Sport climbing courses in the Wye Valley
Course Description
This course is aimed at those with some experience of climbing indoors or on artificial walls and want to progress their skills onto outdoor sport climbs. The courses cover the additional techniques required to climb safely and competently on natural rock.
Most courses start at 09.15 hrs at one of the suitable venues in the Wye Valley (75 mins. Birmingham, 150 mins. London ) – Wyndcliffe, Whitecroft, Wintours, Bang-y-Gor or further afield in South Wales. There are nearby good quality campsites / restaurants / hotels / bunkhouses etc.
Topics covered include : the use of guide books, access, anchors , lowering off, climbing movement etc.
A typical course starts at 09.15 hrs, meeting at the car park where after an introduction, issue of equipment and safety briefing, the cliffs can be accessed quickly – climbing movement, the safety system, belaying, knots etc can be practised using a variety of named routes whilst more technical applications can be studied in controlled set-ups. After lunch the cliffs can be further explored, using the different climbs to extend and develop the skills. For two day courses there maybe a chance to explore different venues to further develop the techniques acquired on the first day.
At the end of the course climbers should be confident enough and equipped with the practical skills to independently lead their own climbs at a suitable grade.
This course is usually run at a ratio of 1:4 and is tailored to suit your ability and how much technical instruction you want, all technical equipment is supplied.
What you need:
You will need to wear suitable clothing for the day:
- Lightweight
- Comfortable
- Warm / cool depending on conditions
- Cotton clothing doesn’t work too well if you get wet / sweaty !
- Lightweight walking boots are ideal for the ‘walk – in’ and for some of the climbing.
- Waterproof jacket in unsettled weather
- Long sleeved tops and long trousers are recommended even in warm weather.
- Small rucsac / day sac
- Packed lunch ( this gives us flexibility during the day ) Any personal items – medication / sunglasses / camera etc.
Although I have £ 5m Public Liability insurance you may wish to insure yourself for personal accident, cancellation and travel insurance etc. as you think necessary ! Packages which include insurance for rock climbing and other mountain activities are available from: www.thebmc.co.uk
What is supplied:
All technical climbing and safety equipment. There are a selection of rock climbing boots available. If you need anything else let me know e.g. day sac etc.
( You are welcome to bring any of your own personal climbing equipment – this aids familiarity and creates discussion points about the pro’s and con’s of different equipment ).
Book Now
or to book using a booking form and cheque / bank transfer, please contact me on :- alec@guidedmountain.co.uk
Course Information
For one day courses and the first day of all courses , Wyndcliffe Quarry is the venue. For a map click here.
Campsites and other accommodation can be found on links, under accommodation.
There is a small car park at the access point to the cliffs, this is a good meeting place with easy access to the routes ( 10 minutes walking ).
Most courses start at 09.15 hrs at the car park. There are over 50 routes to suit the beginner and advanced climber. Courses usually finish around 16.30 hrs.
Recommended reading:
Sport climbing by Pete Hill
Rock Climbing by Alun Richardson Acblack.com ISBN 978-0-7136-8690-6
or drop me a line if you have any queries: alec@guidedmountain.co.uk