Improvers Outdoor Bouldering Course

Improvers Outdoor Bouldering Course in the Peak District National Park

Summary

Take all the best bits of a rock climb, condense them into a single boulder and enjoy the purest form of the sport. This is the closest thing to vertical dancing; are ready to become the Fred Astaire or Ginger Rogers of the climbing world?

Improvers Outdoor Bouldering Course

Location : Peak District

Duration : 1 day

Ratio : 1:6

Minimum age : 13

What's Included :
  • Expert tuition
  • All technical equipment
  • Complimentary use of our bouldering wall after the course
  • Complimentary refreshments
  • 5% discount on equipment in our shop

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Highlights

  • Develop your climbing technique on real rock
  • Become a confident, independent boulderer
  • Experience some of the best bouldering venues in the UK

Course Overview

Bouldering is the art and science of climbing boulders. By restricting the height of the climbs, the need for ropes and other rock climbing kit is removed. This one day course is suitable for anyone wanting to develop their technique, problem solving ability and all round 'send' capacity. We build on the fundamentals of footwork and movement on outdoor boulder in a safe and enjoyable way.

The Peak District has a wealth of bouldering options available, with problems suitable for beginners through to elite climbers, allowing our experienced instructors to choose the appropriate level of challenge for you. Climbers of all standards regularly use bouldering as one of the most effective ways to improve their strength and overall technique and this course is an excellent option for further developing and pushing your grade.

Course Outcomes

  • Safety techniques - mat placement and spotting
  • Bouldering techniques - moving effectively and efficiently
  • Experience of several bouldering venues
  • Using guidebooks and understanding grading systems
  • Understanding of ethics and etiquette

Course Information

YOUR IMPROVER OUTDOOR BOULDERING COURSE

9:30 - 16:30

Get ready to have a great session developing your bouldering skills on a great range of classic Gritstone boulders.

ARRIVE AT THE ADVENTURE HUB

Your instructor will welcome you and discuss the aims of the course and you own aspirations over a great cup of fresh Italian coffee or tea.

COLLECT AND CHECK YOUR EQUIPMENT

You will be sized up with rock climbing shoes if you require them. All you need do is check you have food and  water and that your rucksack is suitably packed ready for what the weather may throw at you.

TRAVEL TO CLIMB LOCATION

The exact location will depend on the weather and the aims and abilities of the group. Typically this is a 15-20 minute drive from the Adventure Hub. A short walk will then follow which is a great chance to look at the dark magic of guide books and boulder hunting, chat about environment and ethics, compare the benefits of different bouldering mats and simply get warmed up.

PRACTICAL CLIMBING SESSION
Your instructor will reiterate the fundamentals of safe bouldering and respecting the bouldering area and fellow climbers. You will then progressively develop your skills to send more challenging boulder problems. The art of footwork and perfect body position will underpin much of the day but you can expect to be shown and coached on different key climbing techniques as you work a range of different problems.

BACK TO THE ADVENTURE HUB
Once we are off the hill we will return to the Adventure Hub. With fresh coffee in hand, we summarise the key learning points from the day's adventure, discuss your progress so far and set some personalised development targets for your blossoming bouldering career.

  • We provide all technical equipment including bouldering mats, guide books and brushes
  • Clothing suited to the weather (waterproofs, warm tops)
  • Good comfortable footwear for walking to the crag
  • A good supply of snacks and a drink
  • Sun cream, hat and sunglasses (you just never know!)

Some experience of bouldering outdoors

  • As a Certified B Corp, we’re one of a growing number of global businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance.
  • Our well-equipped training centre, The Adventure Hub, is Carbon Neutral.
  • We encourage car sharing wherever feasible.
  • We encourage the use of public transport on all our courses. Bamford Railway Station is 5 minutes' walk and we enjoy direct bus connections to Sheffield and nearby villages.
  • We offer free camping kit for guests staying locally and looking to cut down on luggage.
  • Our staff are trained to prolong the life of equipment used on this course, where it is possible to recycle equipment at the end of its life, we do so appropriately.
  • We operate in small teams at low ratios to reduce our impact on the venues we use and other countryside users.
  • We donate 5% of the value of all sales to The Pure Outdoor Foundation.

  • The physical and mental benefits of outdoor activities are numerous and well documented, we firmly believe that those benefits should be available to as many people as possible.

  • If you are interested in experiencing any of our activities but feel unable to do so then please contact us to discuss your specific needs, we will always try to find a solution that works for you.

  • There are a range of simple adaptions we can make to our scheduled courses such as choosing venues with minimal walking or easy access to toilet facilities, providing cold storage facilities for temperature sensitive medications, allowing additional time or arranging for participants to be accompanied by a trusted aide.

  • When participation as part of an open group isn't appropriate we can arrange private tuition. This allows for a more tailored approach and a much wider range of adaptions such as assisted climbing and abseiling techniques for participants with significant physical or mobility issues.

  • If private tuition is unaffordable then we can sometimes offer subsidised places to bring the price back in line with our scheduled courses .These are provided by the Pure Outdoor Foundation whose goal is to bring as many people as possible into the outdoors, please enquire about availability.


  • Clear communication before the activity is crucial so, as well as telephone and email conversations, we can also arrange to meet participants directly at a venue days or weeks beforehand to identify any specific barriers and begin addressing any anxieties.

FAQs

Start time: 09:30 - Finish time: . Please note, these times are approximate and could be subject to minor changes. Please leave plenty of time when booking public transport.

Anyone aged 13 or over can attend any of our scheduled courses with the exception of Mountain Biking and Winter Skills where the minimum age is 18 unless accompanied by a parent.

We hold an AALA license and are able to take out children who are younger than 13, however we only offer this on a private guided basis. See our private guiding rates, as this can work out very competitive, especially when booking as a family. There is no maximum age, if you feel young enough to attend then you are very welcome!

We are exceptionally lucky to be located a 5 minute walk from Bamford Train Station on the railway line that links Sheffield to Manchester. This also means we are very easy to get to from London.

We have noticed that the first connecting train from London is often around 09:36am, and courses often start at 09:30am, if you let us know that you are coming in on the train, we will happily delay the course start to suit.

We try to stick to our published course finish times but occasionally conditions on the day mean we overrun slightly. If you are travelling home by train please ensure that you have left sufficient time after the course end time and inform your instructor on the day of your travel plans.
This course is a non-residential course, so we do not provide any accommodation. However there are many amazing places to stay locally. Take a look at our accommodation guide in the info section for more information.
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