Hugh Thornbery 10539
Membership Mountain Training Association
Membership Type Qualified Member
Membership Number 10539
Renewal Date 01/10/2025
My climbing experience, indoors and outdoors, spans several decades. I am a qualified Rock Climbing Development Instructor and Mountain Leader, based in Dorset, with experience coaching both adults and children of all ages, as well as family groups. I have given many people (both the confident and the nervous!) their first experience of climbing, as well as coached more experienced climbers to excel. I tailor my coaching precisely to the needs of my client, in every sense, and have experience and understanding of working with physical disabilities, neurodiversity and mental health issues.
I have climbed throughout the UK and Europe, Arctic Norway, the US, and Himalaya. I am just as much at home at the local climbing wall or bouldering gym.
I have had a long professional career working with children and families and as a leader at all levels, in a wide range of different settings.
Qualifications
Mountain Leader (Summer) Award
Rock Climbing Instructor Award
Rock Climbing Development Instructor Award
Outdoor Activity First Aid
Qualified Social Worker and Youth and Community Worker
Masters in Business Administration (Public Services)
Training
BMC Fundamentals 1
BMC Fundamentals 2
Foundation Coach
Other
Current enhanced DBS certificate
UK Paraclimbing Collective Inclusive Coach
Director Climbing Life Ltd www.climbinglife.co.uk
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Rock Climbing Development Instructor | 11/09/2024 | |
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Rock Climbing Instructor | 19/09/2021 | |
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Mountain Leader | 27/10/1989 |
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Employer's in-house training event (full day) | 03/04/2025 | 1.00 |
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Employer's in-house training event (1/2 day/evening) | 18/03/2025 | 0.50 |
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Improving climbing movement and technique | 10/05/2024 | 1.00 |
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Employer's in-house training event (full day) | 30/03/2023 | 1.00 |
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Employer's in-house training event (full day) | 07/09/2022 | 1.00 |
NB UKC log import has set all routes climbed for which I have no date recorded at 1/1/20.
I started climbing and mountaineering in 1969 aged 14 whilst a pupil at Denstone College a school on the edge of the Peak District. As I progressed I began to introduce and instruct younger pupils and gained real satisfaction in doing so. My interest in climbing led to a two year job at the YHA Services climbing shop in Birmingham where a chance encounter led me to start leading young offenders in outdoor activities for Wolverhampton Social Services. in I gained exemption from the training and log book period for the Mountain Leader Summer award and successfully completed my assessment at the Towers OPC in 1989. A year later I gained the Wolverhampton Council multi pitch leaders qualification again at the Towers. I continued to lead rock climbing and day and multi day mountain walking expeditions for young people until the mid '90's.
I was an active climber and mountaineer from 1969 until c2000. I climbed regularly in the UK in summer and winter conditions, and in my early 20's had four alpine seasons in the Swiss Alps and Dolomites, expeditions to Acrtic Norway and the Kishtwar Himalaya, sport climbing in Spain, France and Mallorca and multi pitch routes in Yosemite. I climbed regularly at E2/E3 into my 40's, onsighting many classic routes at that grade.
I started climbing again in 2016 introducing my stepdaughter to the sport and have introduced her and my wife to outdoor climbing mostly on the West Cork and Swanage sea cliffs. This experience combined with my semi-retirement has led to my gaining the Rock Climbing Instructor Award and pursuing the Rock Climbing Development Instructor Award. Since gaining the RCI Award I’ve delivered hundreds of hours of indoor and outdoor sessions across multiple sites. I'm passionate about continuing to introduce people of all ages to the activities that have been such a big part of my life.
