Monday 4 October 2010

Autumn climbing courses

Back to climbing courses in the Wye Valley this week - with the unsettled weather requiring a flexible approach to make the most of the conditions, with an emphasis on  the technical aspects of ropework and gear placements for wet days and climbing movement on dry days - eventually heading indoors on Sunday for further coaching.
We paid particular attention to belaying where the belayer is lighter than the climber - a re-occuring theme this year ( see http://guidedmountain-articles.blogspot.com/ ) . It would seem that indoor walls are failing to make provision for this ! with belayers having a very scary experience.
The changing season suggest a change in courses, with more emphasis on quiet days in the mountains away from the crowds, with airy summits in crisp autumn air taking the place of quick top outs on the smaller rock climbing crags - we are lucky in this country to have such variety despite having to put up with the occassional deluge.

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