Its been a really frustrating season for everybody hoping to push their winter climbing hard and currently Scotland is experiencing record temperatures for warmth in February. But on the other hand that has meant that its been possible to grab the occasional mild dry day. However, matching weather to destination has proved difficult and this weekend was a good example - perfect conditions at Gogarth on Saturday followed by pervading damp on all the coastal limestone crags on Sunday. It's raining now (monday); mild and wet, just like summer!
The diary of a Mountain Guide and climbing coach
Monday 27 February 2012
Tuesday 21 February 2012
21/2/12: Teaching Lead Climbing (+CWLA induction)
A popular exercise at the workshop at the Big Rock wall at Milton Keynes today: Extreme clipping! A bouldering crux presented by difficult clip for short trail rope. Good fun!
The workshop was attended by 21 enthusiastic climbers. Some of these are still working towards the Climbing Wall Leading Award qualification themselves while most are already providers of the Climbing Wall Award. With input from Guy Jarvis (ABC/NICAS) Joby Davies (CWLA provider) Jon Garside (BMC/MLTE Technical Officer), Malcolm Creasey (MLTE guru) and myself delivering sessions it was an enjoyable gig that played to all our strenghts. Thanks are due to all the participants for their enthusiasm. When Malcolm and I set off for the taxi at 5.00 we left behind several participants still cranking their way up the wall.
The workshop was attended by 21 enthusiastic climbers. Some of these are still working towards the Climbing Wall Leading Award qualification themselves while most are already providers of the Climbing Wall Award. With input from Guy Jarvis (ABC/NICAS) Joby Davies (CWLA provider) Jon Garside (BMC/MLTE Technical Officer), Malcolm Creasey (MLTE guru) and myself delivering sessions it was an enjoyable gig that played to all our strenghts. Thanks are due to all the participants for their enthusiasm. When Malcolm and I set off for the taxi at 5.00 we left behind several participants still cranking their way up the wall.
Friday 17 February 2012
Coaching climbing update
Last year's coaching symposium was oversubscribed and very well received. Riding in that success, a second symposium will be delivered on 24 - 25 March 2012 at Calshot Activities Centre near Southampton.
With a new program and more practical sessions, the theme for 2012 is performance clubs. The intended audience is similar to those who attended in 2011, namely coaches working in climbing walls, predominantly with children who take part in national and local competitions.
Mountain Leader Training UK is developing climbing coaching awards, and during the symposium there will an opportunity to hear about progress to date, and feed into future developments.
If you would like a top tip on how to get a foot onto the coaching ladder quickly when it is introduced next year, here it is: look out for the gradually extending range of Long Term Participant Development (LTPD) courses currently offered by the Mountaineering Councils, and get on them. These will be integrated into the scheme for the Assistant Coach and Coach training elements and so the sooner you attend these courses and start gaining experience at trying out the ideas, the better.
With a new program and more practical sessions, the theme for 2012 is performance clubs. The intended audience is similar to those who attended in 2011, namely coaches working in climbing walls, predominantly with children who take part in national and local competitions.
However, the vast majority of the program is of equal relevance to coaches working with adults and children who simply wish to improve, and have little or no interest in competing.
The symposium is subsidised with funding sourced by the BMC from Sport England. With rates even lower than they were in 2011, the Symposium represents excellent value for money. There are about 70 places on the symposium and as of Febraury 17th, 45 have already been booked. So if you are thinking of coming, you had better get your booking in soon!
Mountain Leader Training UK is developing climbing coaching awards, and during the symposium there will an opportunity to hear about progress to date, and feed into future developments.
If you would like a top tip on how to get a foot onto the coaching ladder quickly when it is introduced next year, here it is: look out for the gradually extending range of Long Term Participant Development (LTPD) courses currently offered by the Mountaineering Councils, and get on them. These will be integrated into the scheme for the Assistant Coach and Coach training elements and so the sooner you attend these courses and start gaining experience at trying out the ideas, the better.
Knot session for NMA trek leaders
Watching the young tutors planning, delivering and reviewing their teaching sessions was a truly heart warming and rewarding experience. Here Binot, a keen young tutor works alongside Pasa, a Scout Leader from the nearby International Scout camp teach Nisha, a TV producer to tie a figure of 8 knot. By the end of the course Nisha and the other 5 students showed great development in hill walking skills, and Nisha was looking forward to enrolling onto an NMA basic mountaineering course.
Some of the ex-students are now planning climbing trips: at least two of them have their eyes set on Everest but some of the others are now preparing together for a climbing trip to the Langtang Himalaya. They will be setting off in a few days - I'm sure they'll have a great adventure together!
Loads more great photos from this course at Flickr: just click the photo to find the link
Some of the ex-students are now planning climbing trips: at least two of them have their eyes set on Everest but some of the others are now preparing together for a climbing trip to the Langtang Himalaya. They will be setting off in a few days - I'm sure they'll have a great adventure together!
Loads more great photos from this course at Flickr: just click the photo to find the link
Thursday 9 February 2012
Nepal Mountaineering Association Trek leaders
MLTUK's Steve Long worked alongside Patrick Magnier (seen in this photo) on an experimental but succsessful course where former trainees from the NMA/Petzl Foundation trek leaders' training scheme were trained as tutors to work under the supervision of qualified Nepalese instructors. Working with us were two Nepalese Guides: Lakpa Sherpa and Jyamchang Bhote. The experiemental bit was using real students for the trainee tutors to work with. The end result for both tutors, students and instructors was startlingly successful.
This final installment in the long-running project by the Petzl Foundation handed over the administration of the scheme to NMA with the intention that once it is fully established, NMA will apply to the UIAA for accreditaion.
Working with minimal resources and intermittent power cuts, this was a challenging but immensely rewarding project. The UIAA Mountaineering Commission also hopes that the longstanding Slovenian supported Basic Mountaineering scheme in Nepal will also be nominated for Training Standard accreditation. More photos and some film footage can be found at the Flickr hosting site by following the photo link.
A similar project is still ongoing in Ladakh; this will be another international training team project, possibly including an instructor from Nepal.
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| Sunrise at NMA's training centre at Kakani |
Working with minimal resources and intermittent power cuts, this was a challenging but immensely rewarding project. The UIAA Mountaineering Commission also hopes that the longstanding Slovenian supported Basic Mountaineering scheme in Nepal will also be nominated for Training Standard accreditation. More photos and some film footage can be found at the Flickr hosting site by following the photo link.
A similar project is still ongoing in Ladakh; this will be another international training team project, possibly including an instructor from Nepal.
Thursday 2 February 2012
The graduates
Man, Vinayek and Mingmar, 3 of the students on last week's course. This week they are helping 2 Nepalese Guide/Instructors and 2 IFMGA Guides to deliver a similar trekking skills course to fellow compatriats. The course is fairly similar in content to the Accompanateurs (EML) course before the full winter component was added.
Some of the students are atteding the course as a primer for the NMA Basic Mountaineering Course (which has a long waiting list), some want to go together to climb Island Peak, a few work as trekking guides (with some impressive peaks to their names, and may years' experience!). Currently we have 6 new students from a similarly eclectic background including an actress/director. Perfect weather again this morning, but no water or electricity today so I'll sign off before my laptop's batteries go flat - today is the last and only internet access we'll get for the week.
Some of the students are atteding the course as a primer for the NMA Basic Mountaineering Course (which has a long waiting list), some want to go together to climb Island Peak, a few work as trekking guides (with some impressive peaks to their names, and may years' experience!). Currently we have 6 new students from a similarly eclectic background including an actress/director. Perfect weather again this morning, but no water or electricity today so I'll sign off before my laptop's batteries go flat - today is the last and only internet access we'll get for the week.
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