Rock Climbing Courses in North Wales, Snowdonia and Spain
We specialise in creating personalised rock climbing courses - the climbing can range from exciting taster sessions that let you to try climbing and abseiling for the first time, through multi-day lead climbing courses to performance climbing clinics for experienced climbers looking to improve their climbing.
You will find some broad course outlines below, but these are really just a starting point because everyone is at a different stage in their climbing and has different needs. We will build the course around your requirements and arrange the instruction so that it moves at a comfortable pace and gives you the skills and experience that you want - all within the framework of an exciting and safe climbing adventure that you will remember for a long time.
The majority of our climbing courses are arranged privately, but we do also offer open courses and the dates are on the Calendar page
Between April and October we base the majority of our rock courses in the Snowdonia region of North Wales. We live here because it is a superb climbing area with a variety of routes that is unequalled in Britain - there are the high mountain routes of the Llanberis Pass and Ogwen Valley, the sombre and technical routes in the Slate quarries, the rain shadow areas of the Moelwyns and Tremadog and the majestic sea cliffs of Gogarth and Rhoscolyn. This variety forces you to learn a broad range of techniques that will form a solid base of climbing skills for you to build on.
During the Winter we organise climbing holidays and courses close to Malaga in the Andalucia region of southern Spain. Our base is in a small rural hill town north of Malaga and there is easy access to many excellent crags including El Chorro, Loja and Archidona.
An outline of some popular rock climbing courses is below.
Climbing Taster Sessions : A beginners course that will let you try climbing and abseiling - you will climb some fantastic routes and get a true feel for what rock climbing's all about. You will learn all the basic skills involved in climbing - using a harness, tying into the rope and belaying. A great course for families or team building that can be run at an indoor climbing wall or on an outside crag .
Learn to Climb Course: A comprehensive introduction to the sport of climbing that will give you the key skills and experience to start climbing independently and safely. We normally cover: Climbing equipment, tying onto the ropes, belaying, ropework, choosing anchors and building belays, movement skills and techniques, abseiling, understanding guidebooks / climbing grades and selecting routes. Plus we will do lots of climbing. We often start this course at an indoor climbing wall and then progress outside onto single pitch crags plus there is often the opportunity to second multi-pitch routes.
Climbing Outside Course: This course is perfect for those climbers who have learnt to climb indoors at a climbing wall and now want to expand their skills to start climbing outdoors. The course covers topics such as setting up belays, basic rope work, climbing equipment and how to use it. The great thing about being based in North Wales is that there are multi-pitch, sport and traditional routes all within easy reach of each other which lets us offer a really wide range of instruction.
Learn to Lead Climb Course: Learning to lead climb can be a stressful and intimidating step in your climbing career, but learning with an instructor will give you the opportunity to start leading at your own pace in a controlled and safe environment. We have a lot of experience in teaching people how to make the transition from top roping and seconding to leading both sports and traditional (trad) routes. People often find it reassuring to know that their climbing instructor will often be on a separate rope right alongside them as they make their first leads.
Sea Cliff / Adventure Climbing Course: This course will give you the extra skills and confidence to overcome the extra objective difficulties that are likely to encountered when attempting sea cliff routes.
Guided Climbing : We can arrange guiding for virtually any route in North Wales and Snowdonia. We love climbing and there is nothing better than sharing the best routes in the area with fellow climbers - we can point you towards the very best classic rock climbs or help you climb the routes that you have always wished to do. It is really easy to combine guiding with instruction, so that you climb some great routes and learn a lot at the same time.
Performance Climbing Courses : Virtually all climbers hit a plateau at some stage in their climbing life and pushing beyond this point is sometimes difficult without help from an experienced climber looking at the situation afresh. Silvia is great at getting you enthused, highlighting strengths and weaknesses and maximising your potential by getting you to climb intelligently.
Advanced Rope Work and Self Rescue Techniques: Trouble happens. This course will help you avoid getting into trouble in the first place and also give you the core ropework skills to implement a rescue if you, your partner or another team get into trouble.
Scrambling Courses in Snowdonia and Spain
The Rock Climbing Company run a comprehensive range of scrambling courses in North Wales and Spain.
Scrambling routes in the UK can cover a very broad range of terrain and difficulty within their length; some sections may not be much harder that steep walks, whilst others demand alpine mountaineering and rock climbing skills. The difficulty for the novice scrambler is knowing how to move fluidly and safely over all these differing types of terrain.
Scrambling with an instructor will give you the experience to gauge the difficulty of a section of rock and tackle it accordingly - one of the key skills of scrambling is knowing when and how to use a rope and when its use is not required so that you can switch smoothly between soloing without a rope, moving together using short-roping techniques and pitching short hard sections.
Scrambling in the mountains of Snowdonia and Spain is an ideal introduction to the world of mountaineering and the techniques learnt from a climbing instructor on a scrambling course will give you the skills and experience to explore the mountains of the UK with more independence and safety.
Snowdon via Crib Goch : This is the classic Welsh scramble. The difficulties on the standard route are not excessive, but the exposure on the main knife edge ridge is mind blowing and unforgettable. The difficulty can be increased by taking variation approaches and the route can be extended to take in the whole of the Snowdon Horseshoe. If you are lucky enough to do the route on a clear day then the views are amazing.
Scrambling - Welsh Classics: A tour of the best scrambles in Snowdonia. There are lots of great routes and the scrambles we choose will depend on the weather, fitness and experience but could include Cneifion Arete, Bristly Ridge and Tryfan via Milestone Buttress approach. The Tryfan / Bristly Ridge combination is a brilliant circuit for the fit that rivals Crib Goch.
Learn to Scramble Course: A 2 to 5 day course that will cover all the essential skills needed to start scrambling. The course will try to strike a balance between teaching you technical skills needed whilst maintaining a strong emphasis on the careful judgments required for safe scrambling. We will look at basic rope work, moving over steep ground, short roping and route-finding / interpreting the guidebooks/grading system.
Advanced Scrambling Course: This course is for those who have some scrambling experience and want to climb harder (Grade 3) scrambles. Grade 3 scrambles are essentially moderate rock climbs and so the course will look at more advanced rope work and movement techniques. We will also cover equipment selection, gear placement and navigation as well as escape/emergency techniques. We will, of course, also climb a lot of great routes.
Guided Scrambling: There are lots of great scrambles, some of which are famous and some which are less well known. We can help you enjoy these best scrambles in Snowdonia and Spain by guiding you to the very best routes and looking after all the safety and technical issues. This is also a great course if you have limited time and want to maximise the amount of scrambling you do or want to push your grade.
Climbing, Scrambling and Mountain Skills Courses - An Overview
The Rock Climbing Company offer a comprehensive range of flexible mountaineering courses that are always customised specifically to your requirements.
We base our climbing instruction and guiding in two fantastic areas; between Spring to Autumn we run courses in Snowdonia, North Wales. We are situated near Betws y Coed in the heart of the Snowdonia National Park and this superb mountain area allows us to offer a full range of climbing and scrambling instruction.
During the Winter we offer climbing courses in Southern Spain. These spanish climbing holidays can be offered with accommodation as we have just finished renovating a house in the mountain town of Villanueva del Rosario in Andalucia. The town is close to Malaga and Granada airports, but is surrounded by fantastic crags, hills and mountains with easy access to the climbing areas of El Chorro, Loja and Archidona.
We tend to keep our instruction to these two main areas because we know them well and this helps us deliver effective courses that get the most out of the available time and conditions.
Why Use a Climbing Instructor?
Climbing with a professional, qualified and fully insured instructor lets you learn new skills efficiently in an intensive and enthusiastic environment, knowing that you are being taught best practice in the safest possible manner.
You’ll also gain personal confidence as you rapidly widen and deepen your whole spectrum of climbing skills through observation, practice and discussion.
Importantly you will enjoy the local knowledge that a climbing instructor has acquired over many years. Bad weather? We won’t waste a day; we’ll just change objectives. Route too crowded? We’ll move over here; this route’s even better. Feeling pressed for time? Don’t worry, we know the shortcut home.
All in all, your climbing experience will be improved with local knowledge, professional skills and enthusiasm for the adventure at hand.
Pricing and Instructor/Client Ratios.
Instructor/client ratios are kept low to increase safety and maximise contact time for learning. It may be tempting to reduce costs by looking for higher ratios, but you don't learn as much and it is much more difficult to get the course fine tuned to your requirements.
Maximum instructor-client ratios can be found in each course section. Prices can also be found in each course section.
Course lengths.
Taster sessions normally last between 0.5 and 2 days, whilst all other instruction can be any length from 1 to 5 days or more. Many clients find that there is a great benefit in having at least 2 days of instruction because it allows them reinforce all the newly learning skills whilst still allowing time to enjoy the adventure.
Guiding.
We love climbing, scrambling and being in the mountains. We know the areas we teach in well and can help you climb your dream routes, whether it be a classic scramble in the Glyders or Right Wall on Dinas Cromlech. Guiding and instruction are easily combined, so if you would like to learn new skills whilst climbing classic routes then that can easily be arranged.
Mountaineering Qualifications.
We are a small, independent company run by Silvia Fitzpatrick and virtually all the instruction is delivered by Silvia. Silvia holds the Mountaineering Instructor Award (1369) and is a full member of both the Association of Mountaineering Instructors and Mountain Leader Training Association. 
In the event that Silvia is unable to personally instruct the course she may be able to offer an alternative instructor; all our associate instructors are professionally qualified to the relevant national qualification. In addition we only use instructors who we know and share our passion for the mountains. We will always ensure that the client is fully aware of the situation and that the use of an alternative instructor is acceptable to them.
Pricing and Instructor/Client Ratios.
Instructor/client ratios are kept low to increase safety and maximise contact time for learning. Maximum instructor-client ratios can be found in each course section. Prices can be found on the panel to the side.
What is included in the price:
- All instruction.
- The use of all technical equipment such as ropes, harnesses, karabiners and helmets.
- Indoor climbing wall entry fees for 'Taster' and 'Learn to Climb' courses.
What is not included in the course price:
- Travel to and from the course base or venue.
- Personal insurance (illness, accident, cancellation and personal equipment/possessions).
- Personal equipment such as waterproofs, walking boots and rucksack.
- Climbing shoes for intermediate and advanced level rock climbing courses.
- Food.
- Accommodation.
Hire Equipment
Equipment.
All specialist equipment will be provided by the Rock Climbing Company. As detailed above you are responsible for providing your own suitable clothing, footwear and rucksack. Further detailed info can be found in the specific course sections and the main equipment section.
What if the weather is bad?
Snowdonia has a wide range of venues to choose from and often it can be raining at one and sunny at another.
On rock climbing and scrambling courses we will always use our local knowledge to try to choose a venue best suited to the prevailing conditions, whilst for navigation courses poor weather can provide realistic conditions which will enhance the learning experience. We will do everything we can to make each day happen, so please arrive prepared for both warm and cold weather because you will be in the mountains.
We will determine on each morning of the day or course if it has be canceled due to inclement weather causing conditions likely to endanger members of the course (extreme cold, torrential rain, or snow). If it is canceled, you may transfer to another course on an alternative date.
Dangerous Activities
Safety and duty of care towards our clients is of the the highest priority to the Rock Climbing Company. Many of our activities are hazardous by their very nature and all participants, parents and guardians must accept that there are risks associated with these activities. We manage and minimise risk in the following ways:
- All instruction is undertaken by professionally qualified instructors who all have many years of experience.
- The safety equipment we supply and use is of good quality, well maintained, in good condition and regularly inspected.
- We instruct and teach to guidelines set by the Association of Mountaineering Instructors.
- We instruct and teach in groups with low client to instructor ratios.
- We constantly evaluate risks throughout a course and if a level of risk is deemed unacceptable, then the activity will be altered accordingly.
Activities will always be conducted in a manner compatible to your current level of experience and competency.
How fit do I need to be?
All our courses involve physical activity and most are wholly suitable for anyone who is healthy and of average fitness. Our instructors will take your actual level of fitness into account and ensure the activities are conducted at a comfortable pace. If you do have a medical condition, please use the space provided in the Booking Form to let us know; all such information will of course, be treated in the strictest confidence. If you have any doubts or require clarification, please contact us via email
What experience do I need ?
Our courses cover the range of experience from the absolute beginner to those having substantial experience. Please check the course notes for your particular course for details.
Do I require insurance ?
We strongly recommend that you take out insurance to cover course cancellation or curtailment. This should also cover you for accidents or if you have to cancel due to reasons beyond your control such as illness. If you are a member of The BMC then you can take advantage of their insurance services via The BMC web site or the company Snowcard provide insurance for outdoor activities.
Accommodation
You should book accommodation to suit your budget and preference be it hotel, B&B, bunkhouse or camping.
Snowdonia has a host of options to choose from and you may wish to visit our accommodation pages for accommodation recommendations and suggestions.
If you are coming on a Spanish course we can arrange appropriate accommodation for you either at our base or in a local hotel,
Testimonials
Client satisfaction is very important to us. Silvia received the following note of thanks after a 2 day Learn to Lead course that took place in September 2008 at Tryfan Bach in Ogwen and Holyhead Mountain on Anglesey :
Hi Silvia
Just like to say thank you again for a fantastic weekend, it was great to meet and learn from you. We both came away feeling energised and excited, and we look forward to putting into practice everything we have learned (except how to get out of trouble) Julie found the climbs on Holyhead a little scary, and thanks to your constant encouragement and help was able to complete them.
All sports should have a Silvia to help and encourage new comers, and promote their sports with enthusiasm and passion.
I hope to travel to Spain in Oct 2009 to attend an improvers course, I am very interested in technique, being small it is essential to move to higher levels.
Look forward to meeting you again, thank you very much for your patients (sic) and guidance.
The following is from a Learn to Lead Climb held in December in Spain:
Hola Silvia,
THANK YOU so much for our two days of climbing with you. We really
loved it, both of us got so much out of it, despite our different
previous experience. We really appreciated all your effort and
especially the help with the extra cold weather. We couldn't believe
how hot it was the last two days before we left.
Anyway, it was great to meet you, thank you and we hope to be back
some time...
Thanks too for being photographer as well!
The following is from an Introduction to climbing course in February 09 in Spain:
Hi Silvia,
I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU for an amazing break...I really enjoyed myself...
Silvia has been climbing all over the world over for 20 years and has built up an extensive and impressive climbing CV; highlights include climbing the North Face of the Eiger, making the first female ascent of Cerro Fitzroy in Patagonia, becoming British Climbing Champion and becoming one of the few female climbers to climb a route with the magic 8b grade.