About Us

Find out more about the instructors at Alpha Mountaineering

Alpha Mountaineering is a mountaineering company based in the Scottish Highlands. Most of the instructing is done by me, Nick Carter, but occasionally if I am busy I will use other instructors.

On this page you will find out more about myself and the other instructors who might take you climbing when you book with Alpha Mountaineering.

Nick Carter has been climbing since the early 80's. He has instructed in the outdoors for the last 13 years including working for Plas Y Brenin (The National Mountain Centre for England and Wales) and Glenmore Lodge (Scotland's National Outdoor Training Centre).

Nick holds the Mountain Instructor Certificate (MIC). This is the UK’s highest level mountaineering qualification, which certifies the holder to teach all aspects of mountaineering, in both summer and winter, including rock climbing, scrambling and technical snow and ice climbing and winter mountaineering.

Nick has climbed extensively in the UK, France, Spain, Sardinia, Slovenia, Croatia, Peru, USA, Canada and New Zealand. As a keen winter climber Nick has made ascents up to grade VII in Scotland including the rarely repeated Fiddlers Nose in the North West Highlands. He has put up new routes in the Peruvian Andes and the Khumbu region of Nepal.
He has also led expeditions to Nepal, the Kyrgyz Tien Shan, Aconcagua, Kilimanjaro and Mt Kenya.

He lives with his wife Amy in Inverness and is out climbing on a regular basis.

Mike Brownlow is an experienced Mountain Instructor who also holds the Mountain Instructor Certificate (MIC). He has instructed and guided on the scottish hills for 10 years and has worked for Glenmore Lodge (Scotland's National Outdoor Training Centre).

Mike has gained much experience from his regular alpine trips including recently an ascent of the Walker Spur on the North face of the Grandes Jorasses. He has ticked many Canadian ice climbs including Polar Circus in the Rockies.
He has also worked on trips to Krygyzstan and the East Coast of Greenland.

Andy Turner has been climbing for over 15 years. Andy bases himself in the Lake District in the summer and heads north to Scotland for the winter climbing season.

He excels on the hard Scottish winter mixed lines and has many hard ascents to his name including; a winter ascent of Sioux Wall (VIII,8) on Ben Nevis, Unicorn (VIII,8) in Glencoe and Cornucopia (VII,9) on Ben Nevis.
His desire to climb has also taken him to Patagonia where he succeeded on the Compressor Route on Cerro Torre. Andy also holds the Mountain Instructor Certificate.

Rob Jarvis has been instructing and guiding since 1998. Rob is an extremely enthusiastic summer and winter climber. He has climbed throughout the UK with some outstanding leads to his name including the classic Right Wall (E5 6a) on Dinas Cromlech in Wales and a solo of Orion Face (V,5) on Ben Nevis.

Rob has spent many seasons in the Alps and now has many classic Alpine routes under his belt including the North faces of Les Drus, Droites, and the Grande Jorasses. He has lead many expeditions to the greater ranges and is on the British Mountain Guide Training and Assessment scheme.
Rob also has his own guiding company called Highland Guides

Kevin Rutherford has climbed extensively in the UK, the Alps, Africa and Nepal over the last 18 years. He has worked as a freelance instructor in various outdoor centres in Scotland including Glenmore Lodge (Scotland's National Outdoor Training Centre).

He holds the Mountain Instructor Certificate (MIC) and is a full member of the Association of Mountaineering Instructors (AMI).
He also runs his own courses with Ecosse Mountains

Tim Blakemore has been walking and climbing since his teens and has a wealth of experience gained from both home and abroad including Antarctica, Asia, South, Central and North America, Africa as well as extensive experience throughout Europe and Scandinavia.

He is currently on the (IFMGA) British Mountain Guide Training and Assessment scheme and hopes to gain his full international carnet in 2009.
He also runs his own company called Northern Mountain Sport

All the instructors I use are qualified and experienced
at the appropriate level for the course they are running.