JCMT Returns to the Mountains in 2022
2020 and 2021 were a difficult and turbulant time for many and they certainly were here at the Trust. Like so many, our meetings went onto Zoom and our courses stopped running for the first time in decades. But we’re pleased to say that in 2022, we were able to return to a more normal programme; once again helping young people from the UK to develop their skill and to access the mountains safely.
Photo: Course Attendee Logan Thomson
In Spring, we ran our Alpine Preparation Courses in North Wales, with an expert team of British Mountain Guides instructing 24 young people in the basics of alpine ropework and emergency techniques. These courses, a relatively new introduction for the Trust, have proved very popular and are an excellent stepping stone from the UK to the Alps.
Applications for our 2023 Alpine Preparation Courses, due to take place in April and May next year, are now open. You can learn more about them and submit an application here.
Photo: Course Attendee Ben Matthews
The core part of the Trust’s offering has always been our Summer Alpine Course and it was a cause for huge celebration among the trustees to see this course back up and running in 2022. The Summer Alpine Programme is the first course that the Trust ever offered and it remains the primary focus of our work.
Despite the challenging conditions that came to the mountains this summer, 106 students safely completed the course under the outstanding guidance of our new partners at Peak Mountain Training.
The feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive and speaks, not just to the quality of instruction, but to the deep impact that our courses can have in the lives of young people, opening up new horizons of possibility for them.
Applications for our 2023 Alpine Courses, scheduled for next June and July, are now open. Learn more and submit an application here.
In 2023 we expect to run a full programme for the first time in several years with places already allocated for our Scottish Winter Courses. As every year, participants will pay just 50% of the course cost on all of our courses, with the Trust providing the other 50%. This is our way of ensuring that as many young people as possible can access the essential tuition they need to stay safe in the mountains.
This vital work can only continue with the generous contributions of our supporters. We are extremely grateful to everyone who has given money to the Trust over the past 12 months. Your donations go directly to the Trust’s core work of providing mountain safety courses. If you’d like to make a one-off or recurring donation, no matter the size, you can do so any time via our Donations Page.
Many thanks again for your support in 2022. We are eagerly looking forward to what 2023 has in store as our courses return fully to Scotland, North Wales and the Alps.
See you on the hill!
