Winter Mountaineering Skills

Hors d’oeuvres

(any of various foods usually serves as appetizers – literally ‘a taster session’)

Literally a chance for you to just ‘have a go’. An introduction to the winter mountaineering environment for complete beginners.

Starters

Introductory winter mountaineering days out for beginners. Perhaps you need to learn everything from the start or maybe you’ve tried it already and you want to brush up on a few skills.

We’ll cover kicking steps, cutting steps with the ice axe, use of the crampons, ice axe arrest, recognition of different snow conditions and avalanche awareness.

Main Course

A chance for us to cover some more advanced techniques for travelling safely in the winter mountain environment.

We can start looking at how to safeguard each other with the rope on steeper terrain, how to construct safe snow belays, how to place ice screws and constructing abolokov (yes it is a real word) belays.

It’s also a good time to look at the intricacies of winter navigation.

Rock climbing instruction and Guiding

With rock climbing instructor (& 6 times Everest summiteer) Tim Mosedale. Tim is only the 10th Brit to have summited Everest from both sides and also managed a double summit in 2013.

I’m a Keswick based rock climbing instructor running rock climbing courses and instruction mostly in Cumbria, The Lake District. I have climbed and instructed extensively all over the UK and can run rock climbing courses practically anywhere in the country. Although I can come to you, why not consider a visit to The Lake District where you can climb some of the country’s finest rock routes?
Come and sample some of the Lake District’s best rock climbs with the likes of Napes Needle, Tophet Wall, Corvus, Gillercombe Buttress, Little Chamonix, Ardus, Adam, Eve and Troutdale Pinnacle to name but a few.

Borrowdale Rock
Borrowdale offers some of the Lake District’s finest high quality rock climbing routes on a fantastic range of easily accessible crags – in other words classic rock climbs of all grades that are easy to get to (which means that we can spend time rock climbing rather than walking to the bottom of our route).

I run a whole range of rock climbing and instruction courses which are tailored to suit your rock climbing requirements. The fact that they are customised for you means that you get what you want – from introductory rock climbing sessions for complete novices through to multi-day rock improver courses.

Hors d’oeuvres
(any of various foods usually served as appetizers – literally ‘a taster session’).

A chance for you to just ‘have a go’ at rock climbing. An introduction to real rock climbing for complete beginners.

Starters
Introductory rock climbing sessions for beginners.
Maybe you’ve tried rock climbing already and want to not only get out climbing, but also learn a few handy tips and hints along the way.

A chance to develop into an extremely competent second.

Main Course
Tailor made rock climbing instruction courses to suit your taste.

Come and climb some of the more classic and historic rock climbs in The Lakes. Or why not explore the harder grades of VS and upwards with the rope above you?

Alternatively you may want to look at the art of leading, placing gear and arranging safe belays under the supervision and guidance of a rock climbing instructor.

Afters
It’s all very well being able to rock climb and be safe but what if…?

It’s not only the leader who needs to know what to do when problems arise on a rock climb. Learn how to deal with problems that may arise on a climb, from escaping the system to multi-pitch self rescue.

A la Carte
Whatever your personal aims are I can arrange a rock climbing course to suit your needs and aspirations.
Please do not hesitate to contact me and discuss your ideas.