About Us
Chamonix Mountain Guides
Alpine Adventures is a dynamic and highly motivated company directed by Dave Etherington an IFMGA guide. We offer you good-value and professionally organised guided holidays and courses in the French, Swiss and Italian Alps. Our Alpine Mountaineering, Off-Piste Skiing, Ski Touring, and Rock Climbing trips are all run by English speaking IFMGA high mountain guides, holding the highest internationally recognised qualification for mountain and ski guiding.
Our aim is to provide an adventure holiday that is safe, enjoyable and suits your level of experience and fitness. All our adventures are carefully designed to ensure that you will have the perfect balance of safety enjoyment and learning (if you wish.
Please take a look around our web-site, its designed to facilitate easy access to the information you require. If you need more information or have specific questions then do e-mail or telephone Dave in the office. If we are not in the office we're out enjoying ourselves in the mountains and will get back to you as soon as we can!
I started climbing in 1982 in the local quarries in Lancashire, with regular trips to the Lake District, North Wales and Scotland. I made my first trip to the alps in 1985 and have climbed here ever since.
I have made 5 trips to the Himalaya on climbing expeditions and also worked a a climbing guide out there. I qualified as a British Mountain Guide in 1994. I spent 8 years instructing and guiding at Glenmore Lodge, the Scottish National Mountaineering Training Centre.
I have lived in the Chamonix valley between 1999 and 2010 with my family and work throughout the European Alps summer and winter, climbing and skiing. We have now moved back to the UK which is where is where the Alpineadventures officeis run from. We really look forward to working with you in the mountains.
I first visited the Alps at the age of 17 and immediately fell in love with the mountains. Since then I have taken every opportunity to climb and in 2003 I quit my career in the British Army to spend more time in the mountains.
Over the years I have climbed around the world from the frozen mountains of the Antarctic to the giants of the Himalayas and quite a few places in between. Achievements have included summitting Mount Everest, making first ascents on South Georgia, and climbing numerous Alpine test-pieces including the North Faces of the Eiger, Matterhorn and Grandes Jorasses. Equally at home on rock, ice, mixed or on skis, I just enjoy being in the mountains.
I am based in Chamonix in the French Alps and hope I can share my passion for the mountains with you.
I live in the Chamonix valley and Guide throughout the Alps. For the past 20yrs I have climbed and worked in the mountains both in the UK and further afield.
Whilst in the Alps I specialise in 1:1 guiding with an emphasis on clients looking to climb challenging and technical routes. I recently made a rare British guided ascent of the North Face of the Dru. In the UK I am a director of Peak Mountain Training, a company specialising in the delivery of National Governing Body awards and continued professional development in mountaineering. I also deliver BMC "FUNdamentals" climbing workshops, being only one of four coaches approved to do this by the BMC.
In the past I worked at Plas Y Brenin as a MIC and Senior instructor (10yrs) as well as a spell at the BMC working as the "youth development" officer.
My climbing adventures have taken me throughout Europe to Greenland, Canada, America and Patagonia. One of the highlights of these adventures being an ascent of the "Compressor Route" on Cerro Torre.
I'm an IFMGA British Mountain Guide, originally from Aviemore and brought up on a good dose of Cairngorm skiing and Scottish winter climbing. Now I'm based all year round in Chamonix guiding all over the Alps in off-piste skiing, ski-touring and summer alpinism from this perfect central base. In particular, I enjoy exploring these mountains each winter on my skis looking for great descents!
Jonny's passion for the mountains started where he grew up - the West Coast of Scotland - and probably about the same time too! His youth was spent rock climbing in Glen Coe and Glen Nevis and also on the great ice climbs of Ben Nevis. His love for alpinism and skiing has taken him to the European Alps and onwards and upwards to adventures in the Tien Shan, Pervian Andes ,Greenland, Canadian Rockies, New Zealand and Australia.
Jonny now lives in the village of Servoz, very close to the fine peaks of the Mont Blanc Massif, just 10 minutes from Chamonix town centre. Jonny is keen to share his passion and knowledge of the mountains with you, and to make it fun - whether it's skiing, ski mountaineering, rock climbing, alpine climbing or winter alpinism - you are sure to find him happy just by being in the mountains. Catch him while you can, in his continuing thirst for adventure and fun, Jonny doesn't waste a minute of time. When he's not working he will be skiing in the powder, away climbing one of the icy north faces of the alps or most likely enjoying sport climbing in a sunny spot with friends in one of the many superb venues in the area.
Mountain guide Willie Todd has been climbing and skiing in the Alps for more than 20 years, and now lives with his family in the Chamonix valley. Equally at home on skis, on rock and ice or flying his paraglider, he has done many new climbs on rock and ice and has worked both at Glenmore Lodge in Scotland and for the Scottish Avalanche Information Service.
During the summer Willie spends his time taking clients up the alpine peaks and running training courses for beginner alpinists. In the winter, although he continues to climb, his work becomes more ski based, taking groups of skiers off-piste skiing and ski-touring.
I am a British Mountain guide with many years Alpine experience. Available year round for: Alpine mountaineering, Ice climbing, Ski-touring - introductory / multi-day trips, Off piste - ski the Vallee Blanche.