UKC

How well do you want to be climbing this summer?

How much is success in climbing worth to you?

For the last seven years I have been developing tecniques for rapidly improving climbers’ abilities. My books Sport Climbing+ and Trad Climbing+ are now recommended texts on many well-established climbing courses, including those run by the National Mountain Centre, Plas y Brenin.

Private coaching sessions

This year I will be available for private coaching sessions in the Peak District from April to September 2009.

The positive approach:

I have yet to meet a climber who could not climb a grade or two harder than they think they can!
Using what I call the positive approach I will quickly work out your strengths and weaknesses, and then focus on each in turn to make immediate, and dramatic improvements. The methods I use have been developed entirely separately from those used by traditionally trained climbing instructors, and they have been refined over years of coaching literally hundreds of climbers. The effectiveness of my coaching methods is guaranteed. I am also the only dedicated climbing coach to specialise in trad climbing. I have no minimum level – all are welcome!

My methods:

If you’ve done a learn-to-lead course (as have many of my clients) you will find my approach very different. I fully expect you to see a change in your climbing after just a couple of hours, and you should expect to improve your leading grade by one or even two notches by the end of the day. My approach is very much geared to looking at the ‘positive’ side of climbing, put simply; I’ll show you how to get to the top – physically, technically, and psychologically.

The coaching days I provide are set entirely around your current level, and your goals – there are no ‘standard days’, and the more time I have, the more progress you will make.


A typical day:

The night before an arranged coaching day I will contact you to discuss the weather, if the forecast isn’t good, we can reschedule the day – there’s no point going out if the weather’s bad! I don’t take deposits, and if you’re unable to make the day, then we can simply reschedule.
On the day itself, I would typically meet you around 10am in Hathersage, and after a chat I will offer a plan for a day that builds up technical skills and confidence using carefully chosen boulder problems, before moving onto a series of routes that increase in difficulty. If I feel your footwear may be letting you down, I will help you sort that out before hitting the crags. I am perfectly happy to drive if you wish to arrive by train.
If the session is one-to-one, I will belay, if it is one-to-two, your partner will belay you, and I will arrange it so that I am on a fixed rope, able to give advice as you are climbing. The climbing you will do will push you, but you should expect to move through grade barriers without feeling like you are far out of your comfort zone. I will be improving your ability as a climber, and expect you to climb harder routes, without them feeling too much harder!

The day ends when the learning ends or you’re too tired to climb anymore! Lastly, if I cannot improve your climbing, I will not charge a penny. But I will, so don’t forget your wallet.

I frequently run two days back-to-back, where the first day is spent solely on technique, and the second day looking at applying that tecnique to leading routes. It’s entirely your choice.

About me:

• Author of both Sport Climbing+ and Trad Climbing+ published by Rockfax.
  
• Performance climbing writer for the BMC’s Summit magazine.
  
• The UK’s leading climbing coach specialising in trad climbing.
  
• Creator of the climbing coaching holiday
  
• Have climbed at an international level,/li>
  

What I offer, and how much it costs:

• One-to-one day-long session in the Peak District £150
  
• One-to-two day-long session in the Peak District £180
  
• Coaching sessions at The Climbing Works, The Castle, and The Arch - see my website for details
  
• I am available 7 days a week including public holidays from April to September.
  
• I will also be available for 1:1 and 1:2 coaching days in Kalymnos around September/October.
  

Non-meteorological conditions:

• I will assume you have the basic safety skills for the style of climbing you wish to improve, unless you tell me otherwise. I will also assume you have all your own gear, though I have a large array of climbing gear that I can bring along if you are lacking some pieces. I will also bring a large DMM bouldering mat.
  
• If you are under 18, I will require a parent to be present.
  
• There is no minimum grade – nor a maximum!
  
  Recent voluntary feedback:
  
  "Just a quick note to say thanks a lot for yesterday – I learnt an enormous amount and really enjoyed it. I’ll contact you in a while about another outing."
  Matthew, April 2009
  
  "I really liked your style of teaching - non-judgemental, very calm and patient. I also found that by your observation of mine and Edd's different climbing styles, you tailor-made the training and spent equal time focusing on improving our weaknesses and building on our strengths. You made me feel good about my climbing and even when things didn't go right I didn't feel criticised. You helped me to focus and observe a kind of inner stillness which has really helped with my climbing since. I never thought I would be able to climb VS 5a on grit, maybe on my next trip to the Peak it'll be HVS and beyond! Thank you Adrian, your teaching is truly inspirational and I would recommend your sessions to climbers of any ability."
  Donna, November 2008
  
  "I went and finished that HVS (Rear Wind) at St Govans that I had problems with initially, even when I found that one of the threads that I had used to protect the route previously was broken, I reassessed, kept my head up and my feet planted and found a different way to protect the move. Concentrating on getting my feet higher up rather than looking for the next handholds did so much for me on that route that I found myself halfway through a move and realised that there was almost no pressure on my hands and arms. [...] In all we now try harder, aspects of climbing are easier now we have been 'straightened out' a little, you have improved our rack organisation, confidence, technique, grade and have enhanced our enjoyment of climbing."
  Edd, November 2008
  
  Well the rematch took place on Saturday morning – and I won. It’s amazing what a difference I felt at the bottom of the route – more like I was there to dispatch something I expected to cruise up than the complete intimidation when we were there before.[...] I have added Kirkus’s Corner to the small but growing E1 tick list, and have been managing to jam with the skin on the back of my hands intact so far! [...] thanks again for all your input – it has made a lasting difference.
  Katrina, June 2008
  
  "Getting even one day of coaching is a fantastic investment, and ludicrously inexpensive for what you get. Aside from all that, Adrian himself was a lovely, fun person to be out climbing with for a day. That was my hardest day of cragging ever and today, day after, I am stiff all over and am mentally even more tired, and yet inspired too..."
  Eric, September 2008
  
  "Just a quick note to say a big 'thanks' for all your help on Saturday at Froggatt, particularly with my major wobbly head moment on Tody's wall.[...] On a more physical level, I'm now 100% more confident in my footwork than I was before, which is a good thing, and will help open up all sorts of climbs to me that previously I wouldn't have even thought about."
  Neil, September 2008
  
  
  Moving forward:
  
  I can be contacted though UKC or through my website, I will typically get back to you within the same day.
  
  http://www.positiveclimbing.com