Kelly Duffy - 152881

Instructed sessions -CWA

I gained my CWA in November 2011 to enable me to teach on a small indoor wall. I was working as a sports activity instructor and my new climbing interest prompted my employers and myself to seek out a qualification to run sessions at the activity centre.

From 2011-2013 I worked at Brynteg Holiday Park in Llanrug which had an indoor climbing wall, I spent these 2 years teaching and running fun sessions for anyone over 5 years old.

In that time I delivered approximately 100 sessions.

I then gained employment with the Beacon Climbing centre at their new premises in 2015.

From this time until the present I have lead regular instructed sessions to include;

Boulder inductions; duration of 1 hr

Taster/fun sessions; 1-1.5 hrs

Learn to climb course; 8 hours

NICAS level 1 &2; 1.5 hours

Autobelay activities (Crazy climb); 1 hr

I lead these sessions on a freelance basis from 1-5 times a week throughout the autumn and winter months.

Over the past 5 years I have delivered in excess of 700 sessions with young people and adults in the Beacon Climbing Wall.

Lead instruction: Consolidation of CWDI

I have been an avid climber for many years now and have climbed indoors and outdoors on equal occasions, spending many winter months working and climbing at the Beacon. In 2020 I completed my CWDI training with Andy Newton and began my assisting and supervising of leading sessions with qualified staff at the Beacon Climbing centre. I am currently signed off and able to deliver leading sessions for introductory courses and NICAS young leaders, of which I have delivered over 40 of such sessions.

Instructed sessions - SPA

For the past two years, 2018/2019 I have been involved with the government 'NCS' programme where I have mainly used my SPA qualification, this was in Pembroke and last year at Lancaster. I have also worked for local independant companies here in North wales on a regular basis, assisting with school groups and taking families to single pitch venues for their first climbing experience. Crags to include: Holyhead mountain, Llanberis Slate, Lyons rock and the upper tier of Treamadog.

I have delivered in excess of 30-40 days at single pitch venues in the UK.

My personal Climbing

I discovered rock climbing in 2011 where joined my local wall and got involved with a local group who took me on my first climbing experience at Milestone buttress (pulpit route) I was hooked from that first experience and spent the following few years gaining skills as a second on trad and started venturing to sport venues. Alongside this I was working my way through the CWA scheme.

I learnt to lead trad in 2015, where I became competant enough to climb and lead a second up a VS. I enjoy the freedom of trad climbing and love multi pitch routes such as Spiral stairs, Cromlech and Ordinary route on Cwm silyn.

I have ticked off most of the classic Vdiff routes in North wales, and after a stint away from the sport due to injury, comfortably lead a Severe to HS for the moment.

On average through the warmer months, I try to climb at least once a week. I have climbed at least 200+ trad routes.

Mountain Walking

Mountain Leader Overview

Before moving to Wales in in 2009, I spent some time in Southern Spain where I walked in the mountains of the Axarquia. This is where my passion for the outdoors and the mountains started. I lived close to the Sierra de Tejeda, Almiraja and Alhama Natural Park ranges. I would explore the mountains via well marked footpaths and eventually bought some maps and learnt some basic navigation. I soon joined a mountaineering group and then tackled my first peak over 2000m.

Upon moving to Wales I discovered scrambling and climbing and joined a local group. I carried on walking and exploring the Snowdonia area and have enjoyed many quality mountain days in the Carneddau, Moelwyns and Rhinogs over the past 9 years. I have also marshalled on events around the local area, assisted groups and at charity events as well as personal mountain days just me and my dog.

I have spent time in the Lake District and the Beacons on the Black mountains, Fan Brycheiniog being my most memorable peak as I was part of a safety team guiding filmographers on the mountain to take drone footage.

I have been mountain walking since 2004 which started in Spain, I have wild camped in the Sierra Tejeda and Otivar areas on more than 6 occasions. Since then I have spent some time in the Lake district and North and South Wales where I have amassed more than 40 quality Mountain days. I have walked mainly solo, and sometimes with an organised group and more recently with peers. I have assisted on walking events in Snowdonia and marshalled for 2 main local charity events in the Snowdonia area.