“Next summer I’m going to stay home,” she said when we last spoke.
Just a month ago — the exact week before her departure — she was guiding for us,
using it as acclimatisation for this very expedition. 🏔️
In February, she supported me after an avalanche incident —
we had been guiding together for a week,
and were already looking forward to another shared guiding week this coming winter. ❄️
Now she’s gone.
Thank you, Laura —
for the strength,
the humility,
the moments. 🤍
† 28.07.2025
Laila Peak, Pakistan
#inmemoriam #lauradahlmeier #lailapeak #karakorum
Thanks @vincenzodas from @mountain.frame for helping me with this tribute video.
🎥 Video recordings:
› @laura_dahlmeier and her last guided guest @franklehouck also a personal friend, summited Dufourspitze successfully, just two days before she flew to Pakistan. ⛰️
› Thanks to the cooperation between @almisberghotelwipptal , @wipptal , and @berggids , I got to share a touring week with Laura this past winter —
a rare moment from a life of potential, now held as memory.
Leadership is often mistaken for title, confidence, or experience 👀
But in real teams, effective leadership only emerges when three elements align:
⚡ Competence — the ability to lead
🔥 Motivation — the willingness to lead
🧭 Power — the legitimacy to lead
That idea became the Leadership Venn.
Built from years in the mountains, guiding groups, observing teams, and seeing leadership appear exactly when it was needed ⛰️
Which of these three do you see missing most often in teams? 🤔👇
If you’d like to read the full article, send me a message 📩
#leadership #teamdynamics #personaldevelopment #alpinemomentum #mountains #teamwork #growth #mindset #leadershipdevelopment
⁉️ Looking for a (team) challenge?
⛰️ This is more than a summit. This is a movement. And you’re invited to be part of it!
From 4 to 6 September 2026, we invite you to join ASCENT Summits – Climb for Climate.
An alpine challenge with a clear mission: to connect the spirit of mountaineering with the urgency of our time.
A true call to action.
👉 To face the biggest challenges of our generation
👉 And to raise funds for changemakers in climate action
This time, we are climbing for Go Forest. For every participant, we donate €150 to the reforestation projects of Sarah Parent and her team.
During Climb for Climate:
⛰️ you will climb the Strahlhorn (4,106 m)
⛰️ you will experience climate change up close
⛰️ you will discover Europe’s highest mountains in an unforgettable way
⛰️ you will take part in unique glacier workshops
⛰️ you will strengthen your network with purpose-driven professionals
⛰️ you will increase your impact by activating your own network
❓ Want to join our rope team?
Slide in our dm's. Or visit the website (link in bio), download the brochure and register via the contact form.
#alpinism #mountaineering #switserland🇨🇭 #fundraiser #climatechange
“Am I fit enough to climb a 4000-meter peak?”
“Do I even have the skills for that?”
It’s the question we hear most.
And the answer is simple: yes.
Not because it’s easy.
But because we prepare you properly.
The Strahlhorn (4190 m) is a beginner-friendly 4000-meter peak, the perfect mountain for your first high-altitude ascent and to get the full glacier experience.
And you won’t do it alone.
At ASCENT, we make sure you arrive ready:
🏔UIAGM-certified mountain guides leading you all the way
🏔Adequate acclimatization built into the program
🏔1 day of glacier training before summit day
🏔Physical testing 4 months in advance
🏔A 4-month coaching program to prepare your body and endurance with @_sofie_lenaerts_ Vertical Horizons
Because climbing a mountain is not always about being an elite athlete.
But it is always about preparation, guidance, and the courage to take the first step.
🏔️ Ready to make your summit with ASCENT?
#ASCENT #LeadershipExpedition #Leadership #Coaching #personalgrowth #Mountaineering #Alpinism #Strahlhorn
Još jedan osvrt na stručni seminar „Vodič za vodiče” – Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
U periodu od 23. do 25. januara 2026. godine okupili su se UIAA vodiči i planinari u procesu licenciranja, sa jasnim ciljem da dodatno unaprede svoje znanje, profesionalne standarde i pristup vođenju grupa u planinskom okruženju.
Kroz razmenu iskustava i stručne diskusije još jednom je potvrđeno da je kontinuirano usavršavanje temelj odgovornog i bezbednog rada na terenu.
Hvala još jednom svima na ukazanom poverenju.
Hvala puno @serbiatourism na pomoći i podršci!
🎥 by @luka_foto
When you climb, something shifts.
Not only your perception
but how you function.
At altitude, oxygen thins. Blood flow adjusts. Awareness heightens. Distractions fall away.
Cold awakens dormant systems. Stress rewires attention. Your mind narrows to what truly matters.
You breathe differently.
You think differently.
You decide differently.
That’s why climbing creates:
• Deep clarity
• Emotional steadiness
• Sharp judgment
• Better focus
Mountains don’t just inspire. They activate!
At ASCENT, we don’t manufacture challenge in a meeting room.
We step into it, in thin air, tied to eachother.
Because growth doesn’t happen in comfort.
It happens above it.
Are you ready to rise with us?
#ASCENT #Leadership #Mountaineering #Alpinism #ClimateLeadership #Transformation #climbing #personalgrowth
NL 🇳🇱
Hoe gaan professionele berggidsen om met lawinegevaar? ❄️
Niet met snelle antwoorden, maar met terreinlezen, sneeuwdekanalyse en doordachte beslissingen. Soms betekent dat ook: omdraaien.
In ons nieuwste artikel delen we hoe professionele gidsen risico’s inschatten en veiligheid centraal zetten in de backcountry.
👉 vraag via berichtje naar link naar volledig artikel
EN 🇬🇧
How do professional mountain guides deal with avalanche risk? ❄️
Not with quick answers, but through terrain assessment, snowpack analysis and thoughtful decision-making. Sometimes that also means turning back.
In our latest article, we share how professional guides assess risk and keep safety at the core of every backcountry decision.
👉 request link to full article via message
#avalancheawareness #mountainguide #berggids #berggidsbe #skitouring #mountainsafety #snowpack #professionalguide #lawinegevaar #berggids #backcountry #skitouren #wintergebergte #bergveiligheid #lawinekennis #professionelegids
📷 @vincenzodas@raphael.jaeger
What’s after the exit?
Not of the ski lift 🚡
but of a big chapter.
Up? Down?
Or a pause before the next line ⛰️
Often clarity doesn’t come from pushing harder —
but from changing pace and sitting with a few good coaching questions.
#coaching
#betweenchapters
#changepace
@berggids
Jef Verstraeten is a certified UIAGM mountain guide, founder and owner of the travel company berggids.be, as well as a business coach and consultant in the travel and sports industry.
He is passionate about personal growth and believes in learning through experience.
With alpine-momentum.com, Jef uses the mountains as a powerful tool to create impactful and sustainable learning experiences, guiding individuals and teams to new heights—both physically and mentally.
His unique approach combines adventure, leadership, and personal development, always aiming to bridge the gap between theory and practice and to unlock potential in ways that traditional learning environments cannot.
#leadership #transition #transformation #transitionleadership #learning #coaching #experientiallearing #mountaineering #alpinism #climbing
