GENERAL INFORMATION
PETE HILL MIC,
71 HIGH STREET,
ABERLOUR,
AB38 9QB.
TEL & FAX
01340 871071
pete@petehillmic.com
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Willowbank Guest House
Pete is holder of the Mountain Instructor Certificate, the highest UK instructional qualification, and is an Honorary Life Member of the Association of Mountaineering Instructors, as well as past President of the Mountaineering Council of Scotland. He has led mountaineering expeditions to the Indian and Nepalese Himalaya, and was leader of an international expedition to Kashmir which made the first ascents of three previously unclimbed peaks. Notable Alpine ascents include the North Face of the Eiger and the North Face of the Matterhorn, both in winter, as well as a lot of eminently more sensible routes! A member of the Alpine Club and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, he is a course director for the Mountain Leader Training Scotland. He is joint author of the globally successful "The Mountain Skills Training Handbook", author of "The International Handbook of Technical Mountaineering", "Rock Climbing" and "Sport Climbing". His "Complete Guide to Climbing and Mountaineering" will be published early 2008 (for details of publications, click here).
Pete is resident instructor to TGO magazine.
COURSE INSTRUCTORS
Pete Hill is directly involved in the delivery of almost all of our courses. Any extra staff employed by HIGHLANDER MOUNTAINEERING will be personally known to us and be experts in their subject. They will be working to strict guidelines which will ensure that you gain the maximum benefit from your course. We also work to the National Guidelines as set out by the Mountain Leader Training Board UK which sets the standards for mountain sports instruction in the UK.
THE ASSOCIATION OF MOUNTAINEERING INSTRUCTORS
The AMI is the representative body of professionally qualified Mountaineering Instructors in the British Isles. It is committed to improving the image and guaranteeing the quality of all mountaineering instruction in the UK. Only instructors holding the top MIA or MIC qualifications are permitted to display the AMI logo.
YOUNG PARTICIPANTS
We are licensed, under the provisions of The Adventure Activities Licensing Regulations 1996, to provide the courses advertised in this brochure to group members and individuals who are under 18 years of age. Please call us to discuss the lower age limit for each activity. HIGHLANDER MOUNTAINEERING is registered with the Local Educational Authorities as a recognized provider of outdoor activities to young persons, and as such we are happy to organize group abseiling and climbing sessions for schools and clubs, with times and dates to suit.
TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT
For all courses run by HIGHLANDER MOUNTAINEERING, all that you need to provide as a participant are boots and personal clothing. All other specialized equipment, be it ice axes, crampons, helmets, ropes or whatever, are provided by us for use during the course at no extra charge. If you have your own equipment that you wish to use, such as an ice axe, then please feel free to bring it. If you are not sure of the suitability of your equipment for any given course, or wish to purchase some new piece of equipment, then please do not hesitate to get in touch with us for advice - we're here to help!
RATIOS
The ratios entered under course descriptions are our MAXIMUM instructor to client ratio, and are some of the lowest in the UK. These are often further reduced at the start of a course.
EXPERIENCE
Under each course entry in the brochure is a note of experience required, This is generally for guidance only, as the majority of our courses are aimed at an introductory level. The main asset for any course is an interest and willingness to learn.
WHAT THE PRICE INCLUDES
The course price includes instruction, use of all specialised equipment and any accommodation and meal option taken.
CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT
We are happy, upon completion of your course, to issue you with a Certificate of Achievement. Please note that this is not a qualification, but more a reminder of your time with us. Let us know at the time of booking if you require one, there is no charge.
COURSE ACCOMMODATION
Rock climbing, hillwalking and SPA courses are based in Aberlour. This is a lovely town on the banks of the river Spey, offering a variety of locations to stay and to eat. Details of accommodation will be sent out with your booking confirmation. For those wishing to organize their own accommodation, there is a choice between hotel, B+B and camping.
Our winter courses are based in Grantown on Spey, a picturesque town on the Northern edge of the Cairngorm mountains. Many hills, crags and mountains are within easy reach, offering a variety of excellent locations for walking, scrambling, rock climbing and mountaineering, during both the summer and winter months. Grantown has many excellent facilities and is served by a number of hotels, various guest houses and a variety of places to eat. Non-residential prices are available for clients wishing to camp or organize their own accommodation.
Those choosing the guest-house option will be staying at the Willowbank Guest House, a very comfortable base for your course. Full details of Willowbank can be found on their web site at www.willowbankguesthouse.co.uk
Should you choose the bunkhouse option, you will be in the Ardenbeg Bunkhouse, not far from Willowbank. Ardenbeg is an excellent base with full cooking, sleeping and drying facilities. You may wish to bring a sleeping bag to use, alternatively some are available to hire from Ardenbeg. Their web site, should you be interested, is at www.ardenbeg.co.uk.
The accommodation for Grantown-based ML Training and Assessment courses is Ardenbeg Bunkhouse.