UKC

Hi, first post for me :-o

I had a bit of a false start climbing a couple of years ago. After doing it for about a month, my climbing buddy lost his driving license and then broke his wrist when he got his license back (it wasn't over eager celebrating). After his wrist healed, it was discover that it wasn't good and had to have a operation - blah blah yah de yah, you get the idea!

New year arrived and I am a little older, a little more flabby and right out of excuses so I decided enough was enough and resolved to get back into it. So far I am doing well on the indoor walls but I aspire along with my climbing buddy to do so real rock when it gets warmer.

So, to my question. I am looking for a good instructor that will take two indoor climbers into the scary outdoor crags and build on skills gained indoors whilst de-mystifying all the outdoor stuff.

I am located between Brum and Leicester. I would consider an instructor based locally or further North towards and into the Peaks.

I have googled and found http://www.iain.co.uk/leadclimb.htm which looks like exactly what I need. Can anyone provide any endorsements (or otherwise).

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Adam

In reply to adame:

Dont just go on the first site that Google hits you with.

Check out www.ami.org.uk which should help you pick an instructor to your liking.

I run courses myself if you are interested - but do look on the website - there are loads of excellent instructors out there. People on this forum should post their personal recommendations as well.

Good luck

David

In reply to David Hooper: Does a days instruction from you include a free meet & greet session with Chewwie B?

In reply to Oli:
Depends upon the crag - but yes - Chewwie B is usually part of the package.

However Chewwie does make a small charge in shared sandwiches.

In reply to David Hooper:


Yeah, I appreciate that it's the best way to find someone good at web management as opposed to finding a good instructor. TBH, I gave up after the first hit because I prefer impartial recommendations.

Thanks for you help, I will do some more homework before I decide.

Adam

In reply to adame: Jules at http://www.orionmountaineering.com/
is ace. really nice bloke. (hes based in sheffield)

In reply to adame:

The guy on your link can't be bothered to proof-read his own web ad (how do you spell gritstone....?).

Seriously though, it is very possible to pick up enough basic skills to climb outdoors without splashing out a fortune on having someone take you. Common sense, a decent book or two on the subject and any advice you can pick up from people around you, at your local wall, or from a decent climbing shop will see you through. In all the years I've been climbing, I can't remember climbing with a single person who learnt to climb in any other way than by picking it up in this way. If you're really worried about how to start off, then joining a club is also a good way of meeting people and getting exposed to the whole climbing experience in a friendly environment, without the spoon feeding element.

Good luck.

In reply to Adders:

Yeah I'll second Jules at www.orionmountaineering.com he is absolutely excellent and price wise is pretty good too....

He is on UKC too if you want to get in touch with him...
http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/profile.php?id=40904

In reply to adame:

Sounds good

In reply to adame:


What you mean Nuneaton / Hinckley then?

In reply to adame: there is also Pinnacle challenge, based in warwick to consider!

check out the link in my profile, or Simon Ager is on here too, or just go straight to www.pinnaclechallenge.co.uk

Jess.x

In reply to adame: In general avoid anyone who became an instructor through the armed forces - they are often poorly trained and have little proper climbing experience. I have come across many who are dangerous and have poor group management or regard for others at a crag. Also avoid fat poeple who picked up the certificate along with everything else going one summer while they worked for PGL or the scouts - again often little real idea of actual climbing, often cut corners and talk rubbish.
There are exceptions to the rule but I have yet to meet one!

Try to pick someone who goes climbing often for their own enjoyment and has a passion for climbing.

In reply to JIMBO:

I think that this statement is in fact complete rubbish, I know many miltary instructors, and many of them are much better trained than many civilians!

I don't see many civilians doing 5 day SPA assessments! Ok for the nit pickers, the miltary version does include multi pitch climbing and rescue skills. But they still do the same SPA assessment as anyone else.

I have come across much worse climbing supervisiors out of miltary than in.

In reply to Paul at work: Well from my experiences I have yet to see a competent armed forces trained instructor and some that I have come across have been outright dangerous to their party and others around them. I did say 'in general' and I am sure there are exceptions of which you obviously know some. I have also met similarly poor instructors from civilian roots as I stated - I think what I am trying to say is go for someone who is a climber and not a certificate collector or was put on a course to make up numbers...


JIMBO

In reply to JIMBO:

Avoid any climber who's experience is limited to Portland with over developed biceps who probably does'nt have any real proper climbing experience............ That would come across as a pretty arrogant position don't you think?

Military 'Climbing Instructor' Qualifications 'in general' as rigerous as their civilian counterparts, though they are not when I left, a civilian qualification. So the OP isn't likely to meet someone who's working as an instructor on the back of their 'mil qual'. You need the civilain quals to work as an instructor.

That said all of the former instructors I know are very experienced, capable and have taken the time to acquire the relevant civilian qualifications as well, and many have ability and experience that would overshadow yours. The days of someone having a mil qual who is not a 'recreational climber' are long past.

As for your experience, with mil instructors and bad management of mil groups I'm sure can happen, though I have to say I've seen it far more often in a civilian than a military context, simply because there are more uni and educational groups out there. That doesn't lead me to conclude that all civilian instructors are to be avoided.

Steve Blake

In reply to adame: Try Colin Little on 02476 474510 or Paul Smith on 07968 075793-both are MIA and have worked for us at the Bear Rock and are based in the Midlands.Or give me abell on 02476-524880 if your interested in any of our outdoor stuff.

In reply to SteveSBlake:
>> Military 'Climbing Instructor' Qualifications 'in general' as rigerous as their civilian counterparts, though they are not when I left, a civilian qualification. So the OP isn't likely to meet someone who's working as an instructor on the back of their 'mil qual'. You need the civilain quals to work as an instructor.

Where'd you get that idea? Anyone can set up as an "instructor", regardless of qualifications or lack of them, as far as I know.

OK, someone without paper is unlikely to get a job with one of the larger organiations, and may find insurance expensive/ hard to get, but nothing to stop them doing it.

In reply to Rob Naylor:

Rob,

You may well be able to 'set up' without any qualifications, but I doubt if you'd get many payning clients. In my 40 odd years of climbing I can think of only one. Though I'd be open to correction.

Without even a basic formal qualification the educational environment won't touch you and if someone is on the market looking for 'instruction' I'd have thought there inexperience would male them look for qualifications and experience?

Then there's the matter of insurance - or lack of it... Do you know of any 'unqualified' instructor/guides who make a living out of it?

Steve

In reply to adame:
Get in touch with the Walsall Rock & Ice club, they have some very very good climbers/mountaineers who are out climbing most weekends and it wont cost you a penny to learn the ropes.
Otherwise drop me a line.

In reply to adame:

I can recommend Matt at http://merlinadventures.co.uk/ - having done a couple of days of introductory multi-pitch training with him in North Wales. He's got the right gear, is an MIA and his style of instruction is easy to understand.

In reply to Paul at work: What you mean Nuneaton / Hinckley then?

Nah, I am a slightly west of that in a Polesworth.

In reply to others: Thanks for taking the time to reply.

I am always wary about the club environment because of my experiences with other activities (such as diving) where clubs tend to spend far too little of their time doing the activity that the club was set up for in favour of bitching and political infighting. I really have far too little time or inclination to get involved with that crap.

TBH, I would much rather pay a competent person some cash and get what I pay for. Thanks to everyone here, I have some good leads to go on now.

In reply to adame:

You might also try http://www.mountainexperiences.co.uk/wb/

Pete Stacey who is active in that area.

iN Nottingham try http://www.edchard.co.uk/ who is in Nottingham..


good luck...

In reply to JIMBO:

LOL. No idea of the right or wrong of what you've said, which is pretty broad-brushed anyway, but I (briefly) climbed with a guy some time ago who claimed to have been an army climbing instructor previously (and that his mates knew him as 'Action Man', but that's a different story). I think it was some kind of macho and ultimately ill-conceived BS - as when it came to the crunch he needed to be shown how to tie in before he could pass his indoor wall assessment....