Hi All,
I am due to visit the Lake District at the end of July with the family and am hoping to book a guide / instructor for a day or two to take me and my son (14) out to do some easy trad climbing. My recent climbing experience has been mainly indoor with an increasing amount of sport climbing in Cheddar, a handful or sport routes completed in the Lakes, along with some fixed top roping at some locations on Dartmoor (Sheeps Tor, Haytor) and previously at Dancing Ledge. I have done some roped scrambles in North Wales and feel fairly confident with rope work and the principles involved with building anchors etc. Though I have limited experience of actually independently going out and climbing trad routes and my son has not climbed any trad routes at all.
I used to climb regularly in my teens with a club (which seems like a long time ago) and have seconded Trad routes with other climbing partners at Chudleigh, Cheddar and the Dewerstone. Looking for the reassurance of an experienced guide / instructor to help us climb safely and do a few easy routes while we are staying in Ambleside.
I have a reasonable amount of passive trad protection (nuts, offsets and hexes) , along with slings, quick draws, harness, shoes and single ropes, but the trad gear is somewhat languishing at the moment as I am lacking the confidence to go out and use it.
My son is comfortable leading sport indoors and lower grades outside, though due to age restrictions in our local climbing centre has limited lead belay experience. And the sport routes he has done outside have been mainly climbed as a second on a top rope set-up.
Any recommendations you can offer for who to contact would be greatly appreciated. A google about has revealed a confusing range of options?
Thanks in advance
Monty
