I have spent the week teaching on a Plas y Brenin rock course, for their Fast Track instructor scheme. Having spent the Monday getting the group climbing in Dali’s Hole, and most of the group got a lead or two in on the easy sport routes there about’s. Most of them starting on the route that I was accused of bolting so my clients can ‘learn to lead’, well busted there I am afraid!
We also had a lovely chat to a Security Guard from the power station who said that we shouldn’t be there, which was funny, if a little painful, and involved a lot of biting of my tongue. Considering he asked me what I would do in the event of an accident, and how the Mountain Rescue Team, would get there. Interestingly he didn’t seem to like the answer that I gave him saying we’d just lift the gate of its hinges!
I had noticed a couple and their young child climbing, so when the guard came over I tried to keep him at the other end of the crag to them. As one of the arguments that the security guard has levelled at previous groups was that being there encouraged families to use the site. So just as the guard was about to leave, the inevitable happened and the baby started screaming, so we basically had to listen to him blame us for them being there as well. Despite the site appearing in several guidebook, magazines, and internet sites.
We had a great day though, in the sun. Which continued the next day at Upper Tier where we looked at the ropework required for the next three days. Where yet another fantastic day in the near spring sun. Andy Newton who was running a SPA training course for Manchester Metropolitian University was up there as well, some of his group I knew from an ML course I worked for Andy a few months back.
With the weather poor in the mountains then it was back to Tremadog again on wednesday, where my team of two climbers scaled Bobo, Obleron and top two pitches of One Step in the Clouds. Again you really shouldn’t get paid for this work, as it is criminally pleasant. A school day on Wednesday, kept me dry, although I did sneak in 30 routes at the beacon. Before I went back to Tremadog and my guys lead Christmas Curry and Yogi. Not a bad weeks work really.
I have scheduled this to be published when I am out teaching a Mountain Leader Refresher. If your interested in a climbing course then I offer private guiding/instruction when I am not freelancing for places like Plas Y Brenin, via this website.
