Steve Long, IFMGA Mountain Guide and Head of the UIAA Training Panel

“the Jonathan Conville Memorial Trust courses have contributed more for British mountaineering than any other organisation or institution.”

Steve Long, IFMGA Mountain Guide and Head of the UIAA Training Panel

Izzy, Alpine Prep Course 2023

“All of the instructors were so inspiring and I learnt so much from them about all aspects of becoming an alpinist. It was also lovely to meet so many like-minded people from across the UK and extra nice to meet a new climbing partner in London!”

Izzy, Alpine Prep Course 2023

Billy, Scottish Winter Course 2019

“Thank you so much for the two most exciting and educational days I have had in the mountains! Without this course I wouldn’t be able to afford the tuition required to safely begin my own winter adventures. Richard and Di had such a wealth of knowledge and experience to share and were excellent instructors. A massive thank you to all involved, especially Craggan Outdoors for facilitating the course and the JCMT for providing me with the opportunity. See you in the mountains!”

Billy, Scottish Winter Course 2019

Emma, Scottish Winter Course 2019

“Thanks so much for running this course. I feel like I am a lot less nervous about snowy conditions as I was before, and having a taste for Scottish winter with super amazing guides, gave me lots more confidence in the hills. Seeing the Scottish blue skies in the highlands was also something I always thought I wouldn’t see for a good while. Thanks again.”

Emma, Scottish Winter Course 2019

James Iddon, Scottish Winter and Alpine Courses 2019

“I attended the Scottish winter and Chamonix Alpine courses in 2019. I wanted to give some feedback as I really appreciate the courses and how they changed my climbing.

Scottish winter course: My guide was Di Gilbert, the lovely Scottish lady who was extremely friendly, knowledgeable and a lot of fun to be in the mountains with. It was only when she gave a talk on her Himalayan adventures on the last evening that I found out she is also a complete badass! I learned a lot during the course: how to navigate in white out conditions (which we had), how to move in crampons, self arrest, route planning and route choice. I met some good friends who I later saw again on the same alpine course as me and climbed together with after that. I felt a lot more competent in the mountains after the course. I didn’t get any Scottish mountaineering done as soon after the course I moved to Geneva.

Alpine Course: My guide was Niel who was very knowledgeable and competent. I was in a group of three guided by him. One of the group is a close friend I had climbed with before the course. We learned a whole lot and after the course I stayed in Chamonix for a week climbing Cosmiques and Arete de la Table with course mates. I really felt like the course was like a driving test – once you are done with it you feel able to go out into the mountains safely but you really start learning once you are free to roam. I was very happy to climb with people with the same knowledge. Over the summer I climbed Rebuffat-baquet and the south west face of Dent du Geant as well as several other smaller (mostly rock routes). Every trip was brilliant and without serious incident.

I am immensely grateful for the two courses and I feel like my climbing / mountaineering has developed massively in the past year. The skills I learned on the courses have really opened up the mountains for me and I’m so happy that I can even look at a peak like Dent du Geant and think I am able to attempt it safely with my friends.

Thanks a lot.”

James Iddon, Scottish Winter and Alpine Courses 2019

Anonymous; Summer Alpine Course 2017

“I really enjoyed the course, and the expense of doing it without the supplements would have stopped me hiring a guide. Without the backing of the course I wouldn’t have gained the skills I had. I feel so much more confident to explore on my own, and know what I can, and more importantly can’t do.

Anonymous, Summer Alpine Course 2017