The Haute Route expedition 2004

St. Modwen Properties PLC specialises in Regeneration, Devlopment and Active Propoertty Management, currently managing over 120 developments throughout England and Wales. St. Modwen has always followed a broad based strategy that aims to have a high level presence in a number of sectors. The company has therefore developed retail parks, in town retail schemes, office parks and industrial estates all of high quality and can switch resources between these sectors as market conditions change or opportunities arise. It has also developed a special expertise in housing land development which enables it to produce and market serviced housing land for the house-building community.

Over 98% of all the money raised by the Kids Kidney Appeal supports vital kidney research for babies and children at the Institute of Child Health and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children. To sponsor the team in their efforts to raise funds for the Kids Kidney Appeal, click [here] or send an email to sponsor@lahauteroute.co.uk.

Hammonds is a leading commercial law firm with offices throughout the UK, Europe and in Asia. The company employs nearly 2000 people, working out of 15 offices in 7 countries. Whilst ranked amongst the largest 100 law firms globally, Hammonds aim to provide their legal services in a way which is business sector focused, commercial and friendly. Hammonds' lawyers approach the provision of legal services on that basis of playing a key role in the successful development of their clients' businesses

The Change Partnership provide a range of highly effective leadership, development and coaching services. Coaches are seasoned professionals who understand through first-hand experience how business works at the highest levels. The Change Partnership supports over 500 organisations across the world, coaching CEOs, CFOs, COOs and other senior executives.

ProLogis Developments Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of ProLogis Trust, based in Maryland USA with a capitalisation in excess of $7 billion on the US stock exchange and a portfolio of 200 million sq ft worldwide. It is the world's leading provider of distribution facilities and services, operates in over 70 markets and has created a distribution network that serves some of the world's largest manufacturers, retailers and third party logistic companies.

Lecote are corporate and commercial lawyers generally with an emphasis on electronic communication law including Internet, New Media, SMS and 3G, IT, Data Transfer and Corporate &Commercial. Lecote advise on all Commercial Agreements, including drafting & negotiating, Commercial Contracts, Service Level Agreements, Terms & Conditions of Business, Software Licences, Network Provision Agreements, Website & Mobile Communications Agreements, Internet Terms & Conditions, Joint Ventures and Company Acquisitions & Sales.

KPMG is one of the leading providers of assurance, tax and legal, and financial advisory services. With a global approach to service delivery, KPMG responds to clients' complex business challenges with services that span industry sectors and national boundaries. KPMG was formed in 1987 with the merger of Peat Marwick International (PMI) and Klynveld Main Goerdeler (KMG) and their individual member firms. After completing what was the accounting profession's first mega-merger, KPMG has taken a number of innovative steps to transform the professional services industry.

Aggregate Industries plc is the UK based international aggregates and building materials group with leading regional market positions in the UK and the US. In the UK it is the fourth largest aggregates producer, the second largest asphalt producer, the fifth largest ready-mixed concrete producer, a leading manufacturer of precast concrete products, and a major sufacing contractor.In the US, the Group is the seventh largest aggregates producer and the fifth largest producer of ready-mixed concrete in what is still a fragmented industry.

iOG, a wholly owned subsidiary of Property Fund Management plc, is an independent focused asset manager of industrial property across Europe. Today, iOG operates from its head office in London, regional offices in Birmingham and Edinburgh, and mainland European offices in Amsterdam, Berlin, Madrid and Paris. iOG is a specialist in the formation and management of collective investment vehicles, operating in both the UK and wider continental European industrial investment markets.

Annington became one of the largest private owners of residential property in the United Kingdom following its purchase of more than 57,000 homes from the Ministry of Defence in November 1996. These homes are referred to as the Married Quarters Estate, used by the Ministry of Defence to accommodate service families throughout England and Wales. As a result, Annington owns all types of properties from two bedroom flats to eight bedroom houses in all areas from Cumbria to Cornwall and South Wales to Suffolk.

The Leicester Regeneration Company is working to promote the redevelopment of areas in Leicester. Its mission is to improve the image and environment of the city, and to further its economic prosperity. The company was set up in April 2001 in response to the government’s Urban White Paper. It is one of nine Urban Regeneration Companies in the UK. The LRC is a not-for-profit company, funded by Leicester City Council, East Midlands Development Agency and English Partnerships. These influential partners can use their powers to help Leicester’s regeneration plans succeed. Already the LRC have helped to make several development projects happen.

Lloyds TSB Group plc is a United Kingdom-based financial services group whose businesses provide banking and financial services in the United Kingdom and overseas. The operations of the Company in the United Kingdom are conducted through approximately 2,200 branches of Lloyds TSB Bank, Lloyds TSB Scotland plc and Cheltenham & Gloucester plc. International business is conducted mainly in the Americas, New Zealand and continental Europe.

Wates, founded in 1897 is one of the UK's largest, privately owned construction and development companies. Still very much a family-owned business, the company employs in excess of 1500 people throughout a national network of eleven delivery centres, providing specialist product and service delivery to its customers. Over the years Wates has extended its building and construction expertise to include many specialised construction services. To take a look at areas of expertise and to see the breadth of Wates' capabilities, click [here].

BAA Lynton plc is a wholly-owned subsidiary, and the commercial property arm of BAA plc, the world's leading airport operator. In the UK, BAA owns Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Southampton, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen airports. BAA Lynton continues to consolidate its position as the world’s leading developer of airport-related properties, building up an increasingly impressive record in its three principal product areas: offices, air freight warehouses, and hotels.

Capital Radio's core business is the operation of radio stations, and it is the largest commercial broadcaster in the UK in terms of revenue and profit. The company began broadcasting in London in 1973, when it became one of the first two licensed commercial stations on air. It has expanded by acquisition to operate 22 stations in London, Birmingham, Cardiff, Oxford, Kent, Sussex, Hampshire, the North East, the North West, the East Midlands and Central Scotland and now broadcasts to over half of the UK's adult population.

Barclays PLC is an international financial services group engaged primarily in banking, investment banking and asset management. The Company operates through branches, offices and subsidiaries in the United Kingdom and overseas. Barclays operates in many other countries worldwide and is a provider of coordinated global services to multinational corporations and financial institutions in the world's main financial centers. Worldwide, the Company has 2,579 branches.

Pinsents is a leading corporate law firm focused on sector-driven development in the UK and internationally. Our Chosen Markets strategy reflects the strength of our major company, institutional and public sector client base in those sectors. Our strategy ensures we meet clients' objectives through superior client service and a real understanding of their businesses and their marketplaces.

HammondsDirect is one of the UK's leading volume conveyancing firms. With over 300 personnel across two locations, HammondsDirect are currently completing on over 4,000 conveyancing cases every month.We attract these cases from a variety of channels including high street lenders, house builders and estate agents. Additionally our retail brand, legalmove, receives instructions direct from consumers.What makes the HammondsDirect service superior is our commitment to both our highly developed and award-winning technology and the tailoring of our service to our clients' individual requirements.

Formed in 1874, Aston Villa are the most successful of all of the West Midlands clubs - although a significant proportion of their silverware was claimed at the end of the nineteenth century. Villa Park became the club's home in 1897 - and over more than a century it has become the regular site of FA Cup semi-finals, hosted games at the 1966 World Cup and the 1996 European Championships, and staged the last ever European Cup Winners' Cup Final between Lazio and Real Mallorca. Villa have won both the League title and the FA Cup seven times, and the European Cup in 1982.

William Davis Ltd was founded in 1935 and remains a privately owned company in the property and construction industry. The company's activities encompass private homes, partnerships, properties, urban regeneration, land & planning and general contracting. This breadth of activity has been matched by a carefully planned growth in the company's geographical area of operation which now covers the whole of the East and West Midlands extending into South Yorkshire. Its headquarters, however, remain in Loughborough.

'I've just read about your forthcoming trip and I wanted to wish you luck. I have a one year old son, Josh, who was born with renal failure and spent a number of weeks in Great Ormond Street, so the Kid's Kidney Appeal is a charity very close to my heart. Thankfully, we managed to keep him away from dialysis and he's doing very well at the moment but will probably need a transplant by the time he's three. Good luck once again, I hope it all goes well!'
Emma Stevens'

Friday 9th April - Last day of the journey and the team have successfully reached Zermatt - latest news is that Thursday's stage included a rather unpleasant brush with an avalanche! Thankfully, everybody came out unscathed - check the home page for more info...

Langard Lifford Hall is a firm of accountants, established in 1964 which has grown to its present size through its ability to provide clients with the personal, professional service that they require. The firm now occupies Lifford Hall, a listed 16th Century building in Kings Norton, Birmingham which is convenient for the Midlands network of motorways. The company is a well established progressive accountancy practice, proud to have provided professional services to Clients for over 40 years, handling a wide variety from sole traders to multi-million national companies. We offer a wide range of services: IR35 advice, Corporate recovery, Auditing, VAT returns, Management accounts, Personal tax, Personal finance, Corporate tax, Administration of trusts and estates, Grant applications, Business plans and forecasts, Company secretarial services, Bureau payroll service, Visiting bookkeeping service, Stocktaking, Construction industry subcontractors scheme, Systems Advice, development and installation, Book keeping and Computerisation.