About Us
The Rock Climbing Company offers adventurous activities in both Snowdonia and Spain. The company and courses are run by Silvia Fitzpatrick and they are supported by Simon Marsh. Silvia Fitzpatrick is a Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor who has been climbing all over the world at a high level for more than 22 years. Simon is SPA qualified and head of climbing at DMM. He is also a director of the Ground Up which researches and publishes rock climbing guidebooks.
Silvia holds the Mountain Instructor Award (Award Number 1369) from the Association of Mountaineering Instructors. The Association of Mountaineering Instructors is the representative body for professionally qualified Mountaineering Instructors in the British Isles. AMI is committed to promoting good practice in all mountaineering instruction. Silvia is also qualified as a Physical Education and Modern Language Teacher and is fluent in Spanish, French and Italian.
Silvia has an impressive climbing CV that includes:
• Several successful summits in Patagonia including the first female ascent of the amazing Cerro Fitz Roy. Many alpine classics such as the Bonatti Pillar (before it fell down!), the Walker Spur and the North Face of the Eiger. Silvia also made an early repeat of 'The Fish' in the Dolomites.
• In the UK her trad achievements include many classic E5s such as Right Wall, Positron and Alien in North Wales; Black Magic and Darkinbad in North Devon; A Grey English Morning and Headhunter in Pembroke. In 2006 she pulled off her hardest lead on natural gear by doing Mammoth Direct (E6) on the Main Cliff of Gogarth.
• Silvia was the British Indoor Climbing Champion in 1994 and a member of the British Competition Climbing Team from 1993 to 1995.
• In sport climbing, she has climbed over forty routes graded 8a and above in locations throughout Europe, UK, Asia and Australia. She has recently red pointed her hardest sport route: El Oraculo (8b) in El Chorro, Spain. In the autumn Silvia migrates to Southern Spain, where she offers rock climbing instruction and guiding in sunny venues.
Profile of Silvia from Climber - May 2007
Silvia is sponsored by:
DMM - very fine climbing equipment.
Mammut - great ropes
Vasque - superb technical boots and approach shoes.
Simon has been climbing for 25 years and has traveled all over the world. He has climbed many routes graded E6 such as Lord of the Flies and Barbarossa in North Wales, Souls and Hunter Killer in Pembroke, Linden, Tequilla Mockingbird and Narcissus in the Peak District.
In sport climbing he has done many classic routes including Zoolook, 8a, at Malham
Simon is head of climbing at DMM in Llanberis, North Wales. He oversees product development, production and sales.
As a member of the Ground Up guide book company Simon researched and wrote parts of the North Wales select guide and is currently working on the Main Cliff section for the forthcoming Gogarth guide.
