The aim of these courses are to give you all of the skills to be able to take a Scrambling Guidebook and go anywhere, on any grade of scrambling route, whilst remaining safe - having learnt appropriate skills from us and the judgement to know what methods to use where - on any scrambles in the UK.
In photo one, Aimee and Chris are practising the skill of "spotting". This is a skill used on easy (grade 1) scrambling ground where people move together supporting each other by holding feet in place or pressing on bodies to stop someone slipping or falling off a steeper or slippery part of a scramble.
Short roping is a method which should be employed if you are on ground where "a slip could turn into something more serious" ie, you ultimately fall receiving a serious injury. Scramblers tie on to the climbing rope and then the lead scrambler shortens the length of rope between them and the seconds using chest coils - Aimee can be seen wearing chest coils in photo two as both she and Chris scramble up a route on Tarn Crag. This system allows for flexible use of the rope whether you be "moving together" or "pitching" (climbing).
We also looked all different manners of belays for keeping people secure whilst scrambling - direct belays, body belays, et cetera.
Following a morning of coaching, the pair were allowed to put the skills they had learned from Iain into practice on a grade 2 scrambling route in the afternoon - this is what Aimee is doing in photo two!
We started day two with Chris leading on the East Rib of Tarn Crag - another fine grade 2 scrambling route. In photo three we were not very far from completing this scramble and Chris is leading off up one of the short steep buttresses to be found at the top of the crag. Up to this point, Chris had demonstrated appropriate methods of belaying (keeping safe) Aimee on the lower and harder part of the scramble whilst being coached by Iain. Chris did a very good job indeed - well done!
This upward slanting ledge starts out as a comforting groove which gets steeper and then peters out towards the top of the first section meaning that the scrambling becomes quite serious and exposed. Slips here have lead to the deaths of several people who basically, shouldn't have been there as they were neither appropriately equipped nor had the necessary skills or experience - something that happens a lot on this route!
Aimee did a fine job of leading on this first difficult section and used appropriate methods of belaying for Chris who is following (photo four).
Aimee performed well on this scramble using appropriate methods of belaying whilst coached by Iain. We got to the top of the route, packed up and then took in the summits of Pavey Ark and Harrison Stickle (two new "Wainwright summits" for the pair) before heading back down to Langdale Valley floor.
Aimee & Chris paid just £80 each per day for their Scrambling Skills Training Course in The Lake District with us. The fee included the provision of helmets, harnesses, scrambling rack and rope as well as coaching by an experienced Mountaineering Instructor. Rather than getting yourself into a "tight spot" book a Scrambling Skills Training Course in The Lake District with us - you'll learn what to do where and you won't be disappointed! Contact us here to book your course - we look forward to working with you.
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