I still clearly remember the first time I tied a half-hitch, and had my first ski touring conversion. It was a long time ago, but even after 20 years in the business I still enjoy learning new things.
For these reasons, as well as being a fully qualified Swiss Alpine Guide, I continue working on my professional development. Here are a few examples of some other qualifications I also hold:
- J+S Expert (Youth and Sport) for the training of other mountaineering & ski touring instructors
- SMT Instructor (Swiss Mountain Training) for avalanche risk management
- CIME Instructor (Community of climbing gyms) for climbing belay techniques
- Caruso ® instructor for climbing technique
Mountain sports are exciting activities that allow you to deepen your knowledge and understanding of yourself, by confronting physical and mental challenges.
Great pleasure comes from mastering new techniques and becoming at ease in new environments. Becoming comfortable on steep terrain, on snow and rock, or on a vertical wall, can all be learned. The Caruso ® method is a holistic approach towards the search for perfect movement. It teaches balance, how to adjust your centre of gravity, energy conservation and stability. It helps us perform correct movements, while respecting our physical limitations, and many people also discover that this approach is very useful in everyday life.
Climbing is a wonderful activity. It is sometimes mistakenly thought that it requires a lot of strength and courage, but nothing could be further from the truth. Climbing is open to everyone, regardless of age or physical strength.
Thanks to the Caruso ® method, everyone can find pleasure in it. Learning the correct climbing movements in relation to the laws of physics, while respecting one’s body, allows you to climb with a minimum of effort. When we correctly stand on our feet, for example, we no longer need to pull with our arms. The knowledge of the best resting positions also really helps. It’s all about a good technique.
There is nothing like a practical course to learn mountain safety techniques. Rope handling when climbing, crossing a glacier, short rope techniques on a ridge, etc. There’s a lot to learn.
In the winter, limiting the risk of avalanche danger is a mountain guide’s daily work. If skiing off-piste or ski touring is something you like to do, you may wish to join me for a mountain awareness & avalanche safety course.
The SMT (Swiss Mountain Training) course allows you to learn and practice rescue techniques (use of avalanche transceiver, probe, shovel), but also, and above all, to learn how to evaluate the terrain and the danger of avalanches, in order to travel safely through an alpine environment. We also look at the process of decision making in risky terrain, and how best to safely deal with any remaining uncertainly.