Busy Week for Snowdonia Mountain Guides

So this week I have been really busy with Snowdonia Mountain Guides. Most of the week I have been involved in delivering a Rapid Trad Climbing course for 6 people. This was very similar to many of our existing Intro To Trad or Lead Climbing Coaching courses but specially tailored to the specific needs of the group I was working with.

We had them lead climbing on day two as they have all had some climbing experience. We visited Lion Rock, Tremadog, Tryfan Bach, Castle Helen and then to finish we did a bit of sports climbing at Castle Inn. The guys climbed up to 6a on Sport and VS on trad.

 

On the Thursday though I had to step out from this course for a day, and after seeing them descend safely into Castell Helen, I had to reluctantly leave them to it with my team of instructors and return to Llanberis.

In Llanberis I had a big group of Charity walkers from Nando’s Management Team who wanted to climb Snowdon. I got there in time to meet another team of great instructors who were ready to represent Snowdonia Mountain Guides to lead this group of 37 amazing guys up ‘The Mountain’. Again these guy did an amazing job at leading this charity walk up snowdon. With the team reporting that they had an awesome time.

In total I employed 7 instructors this week, hopefully a sign of things to come as I start to develop Snowdonia Mountain Guides further.

Charity Walks up snowdon
A busy day on Snowdon during the Olympic Flame celebrations

Winter Sun and Hot Rock in Costa Blanca

So having only just arrived back in the UK after four months away working teaching rock climbing in Spain. It really pained me to survive the Welsh Winter. So I booked some flights so Simon, Lynne and I could get some more sport climbing done, it was either here or Scottish Winter Climbing. Given I am really loving the winter sun and hot rock climbing in the beautiful costa blanca at moment there was no real choice!

We are staying up in Moriara, and on the first day we climbed 6 routes to and collected 16 stars. We even managed a couple of 7a’s at Alcalali. The following day we headed up the Penon D’Ifach and climbed the awesome Costa Blanca, a 7 pitch 6c+ and one of the top 50 routes in the area. Then today we headed to the fantastic Sella and did a few routes up to 6b+. It seems we are a little tired today and so we only did 4 routes before we headed home to the Villa.

Anyway, been another great few days away, we have another tow days climbing before we are back to the rain again. However it has really driven home just how good Costa Blanca is for both the sub 6a climber and those who are operating in 6th/7th grades. I will definitely writes some longer pieces on getting the best out of Costa Blanca and can’t wait to run some rock climbing course out here this Autumn/Winter

UK Trad Climbing Tour

So a new course I am offering is a rapid rock climbing development course with a difference. As rather than stay based in one location we up sticks and go on a UK Trad Climbing Tour.

So if you want your climbing to improve rapidally? This month long UK Trad climbing tour of the greatest climbing routes and destinations will make a really difference to your fitness and confidence.

This is a truly unique course to get out there and experience the very best climbing that the UK has to offer. This month long course will open your eyes to the adventures on our shores. With a month of coaching and guiding means your climbing will improve dramatically. Whether you are climbing Diff or Extreme grade routes the opportunities are as boundless as the cliffs. As we embark on this epic 4 week road trip, you know that you will come out the other side a different person, revitalises and ready for your next adventure.

Sun Rock Holidays Winter 2017/18

So this Autumn and Winter coming I am starting to offer a few Sun Rock Holidays. I am doing this as i the last few years I have travelled Spain working at a variety of climbing venues and these are the very best places that I have found for catching a few winter rays of sunshine and or course climbing some classic swainish rock.

The amazing Naranga Del Bulnes

PICOS DE EUROPA CLIMBING HOLIDAY

This Picos De Europa Climbing Holiday is a great way to experience the best trad and sport climbing in this magical region of Northern Spain.

The Picos De Europa is an amazing place to climb, the area has some spectacular limestone crags with a variety of single and multi pitch sport climbing as well as some amazing trad routes in the Higher Picos. The main peak a gigantic limestone dome is ‘Naranga Del Bulnes’ and as well as having some harder routes also sports one of the most staggering Hard Severe routes in the world. The South Face climbs all the way to its amazing summit.

7 Day – £800 – (Available throughout September) 

Sports Climbing Holidays in Costa Blanca

COSTA BLANCA SPORT CLIMBING HOLIDAYS

Come and join us as we bask in the winter sun on our amazing 7 day Costa Blanca Sports Climbing Holiday.

Winter is rapidly approaching you have resigned yourself to a winter of indoor climbing. Why is that? Alicante is often only £50 return to fly to, it is sunny and warm throughout the winter and we are running sport climbing holidays there. What more could you ask for to wash away those winter blue by feeling the sun on you skin.

7 Day – £800 – (Available throughout September).

Moroccan Climbign Adventure

MORROCAN CLIMBING ADVENTURE

This holiday will take you to the edge in the remote anti-altas climbing area of Trafroute

Back in 2003 I had a delightful trip away to Morocco with 8 friends, we spent a month climbing in both Trafroute in the Anti-Atlas and Todra Gorge. We trad climbed, sported climbed and bouldered. Took an adventurous Land Rover ride off road from one venue to another and generally had one of the times of my life. One of those freinds was Simon Lake, who is also now a Mountaineering and Rock Climbing Instructor and together we are really keen to runa week or two trip that I can truly say is one of the best climbing/travel adventures you’ll ever have.

14 Days – £1600 – (Available throughout January 2018)

How to Climb Harder – WEEKEND – 15th & 16th April 2016

As the author of How to Climb Harder’s I will be running a weekend course that is aimed at covering the same set of skills that made the book so popular. This  two day How to Climb Harder course will look holistically at all aspects of climbing from the mental, physical, tactical ad technical challenges we all face on the rock.

The course is run by myself, with over twenty years experience as an rock climbing instructor and coach. Holder of the nationally recognised Mountain Instructor Award and a Master degree in applied sport science. I have a thorough knowledge of experience of Effective Coaching, Sports Psychology and Performance Physiology.

I have used this to onsighted climbs up to E6 and 7b and I still climbs and train regularly. All this experience and more from the rock faces around the world went into writing How to Climb Harder and is now be used to deliver a unique weekend rock climbing course that will find and address your weaknesses and help you climb harder.

For more information visit Snowdonia Mountain Guides – How to Climb Harder Page.