climbing with groups

June 2021

Kids climbing days

June was a cracking month weather wise. Combined with the holidays there were lots of kids climbing days out.

Kids climbing is always fun as you just never know how the day will ‘pan’ out. I normally find that once you light the touch paper – climbing, or scrambling or anything else outdoor orientated, then the activity comes alive. Of course the kids need to be on board with it too to make it work. Likewise with many years of working for the Outward Bound trust, it can be like herding cats. 😉 You can find some more information on our climbing days here.

Activities kids climbing

Andy’s family made a couple of visits to the Lakes. They too were looking for some adventure days out. One of the activities had to be some climbing with his kids – Harry, Thomas and Elsie. As they sometimes say ‘it’s a small world’ and I too use to live in Otley a good few years back. I was actually brought up about 5 miles away so know the area very well.

We had done some Canyoning before with them, which they loved, so this time I had decided for some Scrambling followed by some Rock Climbing.

Andy also wanted to look at some rope work so that in the future, he may use it to safe guard the kids whilst scrambling amongst the rocks and outcrops, possibly back in his home town of Otley in Yorkshire.  More on Otley later…kids climbing

The finest crag on the planet

Besides kids climbing, I made a short trip to see family and nip into one if not thee, finest bouldering crags known – IMO – That is Caley crags. Caley is situated above the market town of Otley. A large and steep hill called Pool Bank leads you up to the top (use to cycle and run this a lot in the past) From there it’s a short walk to some amazing problems* situated in beautiful surroundings. This is probably the nearest thing we have to Fontainebleau, which sits outside of Paris, and too is utterly amazing.

On the government-climbing grant, I spent many days and what would turn into many years bouldering and climbing on the rocks.  The picture in the gallery is called one step above the clouds, and is a super problem that carries on up the wall above where I am and tops out in the clouds! I’ve probably climbed this 40/50 times over the years and actually remember a foggy wintery day topping out into mist…which felt like clouds 😉

• Problems – To a boulderer each piece of rock or stone may have as many as 10 to fifteen ways up it. Therefore each boulder is unique and individual. So we call each way up a ‘problem’

Group days kids climbing

The reconnaissance of the Snowdon horseshoe by Deepan and myself the month before was the plan for the group we had arranged to meet and do a two day activity training weekend in preparation for their upcoming Alps trip with Rock n Ridge. Sadly in the end this did not go ahead due to Covid. Nevertheless no training is wasted and we made full use of the weekend. Crib Goch and Snowdon on day one. And Rock Climbing on day two. The weather was scorching and finding some shade was the tricky part! In contrast to kids climbing, these days can be more competitive. One person climbs a route and of course their friend has to do it. It’s all great fun and morale was high and the support from the group was strong.

After the climbing day we all said farewell and it was back up to the Lakes for me as in a day or two there was a family wanting a Canoe session followed by some ‘kids climbing’!

Now then, will it be touch paper, or cats…?

Links:

UKC – A list showing virtually all the climbing routes and ‘problems’ at Caley crags – Here

Beginners guide to bouldering – Here