2 clients, aged 9 and 34 for a Rock Climbing Experience at Symonds Yat.
I met my clients in the car park where they were given a safety brief, a structure for their session and then kitted up (Helemts and Harnesses)
I led them down to the base of Traveller's Rest and explained crag safety and told them to wait there, while I ran up and rigged the climb.
I didn't pre rig the climb as the anchors are visible and accessible from the path. With the increased presence of youth groups smoking and drinking at the view point at the top, I didn't want to risk kit going missing or being tampered with.
After rigging the climb and coming back down to the girls. I explained how they would tie in and how to use a gri gri in a bell ringing set up.
Both had climbing shoes and were eager. But they both also suffered with a fear of heights. The morning was very heavily based on coaching and getting the girls to achieve targets, however small. This approach was successful as by the end of the session, both climbers had successfully climbed up to the halfway point of the climb (just left of the cave) and successfully come back down without panicking.
In hindsight, it would have been nice to rig up bowlers hole as it's a little more friendly. But there was another group there and both areas are heavily polished due to group use.
Area :
The Wye Valley, Monmouth, Gloucestershire and The Malverns
Includes Symonds Yat, Wintour's Leap, Shorn Cliff, Wynd Cliff, Windcliff Quarry and many other smaller crags.
