It wasn’t the best forecast for Saturday but Sunday was sunny and dry so we decided to ‘go for it’. Ali met the two youngsters – 14 and 16 and told them the plan for their 2 day course. Both were familiar with Symonds Yat and they headed for the crag to play with gear; placing […]
Dave Tait Tames His Trad Leading Fears
Dave contacted Ali declaring he wanted ‘to grow some b***s when I’m above gear’. He also wanted help with technique. So it was with some intrigue that Ali took Dave by the horns to steer him in the right direction. After looking at gear to ensure Dave knew how to place it etc, it became […]
Alan and Nich pitch for pitch in North Wales
It didn’t seem 5 minutes since Ali spent the day with Alan Davies, but 2 months later they were driving north together with Nich Ness to have a multi-pitch adventure in Snowdonia for 3 days.The weather Friday was dry and warm as the trio walked into Cwm Idwal to do Hope, the classic VD. Nich […]
Refresher Trad Leading Course for Adam in Wye Valley
A fourth outing for Adam with Monsterclimbs, from his introduction to climbing outdoors to leading. He displays his Monsterclimbs car sticker with pride. An overcast day but perfect for our purpose to develop Adams trad leading. Ali talked in general terms about climbing and gear and instructed Adam to build a belay. It soon became obvious that Adam […]
D of E with Malvern St James in N Yorks
This summer Ali oversaw the Gold D of E expedition for Malvern St James – a private boarding and day school for girls. The first night was spent in Kettlewell Youth Hostel where the girls made their final preparations and discussed their plans with the assessors. The 2 Gold D of E groups followed similar […]