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News for January 2010

Great feedback from the Off Piste Introduction

Our first Off Piste Skiing course ran in The 3 Valleys last week, with instructors, Simon Christy and Neil Milne. The course benefited from some excellent snow conditions. One course participant had this to say:

"I was surprised at the high quality and flexibility of instruction, causing everyone to progress very quickly. Our group was well streamed, with everyone of similar ability allowing us to progress to much more challenging and satisfying skiing than I had previously hoped the course would provide." AC, Off Piste Introduction, Jan '10

Our next Off Piste Introduction course is now fully booked, but you can join instructor, Simon Christy on our Off Piste Improvers course 20 Feb (2 places left), if that is your level. [read more about Off Piste Introduction - The 3 Valleys]

Mera & Island Peak 8 Oct - 2 places

There are now just 2 places remaining on the 8 October Mera and Island Peak expedition. The 2 October trip is fully booked, as is our Spring trip. Tony Halliwell (MIC) is leading the 8 October team. Tony is a popular instructor on our Scottish Winter Courses (e.g. "The Guides were all great but I cannot recommend Tony highly enough - he was brilliant.") and led a successful Mera expedition for us last autumn. We still have places on our [read more about Mera & Island Peak]

2010 Alpine Courses PDF

Details of our 2010 Summer Alpine Courses, including dates and prices, are now available as a PDF download [806 Kb}. The courses start on 5 June, with our Alpine North Faces courses in Chamonix, and run through to the middle of September. New for 2010 is an Alpine Techniques course, for those focussed on developing their leading and ropework skills, with a view to tackling more technical objectives in the future, and our 'Oberland Traverse' - a high, glaciated trek, suitable for trekkers without previous mountaineering experience. We have also re-introduced a 6-day Mont Blanc Summit course, for mountaineers with previous alpine or British winter climbing experience. We are taking private guiding bookings, so get in touch now with Tom Briggs (tom@jagged-globe.co.uk) if you would like us to arrange a bespoke climbing trip. Bookings are taken until Easter time, after which it is difficult to assign Guides and arrange hut accommodation on some of the more popular routes. [read more]

Shaff trailer and tickets

Jagged Globe is a sponsor of the Sheffield Adventure Film Festival March 12 - March 14 at the Showroom Cinema complex in Sheffield. The trailer for the film programme has just been launched:

For the full film programme visit SHAFF. For on-line ticket sales, visit the Showroom website.

Neal Short leading Stok Kangri 17 July

Neal Short is one of our most accomplished leaders, having summited Everest, Vinson twice, Cho Oyu, Carstensz Pyramid and Khan Tengri, to name just a few of peaks. This July, Neal will be leading our Stok Kangri (6,121m) expedition in Ladakh, Northern India. This is a brilliant first Himalayan expedition and can be done in just over 2 weeks. There are still places available on this team. [read more about Stok Kangri]

Vinson summit

Jagged Globe climber, Mark Dixon, summited Antarctica's highest mountain on 17 January. Mark is back in Punta Arenas and looking forward to flying home. About Vinson, Mark said:

"This has been the best mountain trip I have undertaken"

[read more about Vinson]

More Aconcagua summits

Jeremy Windsor just emailed us from Mendoza to report that nine members of our 3rd Aconcagua expedition this season reached the summit, with the whole team making it to Camp 3 at Berlin Huts (5,933m). Our 4th expedition, led by Terry Moore has just arrived in base camp. Congratulations to the team! [read more about Aconcagua]

Feedback from Scotland

Here is some feedback from course participants on coursss last week. To keep up-to-date with what is happening in Scotland, visit our Scottish Winter Courses Blog.

"It was an excellent course, after the first mountain day Adele assessed mine and Pauls skill level and every day was different and more challenging, it was a thourghly enjoyable course." BS, Winter Mountaineering

Feedback on the Instructors:
"They were keen to push us so that our confidence in challenging situations grew very quickly. Excellent at explaining and demonstrating skills. Excellent local knowledge."

and "Brilliant choice of climbs, again chosen in consultation with us to make sure we were happy with the chosen routes. Challenged us so that we improved very quickly and grew in confidence." ND, Introductory Winter Mountaineering

Wind in your ears!

A very windy day on Ben Nevis today for the Introduction to Winter Mountaineering course. Everyone was up against some tough conditions to put into practice new found skills. Hard Neve, sub zero temperatures and gusting winds made an ascent of Number Four Gully (I) a good day 3 on the course. There is loads of ice still left on routes, Ed spent some time during the walk in sussing what he is going to climb at the weekend!

From our 2010 Scottish Winter Courses Blog... [read more] or [read more about Winter Mountaineering]

Dry tooling at The Foundry

One of the perks of working for Jagged Globe, is that our offices are situated literally a stone's throw from one of the best indoor climbing centres in the country - The Foundry. The Foundry have recently added 5 new routes which can be 'dry tooled' with ice axes. You have to book a session (£10) and the next one is on 22 January. Here's a short video of Ian Parnell on one of the steeper routes:

Bolivian Climber - 3 places

We have two expeditions to Bolivia this coming summer, both of which will be led by Dave Walsh. Dave is one of the most highly-respected mountaineers and Guides in the UK. His CV includes first British ascents of Nanga Parbat and Cho Oyu, completion of the 7 Summits, as well as being Jagged Globe's Course Director in Scotland for many years. The 4 July expedition now has just 3 places available, with places also available on the second expedition, which departs 24 July. If you would like to join Dave and one of our teams in Bolivia this summer, please get in touch. [read more about Bolivian Climber]

Glacier safety ski video

Simon Christy and Andy Perkins have made a short film about skiing on glaciers safely:

Andermatt Intro Ski course - more places

We have more places now available on our 6 March Andermatt Introductory Ski Mountaineering week. Guide, Andy Owen, will be joined by another Guide that week. There is 1 place left on our 20 March Intro Ski Mountaineering week in Chamonix. [read more about Introductory Ski Mountaineering]

Spring Nepal/Tibet availability

Here's a quick update on trips available this spring in Nepal and Tibet. Most of our trekking peak expeditions are now full, but we have availability on 2 April Mera Peak. Lhakpa Ri is fully booked (wait list only). We still have spaces on all our our treks apart from the Everest Team Trek, though some of these are now nearly full. And finally, we have spaces on our Everest expedition for those with the required experience (this expedition is guaranteed and will be led by Tim Calder). Please contact Simon, Tom or Matt in the office to chat about any of these trips in more detail. Thank you! [read more]

Kilimanjaro - Lemosho Glades - 13 Feb places

Our 30 Jan trip is fully booked, but we still have some places available on the 13 February Kilimanjaro - Lemosho Glades (land only as seats have been released on our flight). This is our last Kilimanjaro before the summer July/August season. [read more about Kilimanjaro - Lemosho Glades]

Off Piste courses - final places

We have 1 place left on our Off Piste Introduction starting this weekend (16 Jan) in The 3 Valleys. There are 2 places remaining on the 13 Feb Off Piste Introduction. In Tignes we have 2 spaces on our 23 January Off Piste Improvers, with spaces also on the 20 February week. [read more]

Scottish Winter Courses Blog

Our Instructors are going to post daily blogs from Scotland this coming season, which kicks off at the weekend. Chief Instructor, Ed Chard, has already been out enjoying the incredible winter conditions in the UK at the moment... [read more]

Off Piste Introduction 16 Jan - 1 place

We have 1 spot left on this week. Lots of powder this week in The 3 Valleys, with more forecast until the end of the week...see http://livecam.courchevel.com/index.php?webcam=1&langue=3 [read more about Off Piste Introduction - The 3 Valleys]

7 out of 11 on Aconcagua II

Steve Findlay's Aconcagua team spent 5 hours on Gatwick runway yesterday on arrival back into the UK. The team had experienced pretty difficult weather conditions in Argentina also, with Aconcagua reportedly very cold indeed. Stories of other teams where all members got frostbite sound unbelievable, but sadly are true. This is not a mountain to underestimate when it comes to your preparation and clothing. Seven members of Steve's group reached the top, which is a great effort. Our third team this season (led by Jeremey Windsor) flew out of Gatwick this morning. We wish them the very best of luck! [read more about Aconcagua]

Nubra Summits itinerary updated

We have tweaked the itinerary of our Nubra Summits expedition, followed Matt Parkes' expedition last summer. The itinerary now sets out a more logical approach to the cirque of peaks at the head of the Snui Valley, in terms of acclimatisation and walking times. Matt's group climbed three peaks here, before continuing round to Sahib Chasa, the main objective of the trip. This really is one of our best expeditions to an very uninhabited and therefore extremely remote area, that sees few visitors. Steve Findlay will lead our 2010 team. For more details... [read more] or [read more about Nubra Summits]

Success on Antisana

Team member, Thierry Levenq (whose excellent photos of Jagged Globe trips can be seen all over this website), has just phoned in to report that 3 members of the Christmas and New Year Antisana expedition reached the 5,704m summit last week. Thierry has climbed in the Rwenzori, Mexico and now Ecuador over the Christmas period, so has tasked us to look for a new Christmas climbing destination for next year! This is an interesting website about peaks in Chile: http://www.los6000dechile.cl/index_eng.html [read more about Antisana]

Andermatt Day Tours 1 place, Intro Ski 1 place

There is 1 place remaining on our 13 March Andermatt Day Tours week and 1 place left on the second of our Introductory Ski Mountaineering (Chamonix) weeks (20 March). Ski The Haute Route is now fully booked, but there are places on some of our other Ski Tours this coming season, as well as our Off Piste Introduction and Off Piste Improvers weeks. Please call us on 00 44 845 345 8848 for the latest availability [read more] or [read more about Ski Andermatt Day Tours]

100% on Cotopaxi

Simon Lowe sent this report yesterday:

"All seven members of the Ecuador Volcanoes team reached the summit of Cotopaxi (5,897m) with guides, Jaime, Nacho and Marco. Previously 5 of the team had climbed Cayambe (5,790m). We are now enjoying New Year's Eve lunch in Ambato, before an evening of plunging into the thermal pools of Baņos.

[read more about Ecuador Volcanoes]

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