Traditional Climbing

This is the original and main style of climbing in the UK. The lead (front) climber places all the necessary equipment (protection) to safeguard a route, which is then removed by the second (rear) climber.

A wide range of equipment, skills and techniques has developed with this style of climbing. There is always something new to learn as traditional climbing and its equipment continue to develop.

The courses below offer everyone, from the beginner to experienced climbers, to learn essential skills and techniques for use in their climbing careers.

Climbing Introduction - 2 days, 1:4 ratio. £125 per person.
Always wanted to try rock climbing, but don't know how to get into it? This course offers an introduction to climbing and some of the basic skills and techniques to whet your appetite so you want more.

Moving Outside (trad) - 2 days, 1:4 ratio day one and 1:2 ratio day two. £150 per person.
This is for individuals who are competent climbers and belayers at a climbing wall but have never climbed outside. This will include a recap of some basics such as belaying and simple climbing techniques but will move quickly onto more advanced climbing skills used outside.

Single Pitch Climber - 3 days, 1:2 ratio. £225 per person.
From novices with some experience to climbers who can lead and protect themselves safely on single pitch climbs in 3 days. This is a very intensive course and aimed at those with at least a little climbing experience but also a willingness to put in a great deal of effort and learn a wide range of new skills and techniques.

Multi Pitch Climber- 2 days, 1:2 ratio. £175 per person.
The transition from climbing single to multi pitch routes is very complex because of the numerous extra skills and techniques required. This course introduces experienced and competent single pitch climbers to the multi pitch environment and teaches a range of techniques to get you safely started in this new realm.

Advanced Traditional Climber - 2 days, 1:2 ratio. £175 per person.
There are many factors holding an individual back from reaching their potential in trad climbing, technical, physical and psychological. 2 days will be spent looking at not only advanced climbing techniques, but also strategies to improve and quicken protection selection and placement.
This course is suitable for experienced single or multi pitch trad climbers wanting to improve their overall climbing but aren't sure how to overcome one or more limiting factors.

Swanage Climber - 1:2 ratio. £150 per day.
Climbing on the big sea cliffs of Swanage is an experience not to be missed. Unfortunately, due to the seriousness of these cliffs and difficulties of access, route finding and escape, many climbers never get the full "Swanage Experience".
This course, tailored to your individual requirements, will provide you with what you need to get the most out of climbing with a suitable partner at Swanage. It will include information on route finding, abseil points for different areas and where to climb in various sea states and weather conditions. Techniques such as abseil backups, escaping routes and safeguarding topping out will also be covered.
Only experienced multi pitch climbers will be accepted on to this course. If you are interested, it is best for a normal climbing pair to attend.