valley we finally arrive at Barafu Camp and begin to prepare for the summit.  With the team composed of all males ranging from 16-18 years, food has been a constant source of discussion.  Usually there is not enough of it and fending for yourself at meal times has become a necessary survival skill.  For the first time on the trip, there is food left on the table as appetites diminish due to the altitude.  Sleep is also difficult to find but we retire early to rest if not sleep.

We are up again at 11pm and after a hot drink and some final preparations we set off at midnight.  Luck is on our side and the moon is still quite full providing good light and little need for head torches.  The couple of hours of the walk are warm, exciting and really quite pleasant.  At around 3 am it gets cold, very cold.  And the path steepens.  Conversation dwindles and the slow plod for the summit has begun in earnest.

Rahul is suffering with mild asthma but is determined to overcome his challenge and continue with the team.  Andre is quietly retching, his nausea making it difficult for him but he has also found the determination within himself to continue.   The steep path to Stella Point seems to continue forever but we are just 1 hour away now and I can see the first colouring of red in the sky.

The a voice from behind me breaks the silence – ‘Jo, Kierans hit the ground’

All manor scenarios flash through my mind as I rush back to find Kieran lying on the scree slope.  Automatically working out how to descend him as fast as possible, I begin talking to Kieran who seems strangely fine.  What happened?  He fell asleep.  Kieran mastered the skill of sleep walking – almost.  Having checked him for any signs of altitude illness I’m confident that he’s ok to continue and taking his arm we walk together to Stella Point, my constant babble of chatter keeping him awake.

The pain and achievement of arriving at Stella Point at sunrise, gave way to a pleasant walk along the crater rim with views that take your breath away.  Everybody in the team made it to the summit of Kilimanjaro that day and it was down to their excellent preparation and strong determination to succeed.  Each and every one of them deserved it.  Congratulations!

Ascending the mountain is only half the journey and the 2 days of descend to Mweka hut is painful on the knees and seems to go on forever.  We finally arrived at the gate and with showers, a safari day  and some last minute souvenir shopping tempting us back to Arusha we turned away from the mountain for the last time.

Leading for Outlook Expeditions

http://www.outlookexpeditions.com/

Southern Peru - Ausangate Trek

Inveralmond Community High School Gym, Saturday 16th June, we come together as a team for the first time to embark on our month long expedition to Southern Peru. The day is packed with last minute personal kit checks; distribution of group kit into bulging rucksacks; security briefings; first aid briefings; country briefings; distribution of roles and anything else we can fit into the small window of time we have before jumping on our flight at Edinburgh airport.

Almost 24 hours later, arriving in Lima the high rise buildings, misty skies, and light drizzle remind us reassuringly of home and the team is able to embark on making preparations to leave the security of the big city in relative relaxation.  There is much to do; starting with a meeting with the in country agent and the money man, the purchase of a phone and travel arrangements get sandwiched in the middle and a trip put for pizza to round off the first day in this exciting new country.

Our first bus experience takes us south to Paracas to visit the Islas Ballestas, otherwise known as poor mans Galapagos. A swift boat trip around the island, with birds and guano everywhere, we make it back to shore, pleased that Conor has done his security job properly (check the sea worthiness and safety of the boat).

With Jack becoming team leader, we make it safely onto an overnight bus that takes us further south and we begin our slow ascent to high altitude. Arequipa, the white city shines in the sunlight with the volcano El Misti sitting perfectly on the horizon. This is a short stop but provides a little time for an acclimatisation trek - allowing us to take our first step towards tolerating the heat and the diminishing amounts of oxygen in the the air.

Next we head towards Puno, the capital of Folklore situated on the shores of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world. As we visit Urus, one the floating reed islands, the team learns more in an hour of observing this fascinating culture than they could ever dream of by reading a text book.

After Puno we turn towards Cusco, our base for the remaining 2 1/2 weeks of this journey. Having felt the effects of the lower levels of oxygen in the air at Puno, Cusco is warmer and lower.  Our acclimatisation time is spent on day treks from the city taking in the fascinating archeological sites of the surrounding area and honing our fitness for 'the big one'.

 

Finally we embark on the project phase of the expedition. Our goal: to help a local community build a medical centre. Alfredo, a native from the village of Chillipower, guides us for 7 hours over a pass to the community where we will spend the next 5 days.  With Sebastian the project manager guiding us, supported by team leaders Blair, Rachel and Kieran the days are spent splitting bamboo, nailing it to the ceiling and windows, collecting woods and watching with fascination the experts cover our work with plaster at a speed we could only dream of. 

Back in Cusco, we have a days rest which we spend white water rafting before turning our minds to the trek.  Alfredo is back to help our guide Antonio for 7 days, no showers, small tents in a remote mountain area.  We are to trek around Ausangate (6380m), the highest mountain in the area over passes of up to 5100m. A challenging trek with many, many tears but even more rewards. The unusual amounts of snow and high winds make the trek even more challenging but who can forget eating a fully cooked lunch at 4900m with a beautifully prepared table in the snow?  And then hot springs in the snow?

Due to the strength of the team, a rest day near the end allowed those with the inclination to do so, to sample a Pacha Manka. This is a local method of cooking meat in the ground and we bought an alpaca for the purpose.  Although Devon, our vegetarian found this an especially difficult event to witness, it was a very special occasion.

Having tasted Ceviche, Alpaca, Lomo Saltado, local trout and many different varieties of potatoes, there remained the final Peruvian delicacy to try before our departure.  Half the team sat at the table around the plates of guinea pig knowing that those who had snuck off to McDonalds were missing out on a once in a life time experience.

With the month having disappeared in the blink of the eye, Lima is unchanged and the misty drizzle prepared us for the long fight back to Scotland via Amsterdam.  


Leading for World Challenge
http://www.world-challenge.co.uk/

Everest Base Camp, Nepal

Arriving at the airport three and a half hours before the departure of our flight to Delhi I expected to have a little time before the rest of the group arrived.  To my surprise more than half of them were already there and waiting with Richard explaining what would happen and how the trek would come together.  Richard had been to Nepal before.  After a disappointing evacuation from Namche last October, he was back with the determination to try again and was very effectively making sure everyone in the team was happy.

The rest of the group arrived and we flew without incident to Kathmandu via Delhi: A tiring but pleasant journey which brought us to the peaceful Summit hotel.  After a curry buffet everyone opted for an early night in preparation for the final flight of our outward journey.  This is always the most nerve racking flight of the trip.  The small plane, the risk of a bumpy flight, the exciting short runway with a cliff at the end and the question at the back of all our minds – will the skies be clear enough to fly?

Luck was on our side, everything ran smoothly for us and we were walking up the trail from Lukla by 10:30.  The heat of the day, a long journey only just behind us and getting used to trekking made the walk to Monjo feel slightly longer than it was but the impressive views, large mountains and anticipation of the next few weeks propelled the team up path to our first night in a tea house.

Ensuite bathrooms with hot showers: Are we in the right country?  The tea house was the lap of luxury and everyone was beginning to relax.  That was until the moths attacked.  Colin was thoughtfully reading with a head torch so that Stuart could sleep soundly next to him.  This well thought out strategy was excellent until his screams woke the entire team including Stewart.  Is this the same man we had nicknamed Bear Grills?

The incident deterred none of us and the next morning bright and early, we continued up the trail for a few days acclimatisation in Namche Bazaar.  This allowed time for visiting the local villages including the Hilary school and hospital, taking in the magnificent views of Everest, purchasing last minute hats and other essential items and enjoying civilised visits to the bakery where as many different varieties of cake as possible were consumed.  It was at this point that the team became aware of Simons rucksack.  It appeared to be surgically attached to his back and we began to question whether he was actually sleeping with it on.

Once fully acclimatised to 3400 metres, we carried on up the path to Debouche.  Happily for all of us Richard was still with us and now every step was new for him too so we felt we were stepping into a different phase of the trip.  There was considerable debate about the hill leading to the Tengboche monastery.  Is it bigger, harder, more impressive than the infamous Namche hill?  The jury is still out on that one and I suggest we go back and try again – for research purposes.  The clouds had come in by the time we reached the tea house in Debouche but that made the surprise in the morning even better.  There is no view from a bedroom window than Everest and Ama Dablan.

Our next stop was Dingboche where we spent another two nights acclimatising, wandered up the ridge for more magnificent views and attended a very interesting talk on high altitude acclimatisation run by the Himalayan Rescue Association based in Pheriche.  By this time, Lakpha our Sirdar, had already proved his weight in gold by provided snacks both on the trail just when they were needed and nuts and biscuits in the evenings to keep spirits high

Ready for the next stage of our journey, we made our way to Lobuche where we threw a surprise party for Simon who, as the youngest in the group, turned thirty.  There were balloons, songs and candles on a cake which Nwawang had carried all the way from Dingboche.  We stayed an extra day in Lobuche to help acclimatise and made the most of the extra time to visit the Italian research pyramid where we were lucky enough to receive a guided visit of the current experiments.

Finally the time had come and we trekked the remaining trail to Gorak Shep.  Anticipation mounted as we prepared for our Everest Base Camp Visit.  The route took us along a typically ‘Nepali flat’ trail (read undulating) to the Jagged Globe tents at the far end of base camp.  We were welcomed by Adam the base camp manager and chef who made us feel very welcome and even treated us to apple and blackberry crumble with cream – after filing us with a magnificent main course. 

All the Jagged Globe climbers were on the mountain assessing the weather for a possible summit bid when we arrived but Richard was lucky enough to speak to Adele Pennington via radio.  A content group made their way back to Gorak Shep in a light snow shower which for many rounded off the day perfectly.  Congratulations to the entire team for making it to Everest Base Camp, it was well deserved.

The next morning a few intrepid trekkers (Stewart, Colin, Jim and Andrea) pushed for the summit of Kala Pattar while the rest started making their way back down to thicker air and warmer climates.  Those that summited were rewarded with clear views of Everest and the surrounding mountains, with Pumori becoming a favourite among the group.  Well done to everyone who climbed Kala Pattar.

The team met up in Pheriche that evening and thoughts began to turn towards Kathmandu and home.  A few more days trekking down found us in Lukla for an exciting last night party with the Sherpas.  Not only did they work incredibly hard throughout the trip but they also out danced each and every one of us.  The next morning we flew back to Kathmandu without delay and finally, as we landed Simon managed to extract himself from his rucksack.  The team spent a few days relaxing by the pool and visiting the local sights before flying back to the UK.

An excellent trip, congratulations to all for achieving your goals!

Leading for Jagged Globe

http://www.jagged-globe.co.uk/

IML WInter Training, France

Arriving in at Geneva airport I met up with fellow mountain lovers and we made our way together to the Auberge Nordique in Le Grand Bornand.  We were looking forward to a week of snow shoeing and avalanche training as part of our Winter International Mountain Leader Training.

‘The Union of International Mountain Leader Associations (UIMLA) was created to encourage the development of common standards for professional mountain leaders throughout Europe and worldwide.  It was drawn up in recognition of the growing requirement for tour guides to work in areas where the full alpine climbing and teaching skills of a Mountain Guide are not needed but where skilled mountain leadership is necessary for clients to enjoy journeys through remote mountain areas in safety and confidence.' (www.baiml.org/)

The snow was deep and soft making trail breaking hard work, but the excitement of wandering around the rolling Nordic terrain for a week meant that none of  that mattered.  We learnt to use avalanche transceivers, probes and shovels proficiently, dug snow pits to study the layers of snow, made a shovel up, practiced emergency rope work, talked about the environment and enjoyed the pleasure of being in the mountains.

What a fantastic week!

Course run by Plas y Brenin

http://www.pyb.co.uk/

Grand Canyon, USA

After a lot of hustle and bustle at Edinburgh airport, the entire group managed to make it onto the plane for a long flight to the USA.  Excitement rippled through the team and even after many hours of travel, some were unable to sleep when we arrived, slightly bedraggled at the hotel in Phoenix.

Despite the lack of sleep we were on our way early the next morning towards Sedona where a short preparation trek got us ready for the descent into the Grand Canyon the next day. At the top of the Canyon, preparations took place; water bottles checked, snacks double checked, boots tightened and rucksacks adjusted.  The anticipation rose as the group readied themselves for the challenge they had set themselves.

While the rest of the team trekked through the heat of the day towards the village of Havasupai (People of the blue-green water), I was lucky enough to see the views from above as I made a speedy descent by helicopter.  I rejoined the team at base camp, a few miles further down the canyon.

Emotions ran high for all the participants as the beauty of the walks, the challenges of descent and memories of the reason they were there hit home.  The trek took place to raise funds for Marie Curie Cancer Care and whether the participants had been directly affected by the illness or not, it was close to everyone’s heart.

Climbing out of the Canyon on the final day was a real challenge with the sun beating down and a climb of about 300m.  Everyone was delighted to reach the rim.  Some wondering why they didn’t take up the offer of a horse as the equestrians gracefully appeared over the rim with not a drop of sweat among them.

A final dash for Las Vegas and after a well earned wash and change of cloths the team was treated to a celebration meal at Hard Rock Café.  Then there were the bars, the casinos and the rest of the night ahead of us…

Well done to all; it was a real challenge for each and everyone, in very different ways.

Leading for Global Adventure Challenges

http://www.globaladventurechallenges.com/