UKC

Hi. I'm looking to learn to lead trad as soon as the weather begins to turn, or ASAP. I'm a teacher based in Manchester and mainly available during weekends and school holidays. Would anybody have any recommendations?

Thank you.

Hi Manclimb,

I provide learn to lead courses. My website is here but feel free to contact me any other way if you want to chat further about a course? www.theoutsideedge.co.uk 

I'm based in South Wales with good access to Trad and Sport crags but can travel as well if you want something closer to home.

Cheers

Giles

Are you looking for recommendations for a proper course, or for an experienced trad climber to learn through a more organic experience?

Thanks, but I think South Wales is a bit too far. North Wales, Peaks or North Yorkshire would probably be best for me.

It depends, I have access to someone who might be able to give me that but I was thinking a qualified instructor given the dangers involved. I'm happy to hear your thoughts?

I learnt through climbing with a friend, and then with other climbers met via here and have since shown others the ropes who have gone on to be successful trad climbers themselves. I’m based just up in Hebden Bridge so quite handy for Manchester. Your call obviously, it just wasn’t exactly clear from your original message  

The arguments for and against professional tuition and learning from the bottom up are all done to death and it’s very much horses for courses. Some would rather have a couple of days intensive tuition from someone with a certificate, others prefer to have slower learning over many weeks or months at many venues on many types of rock and potentially building a long term partnership. Neither is wrong! 

I would say however you choose to do it (I just joined a club and just sort of picked it up, others I know really benefitted from a course) - don't overplay the 'danger' of trad climbing.  If you choose your objectives, there is no need for it to be any more dangerous than any other form of climbing.

Yeah, my plan was to combine both. I'm happy to get a lot of climbing in! How often do you climb?

That's an interesting point. Ideally, I'd do both as it would certainly suit my learning styles.

Just spoke to my wife and she was planning to meet up with family in the peaks so that looks like the number one destination right now. When would you be available? March time I'm assuming would be the earliest. Feel free to email me via here.

Every day if it’s dry! I tend to work weekends so am limited to a morning bouldering if I do then, but weekdays are generally free so would make the most of your holidays

I run these courses, love doing them and have been doing so for years

Im based in Snowdonia, and the courses run from March onwards, weathers too hit and miss really over the winter months.

The YouTube channel might give you a flavour of what I deliver: http://www.youtube.com/c/JBMountainSkills

Hi there,

You can't go wrong if you choose someone who is a member of the association of mountaineering instructors https://www.mountain-training.org/membership/ami 

Now for a big biased plug from an ex-teacher now full time instructor, you could always check out https://hepworthadventures.co.uk and I am running climbing courses this weekend, next week and into December! How about booking something for the start of the school Christmas holidays in the Peak District?

Cheers

Jeremy

have a look at Pure Outdoor, Bamford

https://www.pureoutdoor.co.uk/

Thanks. I'm thinking if waiting until March time and when we are out of lockdown. 

Thank you. I appreciate that.

- Get a good book, like Trad Climbing + by Rockfax, and read it, looking up questions that arise elsewhere 

- Go out with friends or join a local climbing club

- Practice placing gear and building belays at the bottom of a crag

- Start off as easy as possible and build slowly, consolidating your learning and experiences

Two dislikes presumably from people who don't appreciate the value and autonomy of learning something for yourself - best ignored.

Seeing as your weekend time is precious due to work commitments, check out the weekend courses that Plas Y Brenin run (https://www.pyb.co.uk).  We took their learn to lead course a few years back, and it was well worth the time and money.

Alternatively, there are a lot of independent instructors who have had a really lousy year for bookings, and they'd appreciate the work, and are more likely to be local to you and flexible with what they can offer.

Thanks. I do know people through a club but hoping to combine. I'm all sorted now.

Thanks. Some points to consider in the future.

Thanks, I've gone with an independent one.

The tiniest of points, but someone has to set you right: 'it's 'the Peak' or the 'Peak District', NOT 'the Peaks'. No charge for that

Why not watch some YouTube vids, read the Highway Code then just buy a car and try driving? 

That's why you've got dislikes. I learnt the DIY way and at the start was lucky to not crock myself. Even if you wish to self-teach, a day with someone experienced (qualified or otherwise) will be incredibly valuable to validate your self-led learning. 

can highly recommend Charley Fell, or Jez from jbmountainskills

Both top bananas 

Well - exactly as I said, in other words: some people don't appreciate the value and autonomy of learning something for yourself. And, when it comes to trad, learning autonomy is one of the most important assets of all. Autodidaticism has a long history within climbing.

But, note, I did say: "Go out with friends or join a local climbing club." I more or less taught myself to trad climb. But, of course, part of that was listening attentively to friends and partners and reading books and watching videos. I've even done courses with qualified instructors - and gained a lot in the process. But, I learnt some things doing it for myself that can't be taught. Indeed, I think there's a case for arguing that expecting an instructor to be able to teach you trad climbing is wrong-headed from the get-go. It is about passing off responsibility - not only for managing risk, but also for learning and direction.

Of course, it isn't either/or. I never suggested that it's not valuable to seek out instruction - merely gave pointers as to how to make a start for yourself. Which is an important corrective to people who think that knowledge, skills and ability can simply be purchased.

I would ask around the staff room, loads of teachers climb, so even if non you work with do, they may well know a person who does.