Rock Improver - 5 Day

Overview

This immersive course is all about developing your skillset at a level that’s tailored to you. We’ll start in a slightly bigger team for nice social scenes, then split into pairs and address any specific aims you have. This might include going to a more adventurous crag such as a sea cliff, pushing your sport climbing grade, or even leading your first route. 

You should leave the course feeling more confident and capable as a climber and eager to put your takeaways into action!

Who’s This Aimed At?

Climbers who would like to develop their skills and build confidence seconding routes, or gain more experience towards lead climbing. You need to be able to tie in and belay confidently, and have seconded some routes outdoors (at any grade). If you’ve been on our Introduction to Rock Climbing or Indoor to Outdoor Climbing courses and been out on the rock ever since, this is a great next step!

What Your Course May Look Like

Every course is unique as we tailor each one to the team and the weather, but this should give a flavour of what you might get up to.

Monday 

• Informal welcome chat with our staff and your course members;
• A bit of a shakedown day – get some climbing in and see where everyone’s at;
• Look at building belays and rigging top ropes;
• Movement coaching on a top rope;
• Abseil with a prussik;
• Return to Plas y Brenin for tea and cake!

Tuesday

• Go sport climbing for the day;
• Climb on a different rock type;
• Use clipsticks to get the rope to the top of the crag, and then work (‘redpoint’) a route;
• Focus on tactics – finding rests and good clipping positions;
• Try sport climbing specific belay devices such as a GriGri and Clickup;
• Do lots of fun climbing;
• Return to Plas y Brenin for more tea and cake!

Wednesday

• Ratio drop to 1 instructor to two course members;
• Head to a multi-pitch crag and climb some great routes;
• Instruction will be tailored to each pair;
• A common theme could be developing seconding skills; removing gear, tying into belays, managing stances and abseiling with a prusik;
• Return to Plas y Brenin for more tea and cake!

Thursday

• More multi-pitch climbing;
• Develop the previous day’s learning, e.g. placing gear and building belays, rigging an abseil independently;
• Climb fun routes;
• Return to Plas y Brenin for more tea and cake!

Friday

• More multi-pitch climbing;
• Either climbing on a more demanding crag such as a sea cliff, or heading to a friendly crag for an introduction to lead climbing if it’s appropriate;
• Overall, a consolidation of the week;
• Obviously, climbing more great routes;
• Return to Plas y Brenin for more tea and cake, and a fond farewell.