My job requires me to be diverse, ask questions, observe and try to find out just what my clients want even if they don’t realise it. With adults it is often easier as they have a real idea of what they want to get out of a day. Climb this route, lead that route or just consolidate skills.
Today I was working for the Brenin on a private rock course for two young lads. Whilst we went out climbing and taught them a little refinement to their technique and had fun. One of them was doing a project on Victorian Britian and we were stood climbing in one of the biggest relics of that period, the Slate Quarries.
It was a great opportunity to share with him the stories of how these quarries became to be owned by two people through the enclosures act. Then how those owners got involved in the Slave triangle, right the way through to one of the owners locking the gates of the quarries for two years in an attempt to employ his workers outside the new Health Act (the UK’s first HSE laws).
After we finished our climbing in the sun, we walked back and I took these two lads to a winding house which still have the break on it and ask them how they thought the device was made. Going on to explain that there was a blacksmith in LLanberis that made all of the components, right the way down to the nails. As there was no B&Q at the time. We then nipped down a tunnel with the railway still in place to get a view of Austrailia and they loved.
Education outside the classroom is a great thing to be involved in, even if it is only in a secondary role to the main climbing activity. That though is my job whether it is on a hill walking or at a crag climbing. There are parts of history, geology, geography or science that whilst not essential add to the days experience.
So whilst I was gutted to miss out on climbing the Moon on Yellow Wall today. I do have to pay my bills somehow!