Rock Climbing

Rock Climbing

We have a real passion for rock climbing and these resource pages hope to capture that with some great top tips and beginners articles. Along with highlighting the venues and crags we use along with some of the classic routes we find ourselves working and playing on. What we are aiming for is to inform and inspire you to get out there and enjoy the rock climbing wherever it might be.

Instructional Articles

A selection of course that are aimed at offering help and advice on rock climbing safety or climbing technique.

Video Tutorials – Introduction to Rings for Climbing

In this tutorial Mark Reeves our head coach takes you through some basic exercises to get you started on shoulder strengthening and stabilization exercises for rock climbing using the rings.

Video Tutorials – Introduction to Pegboarding

In this video, we explore the basic principles behind using a peg board to increase your shoulder strength and power for rock climbing.

Rock Climbing for Beginners: Placing Wires

Mark Reeves enjoying a day out at the Cromlech

Nut or Wires are the backbone of the modern trad climbing rack and knowing how to use them is vital. This article will teach you the basics but remember there is no substitute for being taught on a learn to trad climb course.

Buying a Rock Climbing Rack

A rack of DMM walnuts (Sizes1 to 11)

I often get asked what is needed you need on a first climbing rack. The answer is not necessarily black or white, instead, a climbing rack should be based on your current needs but this article gives you a quick verview

The Nine Components of Fitness

Sometimes it pays to be flexible, a climber bridges out on Jack of Shadows a F7a, sport route on teh Colossus Wall, Dinoric Slate Quarries.

Fitness for any form of physical activity can be boiled down to nine components, these, if you like, are the trainable aspect of fitness. Here we look at them from a climbing perspective.

Technical, Tactical, Physical, Psychological

James McHaffie moment away from blowing his on-sight attempt at Strawberries one of the toughest E6s in the at the time and probably why it has since been upgraded to E7!

The TTPP or Technical, Tactical, Physical and Psychological aspects of rock climbing are the four aspects that coaches look at when they are coaching people to climb harder.

GOST Goal Setting for climbing

The amazing Ancient Art one of the finest rock climbing summits in the world! Let us help you reach your goals.

GOST Goal setting is an effective way to set SMART goals as well as setting a pathway to achieving them.

14 Week Periodised Rock Climbing Training Program

A local climber powering his way up the classic 7a in the Hermoida Cave.

Designing a long-term plan, like a 14-week Periodised Rock Climbing Training Program can be hard work but if you do it properly then the rewards will be worth it. Especially if we write it for you.

How To Climb Harder – Video’s Tutorials

Some great instructional videos on training and technique for rock climbing.

Rock Climbing for Beginners: Placing a Hex

A set of DMM Torque nuts which are a new slight variation to the old Hexes.

One of the key pieces of a beginner’s rock climbing rack, Hexes are a cheaper alternative to camming devices for protection for wider cracks.

Rock Climbing for Beginners: Placing Cams

These DMM quad cams are somewhat old, With most climbers now opting to go with the DMM Dragon cams which are dual axle. These old style still work and are just as good.

Camming devices are the most complex piece of rock climbing protection and take some time to master the use of this article covers the basics of what you need to know.

Fixed Gear on the Slate – Report

Comes the Dervish (E3), one of the classic slate routes and one we have help people climb through our performance rock climbing coaching.

An overview of some of the routes that have been re-equipped in the Slate Quarries since 2006

North Wales Climbing Venues

A selection of the best venues and crags for rock climbing in North Wales. We are so lucky to be able to work and play on these cliffs. We believe it is one of the main reason that our clients love our rock climbing courses so much because we get to teach on the best classic rock climbs in one of the worlds finest trad climbing destinations. Have a look below to see what we mean.

The Llanberis Pass

Mark Reeves enjoying a day out at the Cromlech
Possibly one of the finest trad rock climbing valleys in the world. The wall here are steeped with history and climbing the routes is like shaking hands with the old pioneers of the sport. A fantastic place to learn to climb or improve you skills on some of the benchmark routes of previous generations.
Crags, Cliff and Buttress

Gogarth

Castell Helen one of the more gentle introduction to sea cliff climbing at Gogarth.
The name Gogarth has put the fear of God into many rock climbers over the years as the tales of adventure on loose and scary terrain has put many people off. However, Gogarth is not all about stomach churning, adrenalin-inducing loose rock and fear.
Crags, Cliff and Buttress

Tremadog

The ironically named Weaver, E2 5b o the Vector Buttress of Tremadog. An amazing route that carves a direct line u the face cutting through several routes on its way.
Tremadog is a saviour of rock climbing in Snowdonia, found on the south edge of the Northern range of mountains in Snowdonia the weather is often much finer than further into the mountains. As such it is an extremely popular choice as a destination for our courses and many other climbers.
 
 
Crags, Cliff and Buttress
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Ogwen Valley Area

A client working on her lead climbing on the Pulpit Route, Diff, on the Milestone Buttress, Ogwen Valley.
The Ogwen Valley Area is an amazing valley that is home to some of the most spectacular easy climbs and mountain routes in the whole of the UK. This really is a novice nirvana.
 
 
Crags, Cliff and Buttress
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International Destination 

A brief overview of some of the amazing places we go rock climbing across the world. 

Costa Blanca Rock Climbing

The classic Thai Chi on Olta in Costa Blanca one of the finest 6b+ routes in the area. Set high above clap with the Penon D'ifach far below.
Costa Blanca in Spain is one of the finest winter hot rock climbing venues. It is extremely popular with British and Europeans alike because it offers a wide variety of sports and trad climbing across a wide but aspiration grade range. Whether it is single or multi-pitch this place really does cater for all different tastes and styles of climbing.
Crags, Cliff and Buttress