UKC

Hello, my daughter (12) and I are new to climbing. We've been going to a wall for about 4 months and she is keen as mustard. The way things have worked out, I have a cottage near Glenlivet for a week in early August and we're keen to find some rocks to climb outside.

So. I appreciate this is not an activity to be undertaken lightly and would therefore prefer to be around others. Am I near anyone else planning some climbing in that area or can anyone recommend a local destination where we're not too far from civilazation?

Regards,

Andrew

In reply to Soloist:

As a southerner I have no idea about climbing in the area, though I suspect you'll be able to find people closer to the time. Often people don't make plans until a week or two before and destinations can change at the last minute depending on the forecasts.

Welcome and I hope you find a good group of people!

In reply to Soloist:

At risk of sounding too obvious, indoor to outdoor is a big step up, and belaying on a top rope at a wall only imparts a small amount of the knowledge and skills you'd need to climb outside safely and independently. What sort of climbing are you intending to do? Have you done any scrambling outdoors? If not that's definitely a good starting point, gets you into the mountain environment and doesn't require much in the way of equipment.

In reply to Trevers:

Hi, yes, guess it's just a bit of scrambling around to bouldering at this visit. I come from a background in the arboricultural industry so no novice to ropes/safety etc However, I recognise that my daughter is a novice and that I am too in climbing with rope rather than on rope.

If nothing else, I see there is a good wall at Aviemore but it seems a shamne to drive 8 hours to end up indoors!

In reply to Soloist:

I don't have much local knowledge but perhaps you should consider hiring an instuctor for a day at a nice single pitch crag like Pass of Ballater...

http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crag.php?id=79

Likely to be a great day in itself and I'm sure a day with an intructor would leave you confident enough to at least rig top ropes for yourselves. This would then allow you to do a bit of independant climbing over the rest of your week.

The guide Alan Halewood has a good reputation for this sort of thing (as do others)...
http://www.climbwhenyoureready.com/RockClimbingInstructionandGuiding.html

In reply to Soloist: Thanks for the recommendation JLS but I'm in the Pamirs then. Soloist if you don't find any local climbers willing to head out with you/you want a day's Instruction to kickstart your learning then I can recommend Duncan at http://www.nemountain.co.uk who is based in Aberdeen. Good luck and happy climbing. Al

In reply to AlH:

Don't do anything Robin Smith wouldn't do...

In reply to Soloist:
>

I think the wall wall you are refering to in aviemore has closed down a while ago. but the sign & website still exsists

In reply to JLS: I don't intend to pee on my team mates if that's what you mean!

In reply to Soloist: I have nothing.to add to the advice already given. But I also climb with my 12 year old daughter. I have been climbing.on and off for 30 years! We live in Warrington. Are you nearby? Maybe we could meet up for a days outdoor climbing...

In reply to Soloist: Hows Benny Beg now? Used to be nice enough, but a good 2.5 hr drive so maybe could visit on the way up or down...

Used to be well bolted but had a feeling some bolts were removed.. good easy sports suitable for beginners I thought, locals will know better..

In reply to IainRUK:

Good point!