Students on this summer’s Jonathan Conville Memorial Trust alpine mountaineering courses will have the opportunity to get involved with some academic research.

Gill Pomfret, senior lecturer and researcher in tourism at Sheffield Hallam University, will be interviewing some of the students to develop a better understanding of their motivation for attending the courses.

Gill says that 'although quite a lot of academic research has been done on mountaineers in a recreational setting, work on people attending adventure holidays or mountaineering course is more limited.' Gill's research will focus on how people’s personalities and lifestyles influence their decision to choose such courses. Her research will also examine people’s emotional states.

Gill suggests that 'because of the many challenges and potential risks involved in mountaineering, people experience contrasting emotional peaks and troughs during their involvement. It will be really interesting to explore this theme with the students on the Jonathan Conville Memorial Trust courses.'

Gill will be based in the Chamonix region from 13th July to 3rd August and interviewing willing volunteers.

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