Tag: teaching

When Antonio wanted to learn trad

30 January 2021

When Antonio said he wanted to learn trad, I was surprised. A skilled Spanish sport climber, eager to take his first steps on grit? I stepped up to the challenge. I've known Antonio through the Climbing Clan for probably years now. He's been on many weekend trips, delivered fantastic food in the most challenging cooking […]

Helping Kim find her climbing feet

30 January 2021

This summer, I spent a number of evenings helping Kim find her feet again so she could lead easy trad routes with The Climbing Clan. It took time and practice, and a good bit of ground based revision, but before long she was running up routes and bringing up her second. ’ª Originally posted on […]

Sharing climbing skills with new climbers

28 January 2021

Sharing Climbing Skills:1) teaching people to be as good as you2) watching people become better than you3) being happy that your pupils are better than you now. Here's Kirsty at Windgather last summer one Wednesday Climbing Clan evening, leading a burly, intimidating HVD. Tbf, I probably could lead it, but she made it look easy […]

Introducing Climbing Clan friends to kayaking

28 November 2019

One of the most satisfying parts of my summer was introducing Andy and Sam from the Climbing Clan to leading trad. Lead climbing Trad has so much learning around it. It's easy to assume that it's a simple step up from seconding outdoor trad climbs, but in reality there's a whole lot more to it. […]

I'm Tim and I suck at handwriting

11 November 2012

When people see my handwriting, they sometimes joke, "oh so that's why you work with computers" but reflecting on it, that probably does relate to it in some way. Throughout my school life, I sucked at handwriting. I mean really sucked. I was slow, it was scruffy, and generally larger than that of my peers. […]