Dorset Climbing Activities

Based in Dorset, with the benefit of one of the driest and sunniest climates in the country, provides year- round climbing. It is not unusual to be climbing outside in t-shirts in December and January whilst the rest of the country is experiencing wet and cold conditions. This makes Dorset an ideal location for learning new skills and techniques, which can then be used in other venues throughout the UK.

All of our instructors hold the appropriate National Governing Body (NGB) award. This will be either the Mountaineering Instructors Award (MIA - ami.org.uk) or the Single Pitch Award (SPA – mltuk.org).

Our coaches will hold one of the above awards or will be accompanied on the day by an instructor holding one of the above awards. This is to ensure participants receive expert coaching in a safe and controlled situation. As well as coaching your climbing, we will look at any other aspects, such as tying in and belaying, that may need improving.

Main Instructors and Coaches

The main difference between Dorset Climbing Activities and many other instructional and coaching courses is our instructors experience, personal climbing ability and qualifications.

Our two main instructors (see below) both hold NGB qualifications. They also climb regularly and consistently at a high level. Both have onsighted E5 6b (trad), 7b+ (sport) and redpointed 8a or above (sport).

They can provide expert instruction and coaching whilst giving you the highest level of safety. Having NGB qualifications enables our instructors to hold full public liability insurance, giving you peace of mind whilst on one of our courses.

Combine these factors with their intimate knowledge of the trad and sport-climbing areas of Dorset makes Dorset Climbing Activities an ideal choice when choosing any level or type of climbing course.

Richard White

Qualification - Mountaineering Instructors Award (MIA) and member of the professional body Association of Mountaineering Instructors (AMI).

I have been climbing and mountaineering for over 20 years and instructing for 15 years. My climbing and mountaineering career has covered most of the UK, large areas of Europe and further afield to the Himalayas. I enjoy all types of climbing including bouldering, long mountain scrambling routes and sport climbing. It is a bit of a juggling act trying to do all these in the limited time available but well worth the effort.

As a professional instructor I have been teaching both adults and children climbing and mountaineering for many years in the UK and abroad. This gives me the experience required to pass on the necessary climbing skills and techniques to all ages and abilities.

Pushing myself physically and mentally to achieve my full potential is an important part of my climbing. This has led me to climb at a high level in traditional, Scottish winter and sport climbing. Personal recent highlights include Citadel, Gogarth (E5 6b), Procrastination, Coire an Lochain (VII,6) and Fighting Torque, Portland (8a). This aspect of my climbing gives me the ability to coach climbers in all areas of their climbing and help them improve their own climbing.

Rob Kennard

Qualification – Single Pitch Award (SPA).

I have a wealth of climbing experiences ranging from alpine mountaineering, multi- pitch traditional climbing and high-level sport climbing. Over the years I have acquired an extensive knowledge of training techniques that are relevant to climbing performance.

As an instructor I have experience of working with adults and children in a group environment as well as in a one-to-one setting.

Personal recent climbing highlights include the first ascent of Event Horizon on the Swanage cliffs (8a+), and numerous early repeats of Dorset’s hardest routes.