Testimonials

We place enormous value on client feedback. Positive feedback keeps us enjoying our work and putting heart and soul into it. When we do get any negative comment it is taken very seriously and the issues addressed by the guiding team at our post-season meetings. This helps us maintain the highest quality in our service to you - please keep the feedback coming!

Below are some comments from recent seasons which will hopefully illustrate our approach to guiding and running courses.

2007

With your October meeting in mind I would like to thank you for the sheer joy and laughter that you gave me last year. Please do keep finding room to challenge the oldies in the mountains that they love.
Best wishes
Doug Tuckett

Mont Blanc

Once again an excellent course by ISM. A big thank you to the guides Steve, Rob, and Jonathan. Great training, guiding and instruction leading up to the ascent of Mont Blanc. It was a long hard day, I was pushed to my limits, but we made it to the summit. What a view! Great weather on top, sunshine and blue skies all around. It was worth all that pain! Well done all at ISM.
I will be booking another course for next year will be in touch soon
Howard Lewis

Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed the Mont Blanc week with Pat. I'll leave feedback on the website this week and upload some pictures too. We all had a great week and are determined to stay in touch and meet up in Wales this winter for some clambering round on the hills. The quality of the leadership and guidance from your team during the week was fantastic and we were so far ahead of every other climber on the Mont Blanc climb mentally, physically and organizationally (is that a real word?) so all four teams were the first to the summit on the day. Please pass on my thanks to all of your team.
Again, many thanks and I look forward to joining another one of your courses when finances allow!
Steve Nicoll

Just returned from Mt Blanc & Gran Paradiso week. The 2 guides Thomas and Anders were first rate, their local knowledge and experience were exceptional and both had a wicked sense of humor.
Although we did not make the summit of Mont Blanc (got as far as the Gouter hut) I fully agreed with the decision to descend, given the prevailing weather conditions.
The Grand chalet at Leysin was warm and welcoming as was the hotel in Chamonix. The Hut on Gran Paradiso was great with good food and a room to ourselves.
My remarks on the Gouter are best left unrecorded, but I realize it was totally out of your control.
My allergy to cheese and other dairy products was catered for at all times.
My only slight negative remark would be that it might be advisable to let people know that you get the train to Brig from Geneva (Aigle never appeared on any of the station time tables)
To sum up then, it was a great week with excellent company.
My climbing partner (Mr Foster) and I are determined to return next year, probably in the last week of June (2008).
Kevin (Taff) Bindon

Having just returned from the Mont Blanc & Gran Paradiso and course I wanted to thank the ISM team, and in particular Steve Monks, for a great experience, even though I didn't make it to the top of MB.
Well organised, nicely paced and good company. Thanks also to Connie for his help and patience in escorting me back down. Maybe I'll try again someday!
Peter Sheldrake

Just a line to thank you for a great experience in the hills. As expected the organisation was excellent from start to finish. Special thanks to Steve for getting the best out of the group and ensuring that everyone performed to their potential. Good company, excellent weather and a jacuzzi on the summit of Mont Blanc! What more could a man ask for?
Please pass on my best wishes to Conny who was a great addition to the group for Mont Blanc. Best of luck for the future.
Les Flood

Handling of your enquiry & booking? Excellent
Board & Accommodation? Hotel was great, really liked the location. However a set of keys per person would be beneficial. (I don't think the manager was too happy when I woke him up at 2 in the morning...drunk!). Sorry!
Course content was excellent - achieved more than I thought.
Guiding and Instruction was superb. Felt extremely confident with both guides and they went out of their way to sort us out when it became clear that the Mont Blanc summit would be missed due to weather conditions.
Would you return to ISM? Absolutely - thinking about the Bernese Oberland already.
Colin

Anders had to deal with the dodgy weather too but in a course which has
Mont Blanc as the goal I feel he handled the whole decision making process
re what to do excellently. I was particularly struck with his genuine
commitment to making sure we all got the best we could out of the
situation. On top of that he ensured I had a lot of fun and managed to make
me feel more confident in my own abilities. Many thanks once more!
Penny Carroll

Matterhorn Ascent

Information/Advertising? Good information and excellent website.
Range of courses offered? Full range of courses and enough to keep me in the mountains for many years to come, if only I had the next 10 years off work!
Handling of your enquiry & booking? Excellent dealings with Eira and all questions well answered.
Board & Accommodation? Comfortable hotel with good food and great location.
Guiding and Instruction? Excellent guiding by Mike. Weather forecast for our primary objective, (Matterhorn) did not look great and Mike offered me various options. There was a small possible window and that meant only one option to me. We had to set off for the Matterhorn immediately and climb the next morning. Mike was able to make a good judgement of my ability and fitness on that day and with a small break in the weather the next morning, the Matterhorn was ours. The climb was hard work but truly rewarding and although the weather was very poor on the descent, I felt totally confident in Mike's skill and experience to get us down. As we were the only ones to summit that day the satisfaction felt even better. The rest of the week was spent with my family rock climbing and via ferrata. We ended the week with a nice snow plod up to the Breithorn peak for stunning views of the Matterhorn, covered in snow.
Our decision to climb the Matterhorn on day 1/2 had been our only chance and it certainly paid off. Mike was a superb guide and had a great instructional technique. He answered all questions and was totally flexible allowing me to plan the week and be half of a 2 man team. Safety was always Mike's primary concern and I know he kept an eagle eye over me at all times. This has been my best climbing trip ever and I know it will be difficult to beat.
Simon Ball

Classic Summits Bernese Oberland

Just a note to thank Adrian and Dave for a great week .I was going to go for an appreciation drink after our evening meal on Friday but I just crashed out. Despite the weather we packed some exciting climbing in and I respect Adrian’s professional and resourceful approach.
Would consider an Ice Blaster Weekend early next year, would like to know if I am up to it?
Geoff Gilbert

Just a short note to say many thanks for organising me another memorable week in the Alps this summer. This was my fourth consecutive year climbing with ISM, and I must say that, whilst each year has been good, the last two years have been superb: in '06 on Monte Rosa and in '07 in the Bernese Oberland. This summer we had excellent climbing on the Grosse Fiescherhorn and the Finsteraarhorn in good conditions, topping the week off on the Monch in cold, windy but exhilarating form. I particularly targeted a week in July this year, to try to avoid tricky glacier conditions- but as my stalwart guide Peter will bear witness, I must have tried every crevice on the Fieschergletscher for size as we descended to the Finsteraarhorn hut. Overall a great week meeting all my expectations, with particular thanks to Peter Engstrom, who is as safe as houses (not sub-prime!) in the mountains, and with whom I look forward to climbing again.
Jonathan Grosvenor

Technical Alpinism

Mirroir D'Argentine was a brilliant day out! Even though the weather was not very good during the middle of the week, the 2 days were not wasted and we learned lots of new skills in the comfort of a great hut.
Both Anders and Connie were fantastic guides. I have gained a lot more confidence from climbing and being in the alpine environment with these guides. This was something of a personal objective for me, and something I was looking for in a course. Although I can't speak for other members of the course, it was noticeable how the group developed and grew in confidence throughout the week. This was due to the expert guidance, which was given both individually and as a group. The nights' spent at the hut were very memorable, and I have also learned a heap of new jokes!
To sum up, I am very pleased that I chose the ISM for the course, and would recommend you to anybody thinking of doing a course.
Glyn Francis

My apologies in not writing this previously, but you know how it is when you come back and throw yourself into work which is so much more fun than climbing!!! I was on the Technical Alpinism course with Steve Monks and would like to take this opportunity to thank all involved, particularly Steve who was very patient with our lack of ability and hope that he will not be scarred by enduring a week with us for too long.
I feel that we learnt a huge amount from him even if we might have been on a course slightly above our capability, but he tailored it to suit our abilities. The whole process from booking with you to leaving Leysin has been simple, friendly and relaxed and the course did exactly what it said on the tin. I would not hesitate to climb with you guys again, assuming you'll have me, and would recommend you to anyone who asked.
All I have to do now is start planning the next one.
Peter Radbourne

Dear EMCC members and friends
Last week, Giuseppe Racca, Andrea Marini and myself attended the
International School of Mountaineering course on Technical Alpinism. Over the period of 1 week we summitted 5 peaks. We stayed at the
Orny Hut and Trient Hut starting a number of days at 4am.

It was an amazing week with some excellent tuition from a very good
school. I can recommend to anyone interested in doing alpinism to attend
such a course. It was hard work, but well worth the effort. We learnt a
lot about glacier travel, short rope techniques, fast and efficient travel
over difficult terrain. In particular we learnt many useful tips and tricks allowing efficiency when travelling on glaciers or when on the face of the mountains.

I would like to thank ISM for the excellent tuition and course they
provided. Also my personal thanks to Dave and Terry for the many hints
and tips that they have passed down to us budding alpinists.
Edrich Yau
ESTEC Mountaineering Climbing Club

Summits and Skills 4000m

I grew up in Northern British Columbia in the shadow of the mountains and have wanted to climb my whole life. Like many people, my dreams got sidetracked by the realities of life: work and family (3 kids!!). About a year ago I decided (with middle age staring me in the face!) that it was now or never. I started on a fitness program and signed up with you for the courses. The fitness part has been tough - we have lived in Hong Kong for 15 years and the heat and humidity make meaningful exercise difficult!
I have to say that the whole experience of climbing was wonderful beyond my wildest expectations. I have found a new joy and passion! My course mates were all much younger than I which made things more challenging in a way but they were a great bunch of people. Steve and Eric were wonderful guides and instructors. They found a good balance between maximizing the amount they were passing on and yet not overloading a bunch of neophytes. As a professional helicopter pilot I have a lot of respect for professionals in other fields and they really deserve respect.
I truly can't speak highly enough of my experience and I hope to take part in many more of your courses and expeditions.
Inge Baggaley

As brand new beginners to all aspects of mountaineering we came away from
the course with a wealth of information and always felt an adequate level
of challenge at the same time. In the end, we are looking forward to
practising all the skills learned in the near future and hope to build
upon them in another course at some point. Probably the best aspect of the
content was that the guides allowed us as much as possible to let us learn
and climb on our own which has given us confidence to go out and practise
our skills on our own for a while.
The guides were the highlight of the course for us. Steve & Gary always
were giving instruction and challenging us at every turn. They were
always patient in answering the many questions our group had. In
addition, both guides were fantastic company during the whole week and I
would highly recommend both of them to anyone. We hold them both in very
high regards at the end of the week both from an instructing and
personality point of view. Thanks Steve & Gary!
We would both love to return to ISM to further our skills in the future.
This was one of the best weeks we have both had for a long time and it was
well worth every penny. In summary, we only have great things to say
about the course and our guides after the week.
Joel & Andrea Swanson

Central Oberland Trek

Happy as usual with everything just wanted to add personal comment on
guides. Steve was deeply impressive in both dealing with my emotional
outburst on having to jump glacial stream and navigating us off glacier in
white out conditions. He showed immense good humour and patience.
Penny Carroll

Classic Alpine Summits

A fantastic range of courses and course dates for all levels and interests.
Handling of enquiry & booking was very efficient. To receive a confirmation phone call within an hour of booking online was most welcome.
Great hotel and location. Food was good. Room allocation seemed rather
random - it might be better to put those on the same course in the same room?
Course content was excellent. I chose this course for the flexibility that it allowed. This was a bonus based on the mixed weather for the week. You can't argue with 5 peaks in 6 days.
Dave Hanley

Chamonix to Zermatt Haute Route

Just a quick note to say thanks to Steve and Zoe for an excellent week. The
Haute Route was simply brilliant! Geoff and I really enjoyed it. The crew
we met up with were also fantastic and it helped to make the event even more
memorable.
See you next year
Brian

Technical Ascents Central Switzerland

Range of courses offered is excellent. I am only on ISM course number 3 and all have been varied and worthwhile.
Handling of your enquiry & booking was perfect, as always.
Course content? We had to chase the good weather but while many others were holed up in huts or hotels we had a fantastic and varied week of climbing.
Guiding and Instruction? Professional, safe and tailored to my particular needs. (Do guides get any better? I doubt it.)
Cindy Walters

Personal Guiding

Dear Adrian,
I wanted to say how much I got out of the guiding and instruction, and how much I
enjoyed it all.
I thought the quality of tuition provided by yourself and ISM was exceptional. Over the past three years I felt that the multiple instructional trips gave me a really thorough grounding in all aspects of climbing. I thought that the long-term commitment you displayed in helping me to attain this, together with the
structured approach to building skills and going the extra mile, represented exactly what I was looking for in tuition.
Furthermore, we were able to get in some fantastic climbs in some superb, wild settings. The Third Sella Tower in the Dolomites, the Dent de Geant, and the Lau
Bij icefall are examples that spring instantly to mind - there are loads more. Overall, in addition to the quality of tuition, it was just brilliant fun (to use Joe Simpson's words), and needs repeating.
Will Boxall

Gran Paradiso Ski Mountaineering Week

Course content? We had plenty of adventure and weather to match!
Guiding and Instruction? Terry was a brilliant guide. Always patient and extremely safe. I would return to ISM and to Chalet Ermina.
Frank Loftus

Technical Alpine Ice Falls

Course content? Good, I thought we'd have no ice to climb because of the conditions but we had a blast. Annoyingly I wasn't as fit as I should have been to cope with 4 days worth of long walk-ins in Cogne/Val Savarenche. I was very tired as a result.
Guiding and Instruction? Excellent. Adrian's style is to balance development with adventure and it is a great strength of his. I felt very confident leading, and have a
great sense of achievement with one route in particular, yet we had some really testing ground to cover as well, which pushed my capabilities to the limit. Adrian is good at boosting my confidence and I really felt that I had moved on technically from the previous year. He's great company too and helped get the best out of Graeme and I.
Any other comments? Yes, I plan to do another week net year.
Dominic

Classic Alpine Icefalls

Handling of your enquiry & booking? Excellent. Very efficient.
Couse content? Excellent - no complaints!
Guiding and Instruction? First rate. Terry is an excellent guide and instructor. My only issue was that the other client was perhaps less technically proficient than he should have been prior to coming on the course. That said, Terry was able to compensate for this most of the time.
Any other comments? Yes - back this summer.
Stephen Taylor

Ice Blaster Weekend

Accommodation was good - simple but good hotels. Just what I expected for a climbing holiday. The guiding was very good. The routes chosen gave me a challenge whilst still being achievable and enjoyable.
Neil Benton

Haute Route du Soleil

Thanks again for fab tour. I will be back for more!
Charlotte

Thanks again for a great trip!
Tim

Gran Paradiso Ski Week

Likewise a thoroughly entertaining week, thanks Terry!!!
Mike

Thanks Terry for being a generally excellent guide, I look forward to having my comfort level pushed by you in the near future - maybe I’ll think about that ice climbing thing..... (God my wife will kill me!!)
Cheers Mike

Many thanks for a great tour and for looking after me - at the time I didn't think I was enjoying it but looking back I can still raise a smile at the suffering during the uphill bits! And of course the downhill bits were magic!
Sue

Thanks to everyone for a great tour.
Nick

Summer 2006

Summits & Skills 4000m

Kerry and I were on the summit and skills 4000 course on 15th July - really, really enjoyed it - please pass our thanks on to Steve and the other instructors.
Cliff Dennet

Please pass on mine and Neil's thanks to Steve, Peter and Jurgen for an excellent week. And it was nicely topped off with the Mont Blanc ascent with Peter. We hope to be back next year.
Ian Burdis

Eira, I know it has been a while since my holiday with yourselves S&S, w/c 17th June but a message to thank you and the guys at Leysin; Steve, Thomas and Gaz for a great time. I was so exhausted at the end of the week I did not have chance to thank properly.
I hope you are offering some good outings next year, or any weekends this year.
Geoff Gilbert

Can I first of all congratulate you on a job well done, thank you and your staff for their professionalism, their patience and friendliness in coaching us through the Summit & Skills 4000m course and the Mont Blanc Extension. I would like to thank personally Pat, for sharing his wealth of knowledge and Jenny for putting up with our boyish antics (like putting stones in her rucksack) thank you for sharing your passion with us. Also Anders, Aaron and Jonathan for making the Mont Blanc Extension possible for us mere mortals. They are extraordinary people, thank you.
Andy Evans

Whole course was very affirming and encouraging. I would say that I feel confident about seconding on rock and ice, and that with some more practice in the UK on placing equipment would be happy to lead on alpine rock. Snowdonia based refreshers look an attractive option.
Guiding and Instruction excellent. I was appreciative of the quality of feedback: both encouraging and honest. Sessions with Jen were also informative and useful. Always felt safe.
Jonathan How

Technical Alpinism

Hi Eric, Just a quick email to say how much I enjoyed the Technical Alpinism
course you led. Certainly got me back into the groove! Many thanks.
James Taylor

The Guide "Sam" was excellent to say the least. Pushing all the time with info and techniques and picking the best routes for weather, area and abilities of the group. We all had different levels of skills but that didn't stop Sam catering for all needs of individuals. He put us under pressure when required to ensure we appreciated the need to move quickly and efficiently.

Excellent guide and teacher. Very proffessional and good company. Put us
on the pointy end of the rope as much as possible whilst maintaining a
high level of safety. All of the techniques being practiced in excellent area's in real time situations. Delivered exactly what it said on the label :-))
Neil Taylor

Course content was ideal for my requirements. All members of group of similar standard, so nobody frustrated. Guiding and instruction was very good indeed. Very friendly and capable guide made for great group atmosphere.
John Brammer

After much deliberation I decided to take the Technical Alpinism course rather than go try and tag summits, as I very much wanted to learn how to operate safely on my own in the mountains. I'm so glad I did this. The
course content was spot-on, with a good mix of rock & ice work, glacier travel technique, and rescue skills - just what I'd hoped for.
Guiding and Instruction. I just can't say enough good things about Aaron. He is without doubt among the very best guides I've worked with. Fun, enthusiastic, knowledgeable and eager to impart his knowledge. I particularly appreciated his willingness to let students lead tough pitches and make decisions within the bounds of safety. You really have to hold onto this guy. I look forward to climbing with him again!
Thanks for everything; I can't wait to come back and climb with ISM again.
Wensley Barker

Classic Alpine Summits

We had a great week on Classic Alpine Summits. I loved it all, learned a lot and felt very safe with Anders in charge. Anders was one of our guides on Summits and Skills 4000 last year and Classic Alpine Summits felt like a logical next step for me. Our assistant guide, Mike, was excellent; knowledgeable, adventurous and very well suited to mountain guiding, I hope to do another ISM course next year, maybe 4000m Monta Rosa, or another 'Classic' week but will take your advice. I am now even more determined to stay fit and continue exploring the mountains of the world as much as family and work will allow.
Many thanks for another inspirational week in the Alps.
Cindy Walters

I just wanted to drop you a very quick email to thank you both for sorting
out my summer for me! Now I've had a few days back to recover and reflect
on the last couple of months, I've had a fantastic time and have
definitely got the mountaineering bug. I will be back for more. Eira,
thanks for organising and answering my questions. Pat, thanks for getting
me up and down the mountains safely and successfully - it's been great
fun. I'll be in touch shortly.
Greg Paul

Course ran exactly as described, even though the weather was bad. Had a great time
and learned such a huge amount. Felt confident and well equipped after
the week was over and the locations were excellent.
Re guiding and instruction, Gary was so knowledgeable it was untrue. Very experienced and I had utter faith in him. Jonathan was like a puppy - enthusiastic and excitable but also dedicated and instilled confidence.
Next course for me will be Technical Alpinism I hope. Can't wait!
Gary and Jonathan

Classic 4000m Monte Rosa

The guide was excellent, confident, assertive when required, thoroughly competent. I guess in retrospect we could have acquired a few more climbing tips (doing this activity for only 1 week a year I get really rusty in throwing in belays, hitches, and ropework generally) but my fault for not asking more. Thomas was always willing to share his knowledge when asked.
David Cronk

I just wanted to say what a brilliant 2 weeks I had with ISM this year (Classic 4000m peaks - Monte Rosa with Gary & then Bernese Oberland with Anders). This time I think the whole trip really was unbeatable, in terms of weather (never had my Goretex jacket on once), good times, lovely people, and the whole package.........
I also wanted to thank Pat for the tips he sent me re acclimatization on my own. I followed his recommendations to the letter and it worked a treat. (I.e., I never felt like the slow old lady at the back!!)
I hope that your summer is as enjoyable as the holiday I've just had.
Teresa Potter

During the week we summited 11 x 4000metre-plus peaks, stayed in 4 different huts, culminating in the Margherita Hut at over 15,000 ft. We did everything from a stiff walk up, to a fairly steep ice climb, an Assez Difficile rock climb and felt wonderfully “knackered” at the end of it. Throughout, Anders was an excellent guide, a credit to both ISM and his profession. On the Saturday we had the most amazing day in the Vaudoise Alps climbing an Alpine Ridge in relative sunshine and rock shoes which capped the whole experience wonderfully. Please pass on our thanks and best wishes to Anders. We have already discussed climbing in the Ecrins next summer so hopefully we can all make this happen as it sounds fantastic.
Paul Yarnold & David Beare

Classic 4000m Bernese Oberland

ISM has no need for adverts - we came back because the Summits and Skills 4000m course last year was so good. But I still think the ISM website is the best of its kind.

Guiding and Instruction was excellent - the five guides made a full contribution to what was another hugely enjoyable social experience.
ISM continues to impress. We were pleased to catch up with Pat, Steve J and
Steve M one year on. Thanks to their instruction last year, we have made
progress with skills and confidence, and we're still ambitious - some more
so than others! [I found my Valais Alps guidebook with the bookmark left on
the Matterhorn pages, which I think was Paul...] I did mention to Steve M
that some of us were hoping to build up towards the Technical Alpinism
course in years time - in which case, he foolishly offered to run it for us
himself. Beware - we may well hold him to his promise!
Nick Spedding

Course content exceeded expectations - probably due to the weather but also the flexibility of the guides, especially staying up for a fifth early morning start to get a last peak in on Friday before heading back to Leysin.
Guiding and instruction was excellent - spent most of the week with Lisa, enjoyed climbing with her and learnt a lot just by watching and felt very safe. Last day with Anders who exudes confidence in a very relaxed way, all the guides where good company and flexible.
Trevor Craig

Student Alpine Week

The trip was absolutely superb. All the students said it was the best trip they
had ever been on. So thank you so much for organising everything and
making it possible. Many thanks again for an excellent holiday. I have recommended you to another school which is interested in running a trip to the Alps.
Ben Bishop (school group)

I wanted to say thanks for your help booking the student alpine course,
it was fantastic and I had a very enjoyable week!
Andrew Muirhead-Smith

Just to let you know I had a wonderful time on the first student alpine
week- I've been buzzing to get back to Switzerland and back onto the mountains!!
Carl Rogers

Mont Blanc & Gran Paradiso

A special thanks to the guides Steve, Lisa, Jurgen and Terry for a great week on the
Gran Paradiso and Mont Blanc. An even bigger thanks to Jurgen. I have no doubt that our success on Mont Blanc was because he was just so good at assessing our abilities and he knew what we needed to get to the top and to get back safely without over pushing us.
I always look forward to my week with ISM and hope to see you all again
same time next year. Till then take care, climb safely and have a great winter season.
Shelley de Jong

I am just writing to say thank you for the excellent organisation of the M Blanc trip that I finished on Saturday. Your support could not have been more complete and it absolutely matched the superb experience I had in the mountains. Thank you.
Paul Edwards

Information/Advertising? - Excellent, particularly website
Range of courses offered? - Mouth-watering.
Handling of your enquiry & booking? - Excellent
Board & Accommodation? - V. Good
Course content? - Did what it said it would do (i.e. go up Mont Blanc!)
Guiding and Instruction? - The best.
Any other comments? - Love to return to both ISM and Grand Chalet.
Steve Hible

Mont Blanc Special

Course content great. Tour Ronde was a great challenge, Mont Blanc was spectacular, and rock climbing was fun. I was pushed hard but enjoyed it. Guiding and instruction - the best. Jonathan seemed to know how much I could do/take. He pushed when he should, backed-off when he needed to. Always answered questions, was a great role model on "how to do things" and gave me 100% confidence that "I could do things". I will be back!!
Bill Ciprick

Guiding and instruction was very good, trusted them, felt safe, and we all enjoyed it greatly. Fantastic experience. Nice to have a guide with a sense of humour and a good taste in mountain huts. Disappointed not to summit Mont Blanc but that's life!!
Noel Tinker

Just a brief note to let you know how much I enjoyed the course I attended recently, the Mt Blanc special between 16 and 22 July. The weather was great and this meant we were able to get out and do as much as possible in the available time. I have to make mention of the two guides, Aaron and Jen. They were both excellent and worked hard to ensure we got the most out of the trip. They were always looking at how they could tailor the itinerary to suit us all, so we all got as much out of it as we wanted. It is great credit to them that they managed to keep us all happy with regards the level to which we wanted to climb. A great thank you is due to them.
Damian Maher

Matterhorn Ascent

Just a quick note to say how much I enjoyed my climbing week with ISM, from the initial booking/admin side with Eira who was very informative/helpful [despite my late booking!] to the professional guiding/instruction from Eric, who was very understanding of my climbing experience and helped me to develop my skills throughout the week despite the main focus being on summit achievement. Eric was very informative throughout his instruction but sociable as well, which is important when you are on a one to one guide to client course. Having a professional guide on a one to one basis also allowed us to be very flexible with our itinerary and resulted in a very memorable week and personal achievement for me of climbing two famous peaks.
Mark Ingram

A three and a half hour ascent of the Matterhorn proves to me that having your hip replaced need not mean an end to one's activity! Please thank all your staff for an unforgettable experience and please thank all those at the Grand Chalet for their help in making the weeks so enjoyable.
Peter Roberts

Eiger Ascent

A very big thank you for helping me to achieve my ambition. I realised that it had taken 34 years of dreaming and 5 years of hard work to get to the top of the Eiger - but in the end it was due in large measure to your determination and commitment in the face of very poor conditions that got me there. No-one can take away from me the memories of our climb which I will enjoy for the rest of my life. A huge thank you!
Nigel Atkinson

Personal Guiding

Please also let Pat know that I had a great climbing week in France and
Switzerland with your guide Aaron Beardmore. Thanks very much.
Frank Folz

Thanks for another successful trip! Gary arrived at our hotel 5 minutes early, which was exactly right, and the rest of his organisation was equally good - everything went as planned.
We even got up the mountain!
Alan Ainslie

Central Oberland Trek

The course was FANTASTIC!! Great group of people. All
kinds of weather, but that made it interesting.
Thanks for everything!
Chris Terry

Ice climbing courses Winter 2006

Classic Alpine Icefalls

First and foremost, I had a great week. Terry and Rob were excellent. Everything was very well thought out and they did as much as they could to accommodate my limitations. They provided a platform for me to get as much out of the week as I could, but I did struggle! I certainly know now what to do when confronted with these kinds of conditions and feel much happier about facing some steeper slopes of consolidated snow, the kind that would be in the 60 degree range, albeit a lot more sustained.
Mark Warwick

Excellent course providing everything it promised. I wanted to learn to lead ice climb, do some harder technical climbing and learn the rope work, belay methods and ice screw placement. Got the lot. Thanks ISM.
Guiding and instruction was excellent with guides who look to get the best out of you each and every day without compromising safety.
Excellent Holiday all round. Got exactly what I wanted and more. Was dreading accommodation based on other groups I have used but was pleasantly surprised at the very high standard.
Neil Taylor

Had a wonderful week's ice climbing with Terry and Rob. Really interesting and varied climbing and a great group of people. Was great to visit some out of the way places too. Please pass on my thanks to those involved - especially to Terry for a great week. Kind regards,
Sue Marvell

Technical Alpine Icefalls

Had an excellent week as ever with ISM and looking forward to getting back ASAP. Must thank Terry again for making the whole trip a great experience and as ever the whole week was highly organised, varied and great fun. Will be back soon no doubt. Kind wishes,
David Wilson

Ice Blaster Long Weekend

Just thought I would email and let you know what a great time I had on the ice blaster weekend in January. I am not a climber and this was my first time ice climbing and was a bit worried at first that I wouldn't have the skills to keep up. But I shouldn't have worried, I felt the course was adapted to my level of experience and skills, which was excellent. I felt challenged throughout the 3 days and the climbs chosen suited my ability and best of all gave some really good ice climbing.
This was an excellent introduction to waterfall ice climbing. The guides were very knowledgeable and had the skills to pass on that knowledge in a way that I could learn. Please pass on my thanks to all involved in the course, and hopefully I will be in touch soon to discuss further Alpine adventures. I have also uploaded some pictures to the web site.
Neil Benton

Summer 2005

Summits & Skills and Summits & Skills 4000m

The course was excellent, exactly suited to my needs as someone with lots of experience of low mountains but very little experience of high mountains. The course featured a great variety of activities without losing focus, everything was useful, and I would happily recommend it to anyone with similar experience to me. The guides were very quick to assess the group's abilities and to tailor their advice accordingly. I also thought the guides displayed an excellent blend of patience and encouragement. They helped me to push myself to do new things and they were also good company! After the course, I climbed Mont Blanc and felt quite happy doing so, which I am sure I would not have done had I not been on the course beforehand.
Paul Kersey

I'm writing to commend yourself and ISM for a terrific week on the Summits & Skills 4000m course. I felt there was a great atmosphere between the group and the guides all week, and as well as covering a wide range of skills it was also thoroughly enjoyable.
David Berrill

Course content great. Very good balance of theory and immediate practice.
The guiding and Instruction was outstanding. In a group of mixed abilities, the guide did a great job keeping everyone challenged, interested and entertained. The week was perfectly adapted to the needs of the people attending - a real triumph. No doubt see you again soon!
Bill Goodland

The course itself was just amazing, I think the guides taught us so well
and adapted to our individual needs and abilities. I was really nervous
about the 4000m peak but had the time of my life, and felt safe too. The course covered everything I was hoping to do and more. I was impressed that we could fit so much into 6 days. I will definitely recommend ISM to lots of people and I hope to do the follow on Technical Alpinism course in the new year. Thanks x
Jennifer Tuckley

The Summits & Skills 4000m course was brilliant. 2 very professional guides,
a very high standard of guiding and instruction, good progression through the
course with plenty of skills to be learned. A big thank you to Steve and Martin
for the achievements and the experience was very impressive. Ii will definitely be
back next year. Also well done to everyone at ISM.
Howard Lewis

The course was a brilliant experience for me, far better than I imagined and the confidence, fitness and knowledge I gained in such a short time is a tribute to the patience and skills of the guides. I always thought I would be scared of doing anything ‘technical’ so limited my trips to non-technical walks in the hills (or, as Anders put it, long slogs up big hills!). I now see that the technical stuff can be safe and interesting too and I will definitely come on another ISM course, possibly Classic Alpine Ascents or Technical Alpinism if you think I would be up to it.
Thanks to everyone for making the trip so memorable and so much fun. It was really great to meet you all. I haven’t learned so much or laughed so much for a long time.
Cindy Walters

A very well-structured course; the '4000' bit is the ideal way to round the week off with an application of the skills learned to climb a 4000m peak. It provides a HUGE sense of achievement! Guiding & instruction was very, very good indeed - Steve and Martin were highly professional, good company, good communicators and extremely supportive on the routes. Combining with the Mont Blanc Extension gave a fantastic couple of weeks, and I am planning to be back next summer for a more advanced course.
Patrick North

I was impressed by the range of courses on offer, although the Summits and Skills 4000 m offered exactly what I was looking for to suit me and my friends. The all-in price, the emphasis on skills, ISM's preparedness to cope with a mixed ability group, AND the chance to climb a 4000m peak were the major plus points. Although much of the course content was revision for me, I also learned lots of useful new stuff and did not find the level of the course too easy. Most importantly it restored my confidence in my ability to tackle lower grade alpine routes. This was exactly what I wanted from the course. Highlights for me included finally finding out how to do an Italian hitch (!), prussik practice, Pat stepping into a crevasse, and leading up the Weissmies. Big thanks to Steve M here. I am a big scaredy-cat, so the fact that I was able to do this without feeling intimidated, to the extent that I felt that I could have coped with a *slightly* more technical route, was a tribute to the course and the quality of instruction.
Another satisfying feature of the course was the variety of places we visited. Leysin is lovely, the Moiry Glacier was perfect for the training days, and the Saas valley is just spectacular. The guides were consistently enthusiastic, patient and authoritative, but never patronising. The single most impressive aspect of the course for me was their attitude towards us and the way in which they mixed with the group in the huts, sharing their stories, wisdom, and helping us with suggestions for future routes. This made the course an excellent social experience. A great holiday. Keen to join another ISM course soon! Many thanks,
Nick Spedding

Course content was excellent - I feel the course gave me a solid grounding in how to look after myself on Alpine F and PD ground. Did not assume too much rock-climbing experience. Guiding and Instruction also excellent - enthusiastic, patient, thorough, constructive, not patronising. 'Stretched' me a bit (i.e. got me to do my first outdoor lead) - clearly everyone who took us is interested in teaching. What was really appreciated was that people gave lots of advice for our own plans in the future.
Chris Watt

Student Alpine Week

The course covered everything to give me confidence enough to start planning my own trip when I got back. Safety was a large part of the course and was probably the most important thing. The guides/instructors were great fun, always enthusiastic and didn't mind repeating themselves until I understood. They were good coaches, helping us to see where improvements were needed and advising what to do next following the course. It was a really wonderful time that I feel has given me the wide skills base needed to climb in the Alps safely and proficiently.
Anthony Froud

Perfect range of skills learnt, and well adapted to suit weather and conditions. The guiding and instruction were outstanding and amazing value.
(Feedback Form)

Covered everything I could think of that I wanted to know, as well as feeling as though it was flexible to what different groups would want, and to the speeds of people in the group. I think it's a good indication that in the week following when I went off with some friends I never found myself thinking "I wonder how..." - it'd all been covered. Thomas and Aaron did a great job of covering the skills needed whilst it never felt like it was being too technical. Things were done with practical applications made obvious, and then practised. They answered my stupid questions without making them sound too stupid either, which is quite a talent! I had a brilliant time and learnt a surprisingly large amount in a short time. Can't fault the course at all.
Iain MacNaughtan

Technical Alpinism

Anders & Jorgen were immensely informative, enthusiastic and professional. They made the course extremely exciting and varied whilst maintaining high safety levels, and provided a programme diverse in content, enormous fun and constant highlights.... I have the utmost regard for ISM and its Guides and will endeavour to promote your services avidly and to utilise them again in the future.
Drew Cook

I cannot speak too highly of this trip. The standard and method of instruction was exemplary.
Nick Everitt

The course content was excellent. It covered all the technical skills ranging from the basic but necessary to advanced techniques. I thought it covered everything even navigation. There wasn't a moment wasted and we
even did four lengthy and enjoyable and in some cases challenging climbs. The instruction was superb and was delivered in good humoured style throughout, making for a very enjoyable week.
I thought the course was excellent value for money. Everything was taken care of from the hut bookings, chair lift, hill food and being transported to the climbs, so we could enjoy the instruction and the climbing. The guiding ratio allowed us each to have a go at leading in the confidence that we had our guide to assist if we were under pressure. All in all absolutely brilliant and I hope to be back.
Greg Denwood

We were a male and female team doing a technical course. We felt that there are few companies that can cater successfully for women in this activity and ISM certainly can. They know that you don't have to be muscle-bound and unwashed to have fun in the mountains! We hope it can capitalise on this. There are many women in climbing clubs that are not trying alpine activities, that I'm sure would want to if they felt the environment could be right.
Joanne Linder

Mont Blanc & Gran Paradiso

I had a FANTASTIC week on the Gran Paradiso and Mont Blanc. The weather did help - we had the right windows in an otherwise mixed week enabling us to reach both summits - but I'm pretty sure I would have had an excellent week even if this hadn't been the case. Both ISM guides - Thomas and Dave were excellent; inspiring confidence but also being great company. The pairing of Gran Paradiso and Mont Blanc worked very well - after two nights in the Chabod hut I had no problems with altitude on the Blanc. And the logistics - travel and accommodation - were also excellent.
Simon Peck

A really well put together course, progressive through the week. An ideal learning curve and it certainly got the best out of me, at this time. The guiding and instruction was excellent - very professional, good humoured and interesting. One of the best weeks of my life - I only wish I'd started a few more years ago! I will certainly be back for more. The whole mountain environment and experience is so good for me. Two weeks next time!!
Mark Warwick

Mont Blanc Extension

The course programme was excellent. We returned to Chamonix a day early so had an extra day's rock climbing tuition at a local crag. Guiding and Instruction was outstanding. I was with Terry Ralphs for the whole Mont Blanc climb and he was excellent - totally in control at all times, he pushed my ability at a difficult part of the climb which gave me a great sense of achievement. Will definitely return to ISM for autumn rock climbing in the UK, and Alps next season. I am planning to use the Grand Chalet for short trip to Switzerland with family later in the season.
Tim Cox

Classic 4000'ers Saas Valley

Course content was top class. Everything and more than I anticipated. If all your courses are run in this fashion, I can't wait to book next year! To have that level of knowledge and expertise guiding you, and able to learn from was a huge bonus. The guides were knowledgeable, professional, competent, patient and very good teachers.
Tyrone Saunders

Guiding and Instruction was absolutely superb. What else can I say? Both Pat and Rob were top guys both professionally and personally. Couldn't ask for better.
I look forward to seeing you all again next year. Thanks to everyone for making things so superb. It is clear that a lot of thought, planning and hard work go into everything you do. It shows, and I have no doubt that you'll still be around in another 40 years! Thank you all.
Ian Greenhalgh

Guiding and Instruction excellent - very professional and inspiring 100% confidence.
David Mann

Classic Alpine Ascents

Great course programme. Guides selected some excellent routes at an appropriate level. Both guides were fantastic. Really good company, great sense of humour and outlook. Lots of laughs! They really took care of us and were quick to work out strengths and weaknesses. We were just in awe of their knowledge and expertise and felt totally safe. Quite a lot of instruction too - exactly what we had wanted. Many thanks to all involved in the planning, organisation and delivery of the course. We cannot praise ISM highly enough.
Chris & Neil Muscutt

Classic 4000m - Monte Rosa

Hard work as I expected but gave me a week in spectacular scenery - just what I wanted. The guides were great - friendly, but pushed us when needed to achieve our goals. Plenty of humour which always helps. Oozed competence and skill which was very reassuring. I had a great week and hope to join another group in the future.
John Rogers

Custom Courses

ISM has an impressive roll-call of instructors. You feel very confident that you are learning from some of the best. Those that we have experienced deserve nothing but praise for their delivery of the ISM philosophy of encouraging fun, independence, adventure and safety in the mountains. Mike was terrific; humorous, intelligent, patient. He has a gift for clear, insightful instruction and knows how to encourage without seeming pushy. He enjoys achievement and advancement both for himself and others. We cannot vouch for Steve's instruction first hand but as the coordinator he was equally supportive, considered and patient. Modest too. Both are broad-minded people whose company is a pleasure - so important in a hut for a few nights, after all you can only talk climbing for so long!
Elliot Piggott & Joanne Linder

Weisshorn to Zermatt haute route

Just wanted to let you know that the course was all I expected it to be. Have many great pics and wonderful memories. Truly the most spectacular walk of my life. Had the full range of conditions - blazing sunshine, blasting snowstorm, you name it! Thanks for all the advice etc.
Chris Terry

First and foremost, I thoroughly enjoyed the week. Thomas was an excellent guide; he worked hard looking after us, had a good sense of humour and helped me learn some great new skills and techniques. I know that everyone on the trip had every confidence in his ability. The trip organisation was excellent. This started with good work from the office by helping me to get on a trip that was enjoyable and met my needs. Everything on the trip and at the hotel was organised in a relaxed yet efficient manner. The all-inclusive price worked very well and is a major differentiator from your competitors' offerings. I don't expect that they have the same quality of organisation and guides that ISM has either. I would definitely recommend ISM to anyone thinking of doing something in the Alps and I have my eyes on a couple of courses next year.
Michael Lawrence

Hotel Feedback

I was very happy with the Grand Chalet: friendly, efficient owners, comfortable rooms, good food, and delightful location.
David Berrill

The hotel was lovely, really nice people, the room was great and with a smashing view. Breakfast was the best part with regards to meals; keep the muesli on the menu!
Jennifer Tuckley

Impressed with Grand Chalet - very clean and very comfortable; great views, good food. It was noticeable that when there wasn't a large crowd the standard was better, but that is to be expected. The quality of the Grand Chalet underlines ISM's attention to detail and we thought ISM could make more of this in its literature especially when appealing to those for whom a course is also a holiday.
Elliot Piggott & Joanne Linder

The Grand Chalet was a perfect base, with a wonderful location. Just the right balance of luxury and economy! It was nice to have the comforts of a hotel, without paying too much for elaborate rooms, fancy food, and over-fussy service.
Nick Spedding

The Grand Chalet was clean and comfortable, the welcome was fine, and the staff and service was good also. The food was very good, well cooked and presented.
Kevin Joliffe

Good - nice atmosphere, good meals, pleasant rooms.
Chris Watt

Very good. I will definitely return to ISM for autumn rock climbing in the UK and Alps next season. I am planning to use the Grand Chalet for short trip to Switzerland with family later in the season.
Tim Cox

Handling of your Enquiry & Booking

Excellent arrangements, both availability on phone and paperwork. Well
done.
David Cronk

Eira is on the ball and offers a very welcome feeling. Easy and pleasant and efficent as usual. Thanks Eira. They'd be lost without you!
Neil Taylor

Perfectly happy - great communications from the office, good emails,
contactable and helpful (even with stupid questions) and dedicated
personalised service. Awesome.
Gary and Jonathan

I phoned up before booking my trip and the service was brilliant, Eira is so friendly :) The booking was handled well, I did this online but received e-mails to tell me when payments were due etc
Jennifer Tuckley

Great. Very personal. Very efficient. This was the main reason we selected ISM. Eira displayed an in depth knowledge and desire to meet our needs. We were also looking at two other companies but the difference
was noticeable in that they were more concerned with filling courses than with satisfaction.
Price was not an important consideration for us. Our concerns were not going over familiar ground too much nor going out of our depth. The guide was extremely important, having had poor experiences in the past elsewhere. Because Eira took the time and trouble to really understand those concerns we were inclined to pay more for a custom course in the confidence that she would deliver what we were seeking.
Elliot Piggott & Joanne Linder

Eira was brilliant, without doubt an asset to the company. She was helpful to the extreme, nothing was too much trouble, very knowledgeable, professional, but most of all, very friendly and was a pleasure to converse with.
Tyrone Saunders

Absolutely 1st class. Eira, if you are reading this, you deserve a medal!
The problems that I presented you with (dates, course content etc) were not insignificant. Yet throughout all of my (extremely detailed) enquiries you remained patient, and always attempted to come up with a solution for
me. Thank you.
Ian Greenhalgh

2005 - Winter Ice & Ski courses

West Oberland Haute Route
Many thanks for another great week. I thought that the route was excellent and, despite the weather, provided some spectacular scenery and skiing. Getting snowed-in just added to the entertainment!
The group dynamics were good also as everybody got on and there was no great range of abilities. Well done on the navigation; not an easy task when all 3 dimensions are white! It is nice to relax and have complete trust in one's guide - something I have always found at ISM.
Gerard Morris

West Oberland Haute Route (and Ski Touring Safari)
We are both delighted to have done the tour with you and enjoyed it enormously. We both feel that we were treated to a great variety of weather and condition and consequently got a very fair picture of what high level touring is about. It is certainly a very committing route, once started no quitting!.
Roger Jones

West Oberland Haute Route
Thanks for all your hard work in making a great week pan out so well. I must say I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and the company.
Mike Richards

Haute Route du Soleil
Thank you very much fro the photos but most of all for your patience, persistence and professionalism.
Looking fwd. to a visit from you or anyway a future course.
Alain Wormser

Ski Grand St Bernard
I just wanted to let you know that Alice and I thoroughly enjoyed our week with you, Rob and the rest of the group (very nice compatible group). I especially enjoyed it and am very grateful to you for the sedate place you indulged me with!
Rob Woodbridge

Summer 2004

Summits & Skills

Excellent. Everything was clearly explained and we had ample opportunities to practice techniques etc. It was great to learn all the day to day alpine stuff e.g. about how huts actually operate as well as the technical climbing stuff - I must have asked a thousand questions!
Have recommended the company and course to friends – what else can I say? Really looking forward to getting out to the Alps again next year to put these skills into practice. Thanks!!
Sally Woodbridge

Guiding/Instruction. A nicer bunch of guys you couldn’t wish to spend time with in the mountains -all very free with their expertise, lots of information, and lots of opportunities to try things out. The main thing I really appreciated was that it was all taken care of ... accommodation, food, transport, everything was planned. All we had to do was concentrate on the climbing. Overall excellent, I would have no hesitation in recommending the course to others and we intend to come back for the next one next year hopefully.
Neil Lawson

Just a quick one to let you know that Stu and I had the most fabulous time on our course. The hotel was fantastic, brilliant food and lovely staff – really chilled and homely. Gary our guide (part Kiwi part goat) was brilliant – patient, laid back and taught us immeasurable amounts of stuff as well as taking us to the most beautiful places we’ve ever been. I was hooked on the mountains before and even more so now. We’ll definitely be back.
Sushie Dobbinson

Student Alpine Week

Course content covered everything I’m aware that I need, and we did a good summit into the bargain. Would have liked to do another, but we didn’t have time!
Guiding/Instruction excellent. Both Steve and Peter gave us endless hints and tips with possible alpine situations in mind. I now feel as if I’m perfectly capable of tackling suitable routes when I want to. Great thanks to ISM, especially Steve and Peter, for an amazing course. I loved every minute of it!
Unsigned feedback

Thanks for a great course and giving me the confidence and equipping me with the skills to go out and explore the mountains. I can't wait to come back to the Alps next year!
David Morris

Enquiry/Booking. Eira did an excellent job with the handling of my enquiry and the booking. Extremely thorough and friendly!
Course Content. The content for the Student Alpine Week was very well formulated, covering a range of basic skills required for rock climbing, mountain walking and alpinism. It definitely provides a solid grounding for further extensions. The duration of the course was fairly comfortable for beginners as well, without being overly taxing. The guiding and instruction provided by Terry and Dave was very professional. They were clearly knowledgeable in alpine skills, and gave clear instructions. I found them to be very patient, especially since our group consisted of people with differing physical capabilities. Terry made conscious efforts to ensure that there were challenges suitable for everyone.
YY Teo

Gran Paradiso Haute Route

Perfect for people like me who want to have a good time in the Alps but haven't got the time to learn all the skills necessary to go it alone. As you might have guessed I really enjoyed it. Thanks for a great time!
Andy Treweeke

Just to let you know I went on the Gran Paradiso trip with my son Mark two weeks ago. We had a great time, thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. A good mix of people, a well planned trip and an excellent guide (Steve Jones).
Peter Sweatman

West Oberland Haute Route (Ski)

I had a wonderful time, loved the area and the tour and can't speak highly enough of Terry for his management and leadership of the trip. Simon was also extremely competent and they made a very good team. I would, and have, definitely recommended this tour to others. We were very fortunate with the weather and had some amazing views. Most of my aims were met, namely to experience a ski mountaineering tour in a variety of snow conditions with a view to becoming an independent ski tourer. This latter aim was a bit ambitious in retrospect as, although a competent winter mountaineer, I hadn't quite appreciated how much more involved touring can be with skis on!! I will definitely be interested in booking another ski touring course and recommending the ISM to others.
Jill Lockett

Just wanted to say what an incredible week Tina and I had last week. Please pass on my thanks for a wonderful time. Terry's expertise and professionalism, organisation and knowledge made it an experience of a lifetime. Thank you so much to Terry and ISM ........will be back again another year!
Caroline Craig

Technical Alpinism

Guiding/Instruction. Excellent; very enthusiastic, very informative, very knowledgeable and fantastic climbers (probably the best climbers I've been guided by). Whole ISM ethos of excellence runs through everything.
Will Boxall

I want to thank you for the week Di & I had with you in August. It was full and exciting, and testing, too - as it should be. I think by the end of the second week I was climbing better (in London, going up an escalator, I found myself going Feet....Feet....Feet!). The intensity of that time stays with me. Thanks for that, and for the good company on and off the mountain.
Charles Hewlings

Just a note to say how much I enjoyed the Technical Alpinism course.
I thought Gary produced something which was extraordinarily well suited to me and Pete. I'd hoped that the course would give me enough basic skills and confidence to tackle movement and climbing on snow and ice, which I hadn't done before. I feel it did exactly that, and was a very useful introduction to the simple logistics of huts, equipment, timing and route-finding. I feel I can now start to develop those skills with my own practice. It would be hard to find fault with Gary, and I hope you will pass on my thanks for his patience, professionalism, rigour and good humour. He showed us a lot of very useful skills in a very short period of time.
Mike Kelly

Mt Blanc & Gran Paradiso

An excellent week spent with ISM climbing and summiting Mont Blanc and Gran Paradiso. Please pass on my thanks and appreciation to Adrian, Dick & Anders who were all top blokes and great guides. Must say that my new alpine skills might not be fully exploited in the tropics, but I hope to sign up with ISM again in the future.
Jonathan Grosvenor

Guiding/Instruction. First class - very knowledgeable and sensitive.
Other Comments: Brilliant week, really felt sorry it had to end, even though we didn't summit MB
Bob Kay

An exceptional experience - used a guide (French) once before and the experience was not very good. This is exceptional - will climb with you guys again!
Craig MacIntyre

Classic Alpine Ascents

Just thought I'd let you know that the course was a great success and all that was hoped for was achieved. The guides Steve and Peter put together an excellent programme of varied alpine experience which was pitched at just the right level - challenging but achievable. I learned a great deal and importantly came away with a lot of personal satisfaction. Don't know how you arranged the weather but that was excellent too --- very lucky! Thanks for your help in arranging my requests.
Bruce Stainsby

Classic 4000’ers

Overall an extremely enjoyable experience from beginning (i.e. enquiring/booking) to end (i.e. completing this feedback form)! Key range of courses, quality of guides and flexibility when on the course (i.e. not tied to a pre-planned programme).
Simon Mackay

I had a superb week that surpassed all expectations.
Many thanks to Adrian and Gary, all at ISM and to fellow clients.
Jeff Corner

A short and belated note of thanks to Adrian and Gaz for guiding me last week through the Classic 4000’ers. It lived up to all expectation and I'd recommend ISM to others without reservation.
Chris Greenwell

Technical Alpine Ascents

Just a few lines to say what a fantastic time I had last week climbing with Pat and James. The venues, routes, scenery and company were all excellent, and despite indifferent weather at times, Pat was able to pull out some challenging routes up some awe inspiring mountains. I am fired with enthusiasm, and following discussions with Pat the lure of the Eiger and the Matterhorn are a distinct possibility in the future.
Once again many thanks for all the arrangements, and please pass on my gratitude to Pat when you are next in touch with him.
Alistair Durrant

Technical Ascents – Bernese Oberland

Guiding/Instruction. Mike was superb! He was helpful, supportive and encouraging at all times during the week. We felt like participants rather than merely punters! He gave me confidence to perform to the best of my abilities during the week and I cannot thank him or commend him highly enough for the way he ran the week. Mike, if you read this, we had one hell of an amazing week! Thank you. I'll be back with ISM again for sure! 
Steve Moody

Personal Guiding

The training I requested was not in the ISM normal programme but I was able to have the training tailored as I requested. I received excellent instruction from Thomas. We maintained a very flexible schedule and covered all areas that I wanted to be covered.
Guiding/Instruction. The guiding was excellent. With one-on-one training with Thomas we covered a huge amount of information and he was extremely professional in his guiding. Since the course, starting with a small amount of technical climbing experience, I am now
lead climbing at a 6a level and that is due to the training I received.
Aaron Williamson

Matterhorn Ascent

I want to express my thanks to yourself and Pat for a rewarding and very successful trip to the mountains. My guide was both professional and security-conscious and the climb on the Matterhorn was a great and memorable experience. We were blessed with the weather. The rest of the week was well-paced and pitched at my needs (and energy levels!). I will highly recommend your company to friends and colleagues and will certainly consider returning for future adventures. Kind regards
Eileen O'Sullivan

Mont Blanc Special

It would be very remiss of me not to write and say that I had one of the best holidays of my life over the last week whilst assaulting Mont Blanc with Richard and Pete!
Thank you for making it so spectacular and I look forward to returning for the Matterhorn next year.
David Neale