About us

Summitreks Ltd

Summitreks is in it's twenty fifth year in the outdoor retail industry.  Ron Rutland and Hilary Mills opened their first Summitreks store in Coniston in 1987, they then went on to open two more stores one in Hawkshead and one in Ambleside. They also run a very successful outdoor activites business Summitreks Activities Services.

Ron and Hilary have always been keen walkers, climbers and skiers. This love of the outdoors has taken them all over the world with Ron making several expedition to climb Everest, Shishapangma in south central Tibet and Manaslu.

LATEST NEWS

LATEST NEWS- 31st January 2012

Yes we are back into full winter again, here is a taste of the lake district at the moment, I took this yesterday as I headed towards Coniston and there is plenty of snow across all the mountains in the lakes. It is an ideal time to brush up on your winter skills click here for more information on our Winter courses.

Old Man Coniston 30-1-2012

30th December 2011

Mountain Leader Courses

Mountain Leader Training Course

Dates: 19th - 24th August 2012

Cost: £440.00 per person inclusive (Based at Helvellyn Youth Hostel, near Glenridding, Ullswater).

Mountain Leader Training Course
The Mountain Leader Award (ML) was established to promote the safe enjoyment of the hills and mountains. The scheme provides training and assessment in the technical and group management skills required by those who wish to lead groups in the mountains, hills and moorlands of the United Kingdom and Ireland, other than in winter conditions. It is also a course that will improve the skills of any hill walker who wishes to extend their mountain walking in the UK.
In order to partake in the Mountain Leader Training course it is mandatory that you register on the ML scheme.  To register you should have at least twelve months experience of hill walking and have completed at least 20 quality mountain days. You must also have an interest in leadership of groups in the hills and be at least eighteen years of age.
The six day fully residential mountain Leader training course is provided by Adele Pennington. Mountaineering will be based at Helvellyn Youth Hostel in the Lake District. Adele will be working on all the courses and wishes to encourage female participants in the award scheme. The realisation that map and rope dyslexia can be overcome with specific teaching styles and being a Mountain Leader is not a macho pastime enables candidates to relax and learn new skills.   During the course Adele will concentrate on delivering the syllabus for ML trainees set out by the UKMLTB as well as exploring methods of personal management to maximize your performance and efficiency in the hills. Adele has over fifteen years experience of working on ML courses and together with her twenty five years of Mountaineering and Leadership has a host of top tips for prospective Mountain Leaders.
Course Programme
Day 1: 9.30am Course registration and Introduction to the Award Scheme.
Introduction to Mountain Navigation
Day 2: Management of groups in a mountain environment. Route finding in the hills and assessment of mountain terrain.
Day 3: Use of the rope for Mountain Leaders.
Day 4: Risk Assessment, Dealing with Water Hazards; Mountain rescue and incident management.
Preparation for the two day remote camping expedition.
Day: 5 and 6 A two day one night remote camping expedition covering aspects of the syllabus already covered night navigation and camp craft.
Day 6: At the end of the expedition there will be a course debriefing session for the group and individuals to ensure every candidate knows how to progress with the scheme.

Evening sessions will take place on most evenings to cover:

Mountain Weather

Leadership and legal issues faced by Mountain Leader

Conservation and Access

This is an exemplarily programme and may be changed to suit the weather conditions.
If you wish to discuss this course with Adele please E-mail climb@adele-pennington.co.uk or ring 07968983146
Bookings for this course will be handled by Summitreks 015394 41092

or e-mail info@summitreks.co.uk 

For Adele's website CLICK HERE

To book on line: CLICK HERE
In order to reserve a place on this course a £52 deposit will be required:
After paying a deposit you will receive a detailed course programme and equipment list for the course.

Adele Pennington in Norway

October 22nd 2011

WINTER SKILLS FOR THE HILLS AND WINTER MOUNTAINEERING COURSES

Last Winter was excellent with great snow conditions on the high fells throughout the winter months. Our courses proved very popular and we strongly recommend advance booking to ensure you secure places. The Winter Skills For The Hills course focuses on basic winter walking skills while the Winter Mountaineering course introduces you to more advanced techniques needed to cope safely with steeper ground and mountaineering routes. Dealing with mountain hazards eg. avalanche assessment, survival skills and winter navigation are covered on both courses.The course Director is Ron Rutland MIC and Paddy Cave MIC will be the Senior Instructor.For more information Click Here

June 15th 2011-Makalu

We are all safely home now after a very intense expedition to Makalu. There were seven climbers and three made it to the summit. I unfortunately contracted some form of respiratory infection and was left with no alternative at 7,200m to turn round and descend to advanced base camp. The weather and subsequent timing left no opportunity for a second summit attempt.

Equipment wise I used Leki poles thoughout, Falke and Odlo Base layers and mid layers. My shell fleece was Sprayway. Walk in boots Scarpa and Salomon. All were fantastic all these are available at Summitreks stores. For advice if you are going to the Himalayas or any big hills contact me.   Ron Rutland

Friday 20th May

Difficulties in communications have led to a delay in confirming the news that Adele Pennington is one of the 3 out of 7 expedition members to summit on 17th May at 11.25 local time. Adele is the only woman and only Brit -a tremendous achievement.  It was a long summit day of 19 hours before returning to C4 and then making their way down the mountain over the last couple of days.

Ron had to turn back from C3 with a recurring chest infection - making breathing at that altitude difficult, even with the use of supplementary oxygen. A fine effort - and to the other 3 team members who had to make the difficult decision to turn back after such hard work and commitment.

The team are all back in ABC now and preparing for the Nepalese porters to arrive over the weekend to begin the long trek back to Tumlingtar, and a flight to Kathmandu.

Saturday 14th May

It seems that a 5 day weather window is in place to allow a summit bid with Tuesday 17th a possible summit day. After that, heavy snows are forecast which will make the route unsafe until time for it to consolidate - this may lead to the expedition running out of time.  So, fingers crossed, the weather will hold for the next few days. 

The team leaves early today for C2, then back up to C3 on Sunday.  Monday 16th May should see them spending the night at C4, 7,600m.  Here tent platforms are cut into the slopes perched on a serac band, to give protection from avalanches from the slopes above. This is the only feasible resting spot before the summit, but makes for a long summit day in the region of 16 hours.

A steep ice band is traversed and then a huge snow ramp leads to a heavily crevassed plateau. This is crossed to the base of the French Couloir, a 300m high gully bounded by granite buttresses, and the key to reaching the summit ridge. This flattish shoulder of ice is extremely exposed - with summit towers to negotiate - before reaching the small summit area at 8,463m.

A huge challenge with fewer than 10 British ascents.  We wish them luck and good weather. 

Thursday 12th May

All well with the team at ABC and waiting for a weather slot to allow them to set off on a summit bid. Progress above the Makalu La is very weather dependant. The jet stream winds can scream across the La, dipping temperatures to well below minus 30 degrees and can destroy any camps that have been established.

The expedition will use 2 more camps above the La - 7,400m and C4 at 7,600m - from where they will push for the Summit, the fifth highest point on the planet! 

 Saturday 7th May

With oxygen masks and regulators tested, it's time to move higher up the mountain. Today the team left early for C2. After an overnight they will attempt to reach the Makalu La, the border with Tibet at 7,400m - then back to C2 and back down to ABC on Monday. At this point they should be looking for a weather window and a summit bid slot mid May.

Saturday 30th April

Saturday 30th April - and back up to C1. This time the climb should be completed in a shorter time as they become acclimatised to the altitude. After sleeping at C1 tonight they will leave for C2 on Sunday. Tucked under a serac band at 6,670m, C2 has fantastic views of Everest, Lhotse and Baruntse. On Monday they hope to explore the route to C3 on the Makalu La. This is one of the most technical sections of climbing Makalu. It involves movement over rocks covered in ice and snow to an angle of 50 degrees as well as snowfields subject to avalanche danger and sections of blue ice.

After returning to C2 for an overnight on Monday they should return to ABC on Tuesday 3rd May.

Ron descending down the fixed ropes back to ABC.

Friday 29th April
Back at ABC after spending 2 nights at C1 - an interesting route with a steep 150m section of blue ice and complex area of wide, open crevasses and snow bridges. On the second night they had 18" of snow which saw the team digging out tents and clearing fixed ropes of snow before descending back to the glacier and ABC.

Monday 25th April

After 6 days at Advance Base Camp (5,740m) the team leave for Camp 1 at 6,440m. The last few days have been spent resting, checking gear and acclimatizing to the altitude by way of forays into the surrounding mountains. On Saturday they climbed to 6,200m in preparation for today’s move up to C1.

A. Pennington between ABC and C1

Ron reports on a welcome change in the weather to a period of stability – although still very cold. On the north side of the mountain severe temperatures are to be expected.
He has used his FALKE ‘Princeton’ jacket up to 6,100m and comments on its impressive warmth in relation to lightweight comfort. His SPRAYWAY Softshell is also performing well, as a layer in the cold conditions.
They expect to spend 2 or 3 days at C1 with forays up the steep ice sections to C2 (6,670M) before returning to ABC.

Moving on to the glacier, Ron Rutland top right.

Tuesday April 12th
The team are on their way to Yangri Kharka today, descending through rhododendron forests to the Barun Nadi river followed by a gentle ascent to their evening camp at 3,610m.
They left Kathmandu on April 5th with a short flight to Tumlingtar at 400m. The planned jeep ride to their first camp at Chichila, 1,850m, turned into a 2 hour walk when the jeeps became stuck in mud. Since then the trek has taken them into the Makalu National Park, culminating in a climb to 4,200m and over the Shipton La.
Weather en route has been fairly good but evening thunderstorms have been a feature. Ron is trekking in Salomon Fastpacker Mid boots - lightweight with ankle support and a goretex membrane for dry feet, crucial on a multi-day trek, to find out more about the Salomon men's and ladies Fastpacker Mid GTX boots Click Here. Great reports from him on these - as well as his Leki Carbon poles to find out more about Leki Carbon poles Click Here.
Not far to low base camp now at 4,800m - 4,400m of height gained since the start of the trek - to be rewarded with views of the mighty pyramid of Makalu at 8,463M. Here the team will rest and acclimatise - more reports from there - watch this space!

March 2011

At the end of March Summitrek's Operations Director Ron Rutland will join an expedition to climb Makalu8,463m.Makalu is the 5th highest peak in the world and a harder challenge than Everest. Less than 10 British climbers have summited Makalu which is situated on the Tibetan border to the East of Everest. Further updates will be posted on this website.