JimBee

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Hey! I’ve been trad climbing since 2005 but my passion for the outdoors started years before when my father took me to Harrison’s Rocks and Snowdonia as a child. In the UK my favourite discipline is trad and in the Alps I really like alpine ridge routes.

In winter I try to escape the British gloom for some sun and sport climbing in Spain. I've also done plenty of caving in the UK & Crete, mainly vertical pots using SRT, and I’m a South East Cave Rescue Org volunteer.

Grades: I’m comfortable on trad VS and will have a crack at HVS or E1 if it’s a nice line. I onsight French 6a+ sport and work 6b+ routes. On southern sandstone I climb UK 5b, and in the Alps AD routes.

I’ve climbed at Southern Sandstone, Peak District, Wye Valley, Lakes, Swanage, Portland, Dartmoor, Cornwall, North Wales, South Wales Valleys, Wye Valley, Gower, Fort William, Skye, El Chorro, Costa Blanca, Majorca, Sardinia, Arco, Chamonix, Ecrins, Gunks, Grampians and Arapiles - always keen to try somewhere new!

Alpine: In 2008 I did a 6 day alpine autonomy course through Icicle Mountaineering, it covered all the usual skills and finished the week on the Domes de Miage traverse (PD), a great learning experience. Most of my alpine experience is in single axe territory on the popular tourist routes around Chamonix, but hope to venture into more adventurous terrain in future.

I'm technically sound in the mountains and keen to have some more adventures. I really enjoy climbing with new people, alpine newbies or someone more experienced. I’ve used the UKC forums to find partners before, here’s some alpine routes I've done unguided:

Mont Blanc via Gouter Ridge 4,810m Chamonix PD- 2017
Pointes Lachenal & Cosmiques Arête linkup, Chamonix AD 2017
Mont Blanc via Gouter Ridge (upto Vallot Refuge) 4,300m, Chamonix PD- 2015
Gran Paradiso (via Ferrata ridge) 4,061m Italy PD+ 2015
Cosmiques Arête, Chamonix AD 2017, 2015, 2008
Pointes Lachenal traverse, Chamonix PD 2015
Petite Aiguille Verte NW-NNE traverse PD 2015
Vallee Blanche snowboard descent - classic route 2015
Petite Aiguille Verte NW ridge, Chamonix PD- 2009
Dome & Barre Des Ecrins 4,102m Ecrins PD+ 2008 my 1st 4K summit.
Roche Faurio 3,730m Ecrins PD- 2008
Approx. 20 Via Ferrara in the Ecrins and Dolomites 1995-2006
Roadside ice falls WI2/3 Canmore, Canada 2007

Gear: Trad rack with Camalots and Dragonflies, 2 x 60m 9.1mm tri-rated Beal Jokers, 50m 8.5mm tri-rated Beal Opera, 40m 9.8mm single, G12 crampons, Grivel Air Tech Evo axes, 5 ice screws. Static ropes 50m, 30m, 25m.

Mountain Training: I’ve recently started preparing for my RCDI. Below I've summarised my instructing and coaching CPD to help find more opportunities:

2022 April: UK Coaching 'Safeguarding and Protecting' course online classroom.
2021 Dec: Outdoor First Aid ITC Certificate (valid to 2024)
2020 Sept: BMC 'Supporting Novice Club Members - Advanced Skills' Workshop at PYB
2019 June: MT Rock Climbing Instructor (Assessment - pass) McKinlay Mountaineering, Peak District & The Foundry.
2019 May: BMC 'Supporting Novice Club Members' Workshop at PYB
2019 May: MTA ‘Bridging the gap between SPA and RCI’ Workshop, Hutton Roof Crags, Cumbria.
2019 April: Shadowed instructors setting up bottom/top ropes and abseils for groups of children on Dartmoor crags, and indoor bouldering at Dart Rock climbing wall, Buckfastleigh.
2019 April: MT Indoor Climbing Assistant (Training & Assessment - pass), The Tower Climbing Centre, Leicester.
2019 March-April: Shadowed instructors setting up bottom ropes and coaching groups of adults and children on Southern Sandstone.
2018 November-2019 March: Shadowed instructors on Basic Skills courses for adults and activity sessions for children, The Reach climbing wall, London.
2018 December: MT Foundation Coach Training, Boulder Brighton.
2018 May: BMC Fundamentals of Climbing 1 & 2, Mile End Climbing Wall, London.
2018 March-June: Shadowed instructors setting up bottom ropes and coaching groups of adults and children on Southern Sandstone.
2018 March: Kent Sport 'Safeguarding and Protecting Children & Vulnerable Adults' course, Medway Park.
2009: MT Rock Climbing Instructor (FKA Single Pitch Award) Training at PYB.
2004-2015: Taught vertical caving (Single Rope Technique) to Reading University Caving Club students.
2005-2006: Learnt to trad climb with Melbourne Uni Mountaineering Club at Arapiles and the Grampians, Australia.
2003 June & July: Climbing wall instructor (in-house trained) at an American summer camp, Pennsylvania.

Best Climbing Experience
A Dream of White Horses HVS 4c at Gogarth. Amazing route, we were the last party of the day when we climbed it in July 2018 and the light was incredible.

Favourite Climbing-Related Discussion Topic
Gear - anything to do with it, but best of all spending other people's money on it.

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Interests Outside Climbing
Snowboarding & Caving

About My Photography
iPhone.

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