Darren McAulay – Mt. Vinson and South Pole, Antarctica with ALE

Darren McAulay – Mountain Guiding and Instruction Services:
In Nov 2008, I travelled to Antarctica to guide for Antarctica Logisitcs and Expeditions (ALE) and Adventure Network International. ALE is the only Company to provide travel logisitics and guiding services for climbing Mt. Vinson, skiing the Last Degree to the South Pole and many other exciting and challenging actvities in the Worlds greatest wilderness. I was fortunate to climb Mt. Vinson twice, in Nov and Jan 2009, ski guide a group of 5 clients to the South Pole and lead many other adventurous ski and climbing expeditions. I will return to Antarctica again this Nov for the ICE summer season.

Approaching High Camp on Mt. Vinson, Antarctica

Feb-Apr: The remaining (Northern Hemisphere) winter months I resided in Le Chazelet, La Grave in the Ecrins Alps, France. Great fun in the snow and learning to play on a speed riding paraglider (fast ski fun with a small wing). Have a look at :#mce_temp_url# &   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gJYqx8xtc4

Other winter activities including snowshoeing, ice climbing, ski touring and ski paragliding.

The Black Cuillin, Isle of Skye, Guiding: May-June 2009

I returned to the Isle of Skye, Scotland for the guiding season of May-June. Long daylight hours, good weather and lack of midges make these months the best to visit the Skye and the infamous Cuillin mountains and atmospheric sea cliffs. The Cuillin Munros all saw a few ascents with various groups and parties. Other notable climbs were made of the Inaccessible Pinnacle, Pinnacle Ridge, the Cioch, Dubh Ridge and the Basteir Tooth. The sea cliffs at Neist, Flodigarry and Elgol (Suidhe Biorach) also provided much entertainment – rock climbing in the sunshine! At the end of May a brief trip to the mainland was undertaken with a small group. We took the ferry in to Inverie, Knoydart – staying in the Torrie Shieling for 3 nights and ascending some of Scotlands most remote Munros – Ladhar Bheinn, Luinne Bheinn and Meall Buidhe.
When the sun shines on the Highlands and Islands there is no better place to be! But at the end of June it looked like rain so I headed south to the Alps…….

summit of Clach Glas, Isle of Skye