Mountain Clients

On the 27 June, 2002, I received an email from Graham McMahon MIC/ BMG, a recently qualified  UIAGM guide in response to the Frequently Asked Questions page: ‘As a Plas y Brenin instructor (who is doing quite nicely from the £450,000 yearly being pumped into PyB by the Government to sustain the centre on the open market – otherwise it would fail)  I found your description of the guiding profession rather misleading. I can only assume you have had some terribly bad luck (I know parents of dead BMG clients who certainly have) with your contacts within guiding or you are a sad old man with a chip on his shoulder.’ Which is far better than being a ‘sad climber’ who actually believes; that his association is competent in  – all aspects of clients care when it blatently isn’t.

A sad old man, for wanting the avoidable deaths to BMG clients due to basic errors by BMG guides (who almost to a man have survived) to stop.!  Certainly, there are a growing number of ‘sad old men and women’ parents (who have lost a son or daughter, clients of BMG guides who have many unanswered questions to put to the likes of Graham McMahon) who are reaching old age having lost not only a child, but the prospects of any grand children to an organisation that still advertises that its members are – competent in all aspects of client care.? When some of its members are blatently – not.

That the above attitude towards the relatives of lost BMG clients, still prevails, (in 2010 Jon de Montjoye UIAGM actually beleives it is completely barking to want to stop deaths to paying clients) beggars belief.  If there are any – sad men (and I include Mr McMahon and de Montjoye), it is those BMG guides who to date (2010) have still refused, are still refusing to acknowledge; appologise for their actions and attitude to mountain clients and their relatives…

Q)  Dennis are you a member of the BMG/UIAGM?

A) No, like Mal Duff (who had few peer’s) I am not happy with the BMG/UIAGM set-up. Like him I would not join them. Far too many (there should not any) clients being killed in avoidable guided, climbing accidents, families then being left to sort out; live with the aftermath.

Q) “Is that you Dennis, the – geezer – remember me from Chamonix – Steve Rock. Great days on Mont Blanc. I am married now with kids…”

A) “Hi Steve, of course I remember you…” Yes, all the clients are still around bringing up families now…

Q) I know you have never ‘lost’ anyone, any injuries to clients?

A) Two broken ankles. Never jump across a crevasse whilst wearing crampons still wearing your rucksack. We were throwing rucksacks across a wide crevasse (on a retieval line) when one client took a running jump (not thinking) carmponed feet came to a dead-stop whilst weight of the sack carried on forwards… It happened on two occasions before I could stop them.