navigation Archives - The Climbing Company

Prince’s Trust in Devon

By stu_mcinnes@hotmail.co.uk October 4, 2015 October 4, 2015 Courses, Instructional, work

This week I have been working for Reach Outdoors, with the Prince’s Trust in Devon. We have been with a fantastic bunch of young people, looking at helping them gain confidence, develop team work and leadership and improve their communication skills. all through outdoor activities and a planning and review process. These weeks are always super rewarding (sometimes a little hard work too!), but this weeks group were awesome. Throughout our week with the Prince’s Trust in Devon, we have been walking on Dartmoor, Gorge Walking and Rock Climbing amongst other things. The weather has been unreal, especially for the start of October! Lets hope next week is even half as good! Though it does look like the weather is on the turn…

Climbing with the Prince’s Trust in Devon

Gorge Walking with the Prince’s Trust in Devon

Walking with the Prince’s Trust on Dartmoor

This weekend has been spent in Dorset, getting some sunny sport climbing done on Portland. Coming from Pembrokeshire where every trip entails an adventurous abseil into a big crag for some trad climbing, it was great to rock up and do some relaxing sport climbing after my week with the Prince’s Trust in Devon…

Climbing on Portland

Coasteering and Climbing in Pembrokeshire

By stu_mcinnes@hotmail.co.uk September 21, 2015 September 29, 2015 work

This last week has been a good one! The water has been as good as it gets; clear, calm, clean and some good low tides – great for some Coasteering and Climbing in Pembrokeshire! I have been working for TYF as well as getting plenty of climbing in… These September days, once the school holiday crowds have gone, truly are magical in Pembrokeshire…

We’ve had some great days Coasteering at both St. Nons and Abereiddy, with some lovely low tide explores, as well as some bigger swell adventures! Plenty of seals around too, with the pups appearing on the beaches. Be aware if you see any to keep your distance and stay quiet, don’t linger too long as the mums might not come and feed them whilst you’re there…

Coasteering at Abereiddy

In the “tumble dryer”, Coasteering at Abereiddy

After a few days in the water I was glad to be on dry land, accompanying a school group on a coastal walk, looking at map skills along with environmental issues, with the fantastic weather giving us awesome views over to Strumble Head, one of my favourite vistas in Pembrokeshire…

Looking over to Strumble Head

A weekend away climbing in South Pembrokeshire completed a really brilliant week! We did some fantastic climbs on Range East, and some new routes, but what will linger in my mind longest is the Lemon and Dill sauce we had at the Stackpole Inn! Amazing and highly recommended! We spent the day in the sun climbing in the Blockhouse Buttress area, slightly off the beaten track (due to it’s long by Pembrokeshire standards 20 minute walk in!), the area contains some fantastic routes, so go check them out!

Climbing on Range East

Alun and Sophie following a route at Blockhouse Buttress…

No comments

Walking Skills in Pembrokeshire

By stu_mcinnes@hotmail.co.uk June 30, 2015 June 30, 2015 Courses

This week I have been working and walking in Pembrokeshire on behalf of TYF delivering walking skills courses to students from Tormead School. The walking skills were delivered in the under-visited Preseli Hills in Pembrokeshire. The area is famous for the Bluestones (Spotted Dolerite rock) that were actually used in the inner circle at Stonehenge… Its pretty mad that all that time ago these massive stones were transported 200km! Aliens? Glaicial erratics? Rolled on logs? You decide!

The site of the Bluestones from Stonehenge

We started the week with a big dump of rain, the first in what seems like months here, and finished in sweltering heat! The focus of the walking skills course was to give the students a grounding in decision making and risk assessing, hopefully leading to them being safer walkers and scramblers in the future. As well as looking at map reading skills and plenty of fauna and flora, we spend much of the time scrambling around the various summit rocks.

Summit rocks on Carn Menyn

The area is usually deserted, which is mad! There is loads of potential for short scrambles and bouldering to spice up your day, and it feels like a proper upland environment. I really enjoy running mountain skills courses here, it’s great for navigation and the aforementioned scrambling, plus contains loads of fauna and flora and sites of historical significance. As well as the usual plants, mosses and lichens, we were lucky enough to see loads of Ravens and spot a Peregrine close up…

Ben above an old Ravens nest in the Preseli Hills

A great week working with Ben was had, and we had a few great nights down Whitesands Beach and Abereiddy with the students soaking up the sun and the ever amazing Pembrokeshire sunsets…

Whitesands Beach Sunset