ISM Historical
The Early Years – John Harlin and the Birth of ISM
In the early 1960s, a former fighter pilot named John Harlin was living and working at the American College of Switzerland in Leysin. A determined and charismatic mountaineer, Harlin was later joined by Royal Robbins, and Leysin soon became a base for some of the leading American and British climbers of the era, including Gary Hemming, Layton Kor, Dougal Haston and Don Whillans.
Together, they explored the impressive limestone towers above Leysin, establishing new routes on cliffs rising to 500 feet, many of which still bear their names today.
This was an extraordinary period in alpine mountaineering, when some of the Alps' greatest unclimbed challenges remained. The South Face of the Aiguille du Fou, the West Face of the Dru and the North Face of the Eiger were at the forefront of ambitious new climbing objectives.
Harlin, alongside Robbins and other leading climbers, was instrumental in this pioneering era. In 1965, he made another lasting contribution to mountaineering by founding the International School of Mountaineering.
ISM was originally established to introduce American climbers to the challenges and rewards of alpine mountaineering. Its first season was a great success, and the future looked promising. Tragically, in 1966, Harlin was killed when a fixed rope broke during an attempt on the Eiger Direct route.
His pioneering spirit, passion for climbing and belief in sharing the alpine experience helped lay the foundations of the school that continues today.
The Dougal Haston Years
Following John Harlin's tragic death in 1966, the close-knit group of pioneering climbers involved in ISM's first season were determined that the school should continue. In 1967, Scottish mountaineer Dougal Haston formally took over as Director, beginning a remarkable ten-year period in the school's history.
Already recognised as one of Britain's leading mountaineers, Haston was at the forefront of a new generation pushing the boundaries of alpine and Himalayan climbing. During his time as Director, he continued to achieve some of mountaineering's most significant ascents, including the first ascent of the South Face of Annapurna in 1970 and becoming one of the first Britons to reach the summit of Everest in 1975, alongside Doug Scott.
Under his leadership, ISM developed an increasingly international reputation, attracting climbers from around the world who wanted to learn from some of the most accomplished mountaineers of their generation. The school became a place where pioneering climbing experience was shared directly with those discovering the challenges and rewards of the Alps.
ISM's reputation even reached Hollywood. In the early 1970s, the school became involved in preparations for the filming of The Eiger Sanction, starring Clint Eastwood. Eastwood undertook an introductory alpine mountaineering course with ISM, developing the skills and confidence to perform some of his own climbing sequences during filming.
Tragically, in January 1977, Dougal Haston was killed in an avalanche while skiing above Leysin, the mountain village where ISM had been founded. His death was another profound loss to the school and the wider mountaineering community.
Haston's legacy was not only his extraordinary climbing achievements, but also the knowledge, enthusiasm and pioneering spirit he shared with others. During his decade as Director, he helped establish ISM's international reputation and strengthened a philosophy that remains central to the school today — bringing together exceptional mountain experience, education and a shared passion for adventure.
The Pete Boardman Years – A New Era of Professional Guiding
In 1978, Pete Boardman, one of Britain's most accomplished mountaineers and, at the time, the youngest person to have climbed Everest, took over as Director of ISM. His arrival marked another important chapter in the school's history, combining the pioneering spirit of its early years with a growing emphasis on professional mountain guiding.
Scottish ice climbing specialist Gordon Smith worked alongside Boardman for a season, before Pat Littlejohn and Steve Jones were invited to join the team in 1979. Pat was recruited for his rock climbing expertise, although his introduction to ISM was somewhat unconventional. Shortly after arriving in Leysin, he was taken to an unclimbed roof crack on the limestone Tours as an informal 'entrance exam'.
Fortunately, Pat rose to the challenge, establishing the route Jaws, graded British E5, which remained one of the hardest climbs in the area for many years.
Until this point, ISM had largely been staffed by exceptional climbers rather than formally qualified Mountain Guides. As President of the newly formed British Mountain Guides association, Boardman recognised the importance of developing professional guiding standards and encouraged the ISM team to pursue their qualifications.
This was an important turning point for the school, helping establish the foundations of the professional guiding and educational standards that remain central to ISM today.
Boardman himself continued to push the boundaries of Himalayan mountaineering, with remarkable ascents on Changabang and The Ogre. Tragically, in 1982, he disappeared alongside Joe Tasker while attempting the unclimbed North-East Ridge of Everest.
Pete Boardman's legacy extends far beyond his remarkable climbing achievements. An accomplished writer, his books The Shining Mountain and Sacred Summits, alongside Joe Tasker's Savage Arena and Everest the Cruel Way, helped capture the spirit, challenges and personal experiences of mountaineering.
In 1983, the Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature was established in their memory. Today, it remains one of the most respected international awards for mountain writing, celebrating authors whose work inspires exploration, adventure and a deeper understanding of the mountain environment. Presented annually at Kendal Mountain Festival, the award continues to honour their extraordinary lives and enduring influence on generations of climbers and mountain enthusiasts.
Once again, ISM faced the loss of an inspirational leader, and those involved with the school had to decide how to carry its remarkable legacy forward.
The Pat Littlejohn Years – Pushing the Boundaries of Free Climbing
Following Pete Boardman's disappearance in 1982, ISM once again faced the challenge of finding a new Director. Pat Littlejohn stepped forward, taking on the role within a new structure that would see the school operated as a co-operative of member Mountain Guides.
Already widely recognised as one of Britain's leading rock climbers, Pat had established his reputation through pioneering new routes on the sea cliffs and granite outcrops of South West England. His bold approach to traditional climbing, particularly on the demanding sea cliffs of Devon and Cornwall, helped push the boundaries of British rock climbing during the 1970s and 1980s.
The early 1980s also saw significant advances in alpine free climbing, as climbers began tackling major rock faces using free climbing techniques rather than relying on artificial aid. Pat and Steve Jones had been at the forefront of this movement, having free-climbed the American Direct on the West Face of the Dru as early as 1971.
A decade later, they achieved another remarkable ascent, free-climbing John Harlin's route on the South Face of the Aiguille du Fou. This demanding granite climb remains a formidable undertaking in the Chamonix Massif and represented an important milestone in the evolution of alpine free climbing.
Pat's ambitions subsequently extended to the Greater Ranges, where he completed several significant alpine-style first ascents, including the North-East Pillar of Taweche in Nepal alongside Mick Fowler. These expeditions reflected the same adventurous spirit, commitment and technical excellence that had characterised his climbing throughout his career.
Under Pat's directorship, ISM continued to develop its reputation for combining exceptional climbing experience with professional mountain guiding and instruction. The co-operative structure encouraged a shared responsibility for the school's direction, while maintaining the close connection between its guides and the courses they delivered.
After the tragic losses of John Harlin, Dougal Haston and Pete Boardman, Pat Littlejohn finally broke what must have seemed an unfortunate spell hanging over ISM's early Directors. He not only survived his years at the helm but went on to pass the school into the hands of the next generation, ensuring that its remarkable mountaineering heritage continued.
A New Generation – Adrian Nelhams and the Evolution of ISM
The 1980s marked a period of steady growth and new opportunities for ISM. Alongside its established alpine climbing and mountaineering courses, the school introduced specialist programmes, including ski touring, trekking and expeditions to more remote mountain ranges. Jean Pavillard led ISM's first expedition to Huascarán in Peru, opening a new chapter in the school's adventurous history.
During this period, the Leysin team was strengthened by a remarkable group of climbers and Mountain Guides, each bringing their own experience, enthusiasm and specialist knowledge.
Among them were Steve Monks, renowned for his pioneering rock climbs on the sea cliffs of Pembrokeshire and Cornwall, and later for the first free ascent of the Totem Pole in Tasmania; Terry Ralphs, an accomplished rock climber and highly experienced Mountain Guide who also served as Training Officer for the British Mountain Guides; Victor Saunders, one of Britain's leading mountaineers and authors, whose ascent of the Golden Pillar of Spantik became a landmark in Himalayan alpine-style climbing; and Anders Swensson, a widely travelled Swedish Mountain Guide and founding member of the Swedish Mountain Guides Association.
Adrian Nelhams joined this exceptional team, bringing his own passion for rock climbing, ice climbing and exploratory mountaineering. An accomplished alpinist with numerous first ascents and demanding repeats in the Canadian Rockies, Alaska and Central Asia, Adrian became increasingly involved in shaping ISM's courses, expeditions and approach to mountaineering education.
As Adrian took on the Directorship of ISM, he continued to build on the school's remarkable heritage while developing new opportunities for climbers to learn, explore and challenge themselves in the mountains.
Exploration Beyond the Alps
From 1995 onwards, ISM expanded its expedition programme into the remote Tien Shan and Pamir mountains of Central Asia. These vast ranges, which had become more accessible to international climbers following the collapse of the Soviet Union, offered extraordinary opportunities for exploration and pioneering ascents.
Adrian played a central role in developing and leading these expeditions, returning to the region over many years and helping establish ISM's reputation for adventurous, exploratory mountaineering. Alongside fellow guides and expedition members, ISM teams have made numerous first ascents, explored previously little-known valleys and climbed peaks and ridges in some of the world's most remote mountain landscapes.
These expeditions have always reflected a distinctive ISM philosophy: travelling into the mountains with an adventurous spirit, climbing in small teams and embracing the challenges and uncertainties of alpine-style mountaineering rather than relying on extensive fixed ropes and established infrastructure.
Continuing the ISM Tradition
Over more than three decades as Director, Adrian has helped guide ISM through changing generations of climbers, developments in equipment and technique, and the evolving expectations of those coming to the mountains.
Throughout this time, the school's guiding principles have remained remarkably consistent: sharing knowledge and experience, encouraging personal development, inspiring adventure and creating opportunities for people to discover what they are capable of.
Today, ISM continues to offer a broad programme of alpine climbing, mountaineering, ice climbing and expeditions, combining its extraordinary heritage with a modern, personal approach to guiding and education.
From its beginnings in Leysin in 1965 to its present-day alpine base in Le Fayet, Saint-Gervais, ISM remains a school shaped by the people who climb, guide and explore together.
The richness of the journey — the experiences, friendships, challenges and discoveries along the way — remains at the heart of ISM, just as it has throughout its history.
