Author: stu_mcinnes@hotmail.co.uk

Well, what a ride. From the elation of passing my WMCI in March to having to find alternative work for much of the year, 2020 has been a year of ups and downs!

During the first lockdown I spent three months working at the local hospital as a porter, waiting for the first wave (that never really came to far South West Wales) when the weather was nothing but clear blue skies everyday – 3 months of what would have been perfect climbing conditions!

With my contract over at the hospital as all the extra staff simply weren’t needed, there was quite a period of not knowing when we’d be allowed to work. When we were finally allowed and the National Park opened (because obviously it wasn’t safe to get fresh air in wide open spaces…), people came flooding back and Pembrokeshire was the busiest I’ve ever seen it (in a good way – don’t believe everything you read in the news!). It would have been nice to have a bit of time with it to ourselves first, but there we are then, thanks Pembrokeshire Coast National Park…!

We had an uber busy period and had to make hay while the sun shined, so to speak, so all other aspects of life were put on hold and it was jam packed with guiding, intro to climbing days, sea cliff skills and instructor training and assessment courses.

One of the aspects of work I really enjoyed was taking youngsters out on rock for the first time, something I do less of these days, but watching kids as young as 5 crushing it on the rock was amazing, and you could really see how keen they all were to be outside having fun after so long stuck inside.

Having had my summer work exped to Madagascar cancelled it was great to get some Mountain time in Snowdonia directing ML courses, we managed to sneak our last ML training course in just before the second Welsh lockdown.

With my second overseas exped of the year cancelled in December (to Aconcagua – was really looking forward to that one!) I did a bit of labouring for a Tiler – wow that’s hard work – respect to those that do that full time! Lots of new skills learnt but really hard to see the justification for outdoor activities not to be able to run when you’re in a building site, can pop to get a MacDonalds or get in the scrum around the Supermarket…!

Heading into the winter with yet more cancelled work its hard to see what lies ahead, but fingers crossed by mid January we’ll have some more positive news and maybe we can get back to working and having some great personal adventures!

Thanks must go to all our amazing clients from the year, who have often been rescheduled due to changing restrictions, been happy with any changes in how we run things to make it “safe” and for being super stoked to be outside! It would be incredible to get out with you all again soon, whether that’s for some Welsh Winter Mountaineering/Scrambling or Alpine prep (if we’re allowed to work in the second half of January) – dare I say it for some Scottish Winter fun in February/March PLEEEEASE! or failing that some Springtime Climbing or Mountaineering Adventures here in Wales…

The blog has been neglected recently, but now finding extra time on my hands, here’s a whistle stop tour of what we got up to this winter after our Nepal trip in the Autumn…

The Alps

We drove out to the Ecrin on Boxing Day, with the hope of some skiing and ice climbing, lots of good food and time in the hills not working. The ice conditions in the Ecrin and the low level ice options in the Alps in general were non-existent, so that was sadly put on the back burner.. We had a lovely few days skiing and some snow shoe adventures, all in glorious warm sunshine, with a particularly memorable New Years eve skiing at Puy St Vincent under floodlights and fireworks. Snowshoeing up to Dormillouse in the beautiful Alpine air and the natural hot pools at Le Monetier-les-Bains were other highlights..

It was then up to Chamomix for some more skiing before attending the American Avalanche Association Level 2 course delivered by Avalanche Geeks. Over the few days of the course we brushed up on snow and avalanche knowledge, companion rescues and other important skills, as well as skiing some decent snow! I see this as a vital bit of CPD for anyone working professionally in the winter mountains whether walking, skiing or climbing – well worth it. After the course the 4 of us that were there together had an ace day skiing the Vallee Blanche, decent snow under a beautiful blue Alpine sky with Vin Chaud at the Buvette des Mottes before skiing all the way back to Chamonix… A decent day indeed! Back to the UK then for the start of our Scottish season.

Scotland

After last years no-show of Winter, I headed up to Scotland slightly apprehensive! Last year I had my WMCI assessment booked but that obviously got cancelled, and with it re-booked for March I was fairly keen on this winter being a good one!

We had some ace days with clients delivering our own courses, always with small numbers and total adaptability for the conditions, whether we were looking at more in-depth navigation or snow skills or getting a decent winter journey under our belt. Thanks to all that came along to make it fun and rewarding!

I spent some time working for Jagged Globe, who I guided for on Mera Peak back in the Autumn. I was lucky enough to get to work alongside some really experienced instructors and get to do what is essentially WMCI work before I had the qualification – under the watchful eye and guidance of more qualified colleagues. Really great to have the opportunity to do this and we had some really fun days, though the weather often didn’t make it easy! From helping people make their first steps winter mountaineering to teaching skills focused on climbing bigger Peaks, guiding people up winter climbs and teaching them to do it all themselves – not a bad thing to call work!

Personal Climbing

Trying to make the most of every day, time off was saved for the when the wind forecast was over 100mph – this winter really did feel like an uber windy one! Getting out as much as possible personal climbing to feel that I was on tip top form ready for assessment was high on my agenda. Some lovely days were had, but also many truly burly ones when the cafe would have been the far better choice! Thanks loads to everyone that I got out with, you were an important part of the journey towards my assessment!

Mock Clients

Wanting to get slick at getting pairs of people up and down winter climbs efficiently, I spent a lot of time taking “mock clients” out. Sometimes with mates of differing abilities, sometimes people that hadn’t done much before – always good learning and development for me.. Getting to climb some ace routes along the way wasn’t bad either! If you helped me out in this process – thanks so so much, it was massively valuable for me!

WMCI assessment

So glad that the winter had played ball and provided the goods (albeit very windy goods at times!) I still felt super nervous starting my WMCI assessment with PYB. As much as I tell people when assessing them to relax and do what they normally do – WOW its actually pretty hard! I felt ready and prepared but after pursuing it for years I put a lot of importance on it…

We had a really well run assessment and the team at PYB made it as relaxed as possible. Despite some warmer conditions for the week we had 4 great days and luckily I didn’t balls it up too much and managed to pass! The relief of something being realised that you’ve spent years working towards was a big weight off the shoulders!

The next day was bluebird so couldn’t possibly be wasted! A days ski touring and getting laps of great snow on Lurchers before some runs on the empty pistes on Caingorm and red wine with great mates was a fitting end to all the toil of the winter!

Climbing Work!

Before the end of Winter I was lucky to get a few days of work in as a fully fledged WMCI. Return client Stuart had his first taste of winter climbing and Pete was out with me for a couple of days.

It was amongst this time that we were starting to get an idea of the impact of the Corona Virus, so while it was ace to finally be working as a WMCI, it ended a bit bittersweet, with all my future work in doubts and the prospect of hard times ahead… Fingers crossed I’ll be able to get back amongst it soon! Till next Winter Scotland!

This Autumn I was in Nepal again, guiding on Mera Peak for Jagged Globe. The full team assembled in Kathmandu ready for their climb of Mera Peak after a smooth journey from various start points. We had a short space of time to check kit and make final preparations before an early departure to Ramechhap for the much anticipated flight to Lukla. Shiv welcomed the team and gave them a rundown of the trip, while between the two of us we ensured all the necessary arrangements were in place.

Flying to Lukla

We were accompanied to Ramechhap by Kewal, who impressively facilitated our baggage and us through the bustle of the airport – so important to have an influential local team helping you out. Excited team members boarded the little little aircraft which buzzed off towards the mountains! Just as we could see Lukla the pilot called through that they had closed the runway and we had to turn around! Noooo! With all you hear about this runway it’s encouraging to see they take safety very seriously… Kewal fixed us up with an emergency place to stay and we passed what felt like a very long day waiting for round two with the Lukla flight – all part of expeditions to this part of the world…

We waved goodbye to him early the next morning, the team having explored all of Ramechhap and keen not to return again! Dawa our head Sherpa and the team met us on the runway in Lukla and the team breathed a sigh of relief that we were in the mountains and after breakfast we set off on the approach to Mera Peak!

Trekking to Mera Peak

Over the next five days we followed beautiful valleys and ridges to Chanbu Kharka, where the team first felt some effects of the air being thinner as we climbed over a pass at 4400m. Above the trees the hills opened up and it felt like we were finally getting into the mountains, with beautiful lakes and glimpses of snowy peaks. The weather here was fairly Welsh (wet and cold!) and it didn’t particularly appeal as a rest day venue, so with team consensus on this we carried on our journey into the valley that leads up to Mera Peak.

The team were all excited to have access to a proper shower at Kothe, and with a nicer climate and fancy tea houses, our changing of the rest day made total sense. It was up to Tagnag the next day where we spent a couple of nights and took a half-day acclimatisation walk to nearly 5000m – the team all showed good ability at height so it was really encouraging for me! With the big hills looming all around excitement was growing to get up to Khare the next day, where we’d start our final preparations for the mountain…

Khare (4800m) was bustling with expeditions, but Dawa had got us in a great spot at the top of the village with a really comfy tea house to keep warm in the evenings before retiring to the tents (though you could splash out and stay in the tea house if you wanted!). Many of the team made use of the ubiquitous German Bakery, and there was also a chance here to hire or replace bits of lost/broken kit. We took a couple of short acclimatisation walks on the hills above camp, getting up to 5000m each time, and spent a few hours looking at the fixed line kit which was a first for some team members. The team were going really well – now we just needed the weather to play ball for us in a couple of days time!

Climbing Mera Peak

As we headed over the Mera La we got onto the glacier for the first time during the expedition. A very benign section with no crevasses saw us arrive at camp at 5300m. What a beautiful spot – lovely and flat and as ever well catered for by the incredible cook team. Relaxing in the afternoon sun with noisy snowcocks pottering around and the route ahead visible, everyone a mix of excited and nervous for the next 24 hours and what it may bring!

With only a short walk up the glacier to high camp at 5700m there was no need for an early start. Slow and steady was the key. As we turned the side of the rock tower and the team saw the position of camp there were wide eyes! The local staff had worked hard to find spots for all the tents amidst an array of not particularly flat platforms with different degrees of stability – none of them as “out there” as the toilet tent – which we fixed a line to through the camp to avoid any unwanted stumbles!

A 2am wake up call and this was it – summit night! We had been so well looked after by the Sherpas and cook team, the weather was cold but windless – we couldn’t have asked for better conditions!

The team slowly trudged through the night, pausing occasionally to snack, drink and catch their breath. There were other teams making their way to the top today and looking back there was a chain of headtorches lighting up the mountainside. As the sun rose many of the highest mountains on Earth were lit up – Everest, Cho Oyu, Nuptse, Lhotse and Makalu amongst a sea of others. The views and warmth of daylight kept motivation high, and the first of our rope teams summited Mera Peak, 6461m, a couple of hours after dawn.   

The second team followed about 45 minutes later, and followed in the footsteps of the first on the way down, pausing at high camp for some delicious noodle soup and lots of hot Tang. A long day saw us all back in Khare, where tired but elated team members remembered the last 24 hours through hazy memories!

Heading home..

With the tantalising luxury warm showers of Khote tempting the team, we opted for a long day the next day, followed by a rest day, showers and the German Bakery. In Khote, not ready to return to “civilisation” I clung on to the immersive mountain experience as long as I could and took one last wash in the river, but in doing so had one of my highlights of the trip – as I wandered down, towel in hand through the mist, three red pandas jumped out from behind a boulder and darted across the bridge and off into the forest… Luckily another team member was there to witness it so they couldn’t call hoax!         

After a well deserved rest day, the next section was back to Lukla over the Zatrwa La, a pass that’s still over 4600m. We experienced the wintriest weather of the trip, and everyone remarked how Scottish it felt! Trying to separate frozen tent poles was a real test before the pass itself, thankfully we were able to warm up in the ever-present tea house! Once over the pass the weather turned beautiful, and the long decent to Lukla went without incident.

All that was left was a day of shopping for our Secret Yeti (Nepalese Secret Santa), absorbing the atmosphere of Lukla, and the much anticipated final night party with the Sherpas and cook team. Such a great way to say thank you to the team for all their immense hard work, and always a highlight of mine! With bodies less achy and the memory of summit night less hazy, the team enjoyed the opportunity to celebrate a successful trip and a mountain climbed. After a little rum punch and much dodgy dancing, as is the custom on the last night party in Nepal, it was early to bed for our flight the next morning to Ramechhap where the flight left first time without incident – phew!

Hopefully see you all out in the hills over winter!

This summer I spent a month in Nepal for World Challenge, leading my team through the usual treks, community projects and adventure travel. We had a fantastic time at a school in the foothills of the Himalaya, did some ace white water rafting on the Trisuli, visited the incredible ancient Bhaktapur and had a 2 day warm up trek in the Helambu region. Our main trek was a 2 week adventure in the Rolwaling, up to the breathtaking Tsho Rolpa – here’s a brief synopsis of what we got up to….

Rolwaling Trek

From Kathmandu, the start of the Rolwaling trek is a bit of a journey! Being a large team we had a bus, making the bumpy, precipitous and hairpin riddled road even more interesting. Occasional landslide enforced stops for the road to be cleared and traffic passing slowly so as not to trundle down to the river below meant it was 14 hours on the bus until we were deposited at the trail head.

The trek to Tsho Rolpa is a relatively quiet one compared to other Nepalese areas, and as such has less infrastructure, but recent development meant we had 3000 (they’re marked!) concrete steps to head up straight off the bus! The hike up to the first nights camp was sweaty to say the least! Amazing views up the river valley and the road towards Tibet, with lots of development with a hydropower scheme nearing completion. However, once up at Simi Gaun you were transported to the pleasant tea houses mixed with locals going about their business, farming crops alongside a few goats and chickens. The forest here was alive with noisy Cicadas, big (hopefully harmless!) spiders, monkeys and lizards and who knows what else lurking in the undergrowth..

Early rises with tea in bed, a hearty breakfast produced by the cook team and packing tents away so the porters could set off, became routine, along with early starts walking to try and beat the monsoon rains to camp in the afternoon. Luckily this routine paid off each day, and also meant we didn’t have too many issues with the dreaded leaches!

For the next few days we followed the trail through forest of huge rhododendrons and pine, crossing some interesting bridges and slowly gaining height. Reaching Beding was the first time the views really opened up and we could glimpse glaciated peaks. A rest day here to aid acclimatisation and a chance to wash clothes, with some of the team opting for a dip in the chilly glacial water of the river.. A tour of the monastery was a highlight, with all the ornate Buddhist decorations and intriguing history. From here we were only 3km from the border with Tibet, if only we had the time to be able to pop over!

Mystical Na

Walking up to Na was like stepping back in time. The prayer wheel entrance to the pastures below, prayer flags adorning all the rocks and mani stones along the trail.. The teams first time above 4000m and everyone looking strong, things were looking good! Small clusters of stone houses amongst the walled enclosures, we were in a rustic tea house at the top of the village. The views were amazing, up the valley to the final goal of Tsho Rolpa and surrounded by many peaks over 6000m with the impressive Gaurishankar at just over 7000m looming above. Roaming the pastures were more Yaks than I’ve ever seen, and within the stone walls were many baby yaks. Very cute!

A rest day here before tomorrow’s final ascent. Sat propped up by a rock, listening to music and reading amongst the Alpine flowers whilst the locals brought their Yaks down to the settlement, with not another person other than the locals and our team, it felt like paradise to me!

Tsho Rolpa

Our final push up to the lake at Tsho Rolpa entailed an early start to try and beat the usual afternoon cloud that drifted up the valley. We crossed the bridge above Na with more layers on than usual, and the flat-ish gradual ascent up the valley towards our end goal drifted by effortlessly for the team. The lake was sitting up above the moraine that we could see in the distance, and soon enough we were at the base of it. The valley divided here, to our left a days walk away over a pass was Tibet, and if we carried on our path we’d eventually reach the main Khumbu region and Namche Bazaar. Our ascent ahead up the steep moraine barely slowed the team down, and all reached the lake at nearly 4600m. Out of the main trekking season the weather had been kind to us and we were treated to sublime views as cloud drifted in and out. We couldn’t believe our luck that we had the place entirely to ourselves – a stark contrast from other popular treks in Nepal.

Some of the team chose to sit by the lake and take it all in, others ran around snapping away with their cameras, all remarked that it was way better than they had anticipated and how all the hard work had been worth it. We lingered for a long time but eventually knowing an early lunch was down in Na, we headed down together.

Back in Na we were treated to a hearty lunch and then had an amazing opportunity to attend a Puja ceremony. The local lamas were gathered to bless the local households and we were able to follow them round the village and look on in awe at the goings on. A very special experience and a day the team will never forget!

All that was left then was reversing the route we took up, staying in some different spots, and an ace final night in Simi Gaun at the top of those 3000 steps.. We sat on the balcony of the tea house listening to the sounds of the forest and chatting about everyone’s experience of the trek and the trip in general – a perfect end to another very successful trip!

I’ll be in Nepal again in a couple of months, this time leading a trip on Mera Peak for Jagged Globe – can’t wait to get back to this special country! Fingers crossed for another successful expedition!

The rest of spring has flown by and we’re into summer – the weather in Pembrokeshire has treated us well! We’ve been bathed in sunshine with only a few damper days here and there, and all our courses and freelance work has been ace!

Coaching lead climbing

First up I had Julian and Abs back for more sea cliff fun, with the aim of the game to get young Abs leading trickier routes. She smashed out a load of HS’s with me along side her, which made her (and dad Julian!) confidant enough to get in a great lead of the VS Amorican! Amazing effort Abs and great progression through our days together…

A week with TYF followed, taking their visiting schools pupils to Wolfs Rocks and St Davids Head, always a pleasure to get so many youngsters enthused about climbing outside! Beautiful Pembrokeshire makes our job easy though!

Guiding mountain multi pitch climbs

Up in North Wales then I was with Danny, who had a weekend with me last year too. Our aim was to get some good hill miles under our legs and get a bit of exposure and some long rocky terrain under his belt. With a damp first day we traversed the Carneddau before warming up with tea and cake at Café Siabod. The next day was a stunner so we linked some multipitch routes on Milestone Buttress into the North Ridge of Tryfan to make for an ace day! Super fun weekend as always with Dan!

Learn to lead climb course

With me for the week then was Ellie and Alice, who were keen to learn to lead climb. We started out with loads of top roping, building belays and abseils, working o technique and ropework skills, and after a couple of days they were on the lead and smashing out the routes! We were able to put loads of time into their development and even have a day indoors to really refine their lead belaying and work on their head games of lead climbing. We visited a host of beautiful crags in both North and South Pembs. Such a great week with a couple of keen climbers!

Another week with TYF and their schools groups, with a quick day personal climbing out at St Davids Head with Alex. It’s so important at this busy time of year to still get out for some personal adventures! Such a beautiful day too and as usual the crag to ourselves!

Guided days in Pembrokeshire

With me for a long day of climbing then was Linda and team. Already experienced climbers, they wanted someone with local knowledge to maximise their time on the sea cliffs. I even managed to find the opportunity to coach them up a lead climb for the full experience!

Next up was a few days with the Real Adventure Company and their visiting school group. We bouldered, climbed and abseiled on various North Pembrokeshire cliffs, the weather was sublime and the lads put in loads of effort!

Guided Pembrokeshire rock climbs

Greg was wit me for a few days guiding then. He had been on one of our Winter Skills Courses, and was keen to experience some sea cliff loveliness! We were blessed with the best weather, amazing crags and finished everyday with delicious local ice creams! The way work should be! We started out on some easier single pitch routes and popped up a few trickier lines – but Greg experienced his first multi pitch climbs at the amazing as always St Davids Head.

In amongst that there was some personal bouldering at the small but perfectly formed Plumstone and then a quick afternoon of personal climbing with Joey, who I have mentored through her RCI award. She has been working up to climbing an E1 for ages, and she finally did 2 in one day – ace effort and great to see her pushing her comfort zone!

CCF Adventurous Training

A couple of weeks then working for the CCF units based with Adventurous Training camp at Penally. We had a huge amount of youngsters trying bouldering, climbing and abseiling outside as part of their week doing other things.. Great to get so many young people experiencing outdoor adventure in this ace playground of ours!

Technical Advice sign offs

A day of Technical Advice followed for my last bit of work before heading to Nepal guiding for a month. The Rock Climbing Instructor staff at Dragon Activity Guides who work outside the remit of their qualifications undergo a yearly site specific sign off with me. This is vital to ensure they are current and competent and can safely work on simple top access single pitch sea cliffs. We climbed, managed and rescued clients at an empty and beautiful Caerfai..

It’s been super busy here in Pembrokeshire and now I’ll be away until mid August guiding treks in Nepal – should be fun! Shall miss Pembrokeshire but can’t wait to get to the mountains!

If you need to get in touch with us in the mean time drop me an email and I’ll get back to you when I can!

stu@climbingcompany.co.uk

Technical Advice

As seems to be the trend, the weather this Spring has treated us well, enabling lots of fun work and personal adventures to be had! I was in at TYF training their RCI qualified staff in the skills needed to safely work at simple top access sea cliffs such as Porth Clais. This is a venue they use a lot but it’s outside the remit of their award. Showing them some new skills and then getting them to go away and practice them, followed by an assessment of their skills, is a way of signing off their technical competencies so they may work on these specific crags. A site specific sign off needs to be re-done every year, so we had some familiar faces, but lots of new ones too which is ace! We also took the less experienced staff and trained them up to be assists on sessions, able to kit the group up and run some fun warm up sessions. A great day of training in my role as Technical Advisor for TYF.

RCDI Provider Induction

I was then up in North Wales for the day, to attend the induction of the providers of the new Rock Climbing Development Instructor award. I was selected to be one of 4 providers for this in Wales – exciting times ahead! We were hosted by the Beacon Climbing Wall, and the team at Mountain Training took us through aspects of the syllabus and how we might run courses. Lots of ideas shared – cant wait to deliver one of these exciting new courses! Check out our RCDI page for more info! Rock Climbing Development Instructor…

New routes in North Pembs

Some personal climbing followed that, in GLORIOUS weather! A bit of South Pembs action on some classics, but then I went out to the rarely visited (shh don’t tell too many people about it!) St Davids Head with Ben and Rach. We popped to a crag with no routes on and each added a new line. Sun, perfect rock, Porpoises and other cool wildlife – it really is a gem out there! With the new-ish Climbers Club guidebooks you’re starting to see some more climbers out there, but a fraction of the number of elsewhere. It truly is a magical place.

Site Specific sign-offs for RCI’s

Back in at TYF then for the Coastal sign off assessments. A nice sunny eve was had and the team did well. I was in to inspect their PPE as well, a lot of companies don’t realise their obligation by law to have a competent person inspect their kit. That’s them all set up for the season now, so enjoy working on the coast team!

A couple of great visits personal climbing at Barcud followed – an ace spot to pop to for a quick hit of training, that always leaves the fingers and toes feeling pretty worked!

Rock Climbing Instructor assessment

Our latest RCI assessment had 4 good candidates on, who had all worked hard to prepare for it. Some really great indoor warm ups and games that I’ll definitely be stealing! Then a nice sunny couple of days on the crags at Wolfs Rocks and Newton Head. Solid performances and 4 passes – top effort from all!

Despite being a super busy period, I managed to fit Sasha in for a climb who got in touch with me at the last minute – always worth a try! We climbed all the classics at Porth Clais, not bad for her first time outdoors climbing!

BMC Climbing Festival & Mountain Training course

I had the pleasure of taking the youngsters from the Haverfordwest climbing team out for the day as part of the BMC Pembrokeshire Climbing Festival. I coach these guys and girls quite a bit indoors so it was ace to see them on real rock! For some of them it was their first time climbing outside, but as they’re all strong we headed to Barcud. A few of them are keen to progress in the future to coaching or instructing, so I was able to run it as a Mountain Training Rock Skills award. This gets them involved with MT and on the pathway towards other things for when they are older. It was so inspiring to watch them get on routes up to e5, and really working together to look after each other. Definitely some climbing stars of the future in the team there if they carry on as they are!

Almost into June now, that must mean its summer right?! A really busy time ahead and not long till my first exped of the year to Nepal – it’s going to fly by!

Heading towards you ML assessment and needing some top tips?

I work on a lot of ML training and assessment courses for a range of different providers, and the same things are highlighted on every assessment as to weaker areas of the syllabus with many candidates. The role of the Mountain Leader is obvious, but so varied even within this, and the ML assessment syllabus is pretty vast to reflect it! The ML training courses cannot possibly cover every aspect of the syllabus, and this is always stated during the course and guidance given as to where to look for it (the candidate handbook) and the excellent skills checklist. All available on the MT website here!

Here’s a quick run down of some of the key areas to think about when it comes to your ML assessment!

Mountain Leader log book

Before the assessment even starts the log book needs to be sufficient. When a candidate comes in with the minimum amount, or some dubious days – it is always evident in their performance! Get the proper amount of QMD’s.. People often ask what a QMD is, it’s baffling that people don’t look at the hand book where it is clearly stated…

• Don’t use many repeat days as they wont count – we want to see variety, not the North Ridge of Tryfan 5 times.
• Is a quick trip up Pen Y Fan really the same as the Snowdon Horseshoe? Clearly not!
• Get lots of scrambling experience in – the security on steep ground days on assessment will be a struggle if you don’t!
• We want to see areas like Snowdonia, the Lakes and Scotland – less so the Brecon Beacons, the Peak District and the Yorkshire Dales!
• Go wild camping lots!

Navigation

Its staggering how many people turn up for assessment having only ever done certain skills on their training, or practiced a little in the week before assessment – we WILL spot this! The key to a solid performance is to get out in different areas in all sorts of weather and practice all the skills you might ever use. Using them in anger and context will mean you start to truly understand what you’re doing. The same goes for night nav! Hopefully it’s obvious that if you turn up on a whim you might not do so well, whereas if you’ve gone and put the time in, it will show and we’ll be impressed!

• Practice with a range of different maps! Its amazing how often people say they just don’t use 1:50 for instance – you WILL be using different ones on assessment!
• Get accurate with everything! Measure in millimeters not with the Romer, double check your bearings, work out solid plans each time, be careful to time legs – and pay attention to what’s happening with the land around you!
• Use the skills that the terrain/weather/visibility dictate. We’ll get a little worried if you’re using bearings on a clear day when we can all see the feature you’re aiming for!
• Don’t forget skills like aspect of slope, land to map bearings on features, aiming off and doglegs etc..
• Get solid with your pacing and timing – maybe use a navigation app when you’re training to check yourself.
• Use your navigation equipment loads before assessment and get solid with how it all works and where it goes etc! Map, compass, watch, pacing beads etc..
• Take spares with you – I’ve seen a staggering amount of compasses and head torches fail on assessment! Not what you want!

Security on Steep Ground

This one should be relatively simple if you go out and practice. You can do set piece practice with the rope to get the systems dialed, but it’s so important to use it in context. We’re looking at your judgment and decision making, so if you get a chance to take novices (mates are fine!) out on rockier scrambly walks you’ll learn a lot!

• don’t get the rope out if its overkill – if you can safely spot it or justify its appropriate (and we agree!) for the group without then awesome!
• give clear, concise and understood instructions.
• before getting the rope out – STOP. Overview the setting. Where do you want your group at the start and end? Can you see them at all times? Where is the line you want them to ascend/descend? Now think what anchor is most suitable for the given situation and how you are going to use it. Can I keep them safe the whole time?
• select bomber anchors, ideally back from the edge, but you’ve gotta work with what you’ve got.
• use a robust rope system and justify everything you do.
• make sure you can see the client on the rope at all times.
• AGAIN – give clear, concise and understood instructions. Check for clarity.
• practice your abseils.
• go and confidence rope on a variety of terrains, up, down and sideways.
• get really slick at all of the above!

Fauna & Flora, Access and Conservation etc

Many people will go and take the time to develop the skills outlined above, but neglect the areas of the syllabus that really enhance your ability as a leader. Amazing you can nav and look after a group when things go wrong – but are they actually going to have a nice day in the hills with you and learn some cool stuff?! With a plethora of great (simple!) books there really is no excuse these days at enhancing your personal knowledge. “Nature in Snowdonia” by Mike Raine is the obvious choice, “Hostile Habitats” is amazing and a little more detailed, “Rock Trails” by Paul Gannon is great too. These days there are loads of apps for your phones as well! I’d well recommend some of the workshops put on by the Mountain Training Association..

Learn some stuff, it doesn’t need to be loads, but make it interesting and relevant. Think folk tales and interesting animals, useful plants and cool geology.. There may be a home paper in your assessment, possibly a subject to talk about on the hill, and we’ll definitely ask questions as we go along – I want to learn stuff from you too!

Campcraft etc

We want to see you can thrive in the environment, that you belong there and can cope with the weather, the tiredness, the lack of facilities and be self sufficient. We want to see you can make good decisions and still navigate at the end of the week too! Whatever tent/stove/sleeping systems you use it needs to work, try and keep your bag light/small (50l or less). I want you to know enough about it that you can advise groups of novices on the kit. How do you go to the toilet outside in an environmentally friendly way and how to make water safe to drink etc – stuff that we may take for granted but groups will have never had to think about!

Join the MTA

The Mountain Training Association is an organization that supports and develops trainee and qualified leaders alike. They offer events and CPD opportunities that will go through many of the stuff detailed above and much more. Being a member allows you to log all this development and shows your professional commitment post assessment. Join them! Oh and great discount deals with some retailers and manufacturers…

Mountain Leader refresher course

Pre ML assessment a refresher course may well be worth doing. It will fine tune your skills, iron out any errors and give you guidance as to the next steps, how ready you are for assessment or an action plan to move forward with. The only thing I would say, is make sure you do a refresher course with someone that actually works on Mountain Leader Training and Assessments! You see some people offering ML refreshers with little experience of delivering training and assessing in anything, and no knowledge of the ML process other than their own training and assessment. That being said, going out with mates and other trainees or people that are currently MLs may be beneficial and you’ll learn lots I’m sure!

The ML award is a brilliant qualification to get, and you’ll have worked hard to pass – it’s well regarded in the industry and the skills are transferrable to many other sports. Enjoy the process! If you’ve got any questions or would like to enquire about a refresher course get in touch!

The RCDI course is the award for teaching the skills for trad and sport climbing and leading in a single pitch environment. We’re super proud to be one of the 4 providers in Wales for it! Whilst the venue remit of the award will be the same as the RCI, it will fill a gap between that and the MCI. The fact you need to be a committed hillwalker, mountaineer and ML holder for the MCI has in the past put many people off from moving up the awards ladder. With these barriers removed for this award, we’re going to see loads of amazing climbers and coaches moving to the next step, and I love being involved with that process!

What is the Rock Climbing Development Instructor scheme?

The lead climbing element is only a part of the RCDI course, and ultimately the pinnacle of what you might get up to. You could be teaching people to go and set up their own outdoor climbs and abseils, coaching them in skills and techniques to further their personal climbing, develop their indoor or sport climbing and help them with the head game of lead climbing. It’s going to be packed full of coaching tips, profiling skills, warm ups and games to develop climbers, background knowledge of climbing and the environment, and obviously all the ropework and decision making and managing lead climbers… The full syllabus and more details can be found in the excellent handbook if you look at the RCDI page on the Mountain Training website here:

Rock Climbing Development Instructor course information

The pre-requisites for registering are fairly significant, but they need to be as you’ll need a huge depth of personal knowledge and instructing experience to be able to fully cope in the environment yourself, look after your clients whilst they’re leading, and make sound judgements in the decision making process.

What do I need to do to sign up for the RCDI?

60 VS Trad leads, 60 6a or above Sport Climbs and 20 days teaching as an RCI – so get filing in your D-Log! Once you’re happy it’s all there you need to register and apply, your log book needs to get signed off by one of Mountain Trainings Technical Officers. Once you’re accepted, the same as the other qualifications, there is a training course, a consolidation process and then the assessment.

What I would say is that the MCI has had a VERY low pass rate, and we don’t want to see this award being the same – we want people to pass! The pre-requisites are a minimum, get loads more varied experience, get heaps of personal climbing in and work in different areas on different crags, trying to work on more than just intro taster days. Consider the BMC Fundas courses and the Coaching Awards, this will all help you become a better Instructor (and probably a better climber too!)

Where can I do the RCDI course?

We’ll be running our courses on the wonderful crags of the Gower and Pembrokeshire and possibly visit local climbing walls. We often have better weather than other areas of the UK and will visit great array of venues in stunning locations. I pride my courses on being relaxed, friendly, fun and adaptable, getting the best out of you – even the assessments! Course dates are up on the Candidate Management System but we can always put other ones on so get in touch if the dates don’t quite suit! Check out our dates here: The Climbing Company RCDI Courses…

Why do the RCDI course with The Climbing Company?

I’m a full member of the Association of Mountaineering Instructors, and a WMCI, which means you’re learning from a committed professional with a huge passion for climbing and coaching, and a climbing CV spanning 6 Continents, from Alpine North Faces in Winter, Big Wall Climbing in Yosemite, leading groups up big Himalayan Peaks and every other form of climbing in-between!