Climbers Self-Rescue
It’s fine when it’s all going well, but what happens when the unexpected happens? Our practical and progressive one day Self-Rescue course offers climbers an essential ‘get out of that’ toolkit for their vertical adventures.
Description
Our Climbers Self-Rescue course is a bit like first aid training. Every climber knows they should do some training but most never seem to get around to it. We actually think this course is vital for any climber or mountaineer. Would you know what to do if your partner fell and injured themselves half way up a multi-pitch route? What if you were abseiling and found you had to get past a knot in your rope? There are endless situations where climbers may need to overcome a problem. This course is your ‘get out of that’ skills package.
Our Climbers Self-Rescue course is based on one of the many Peak District National Park gritstone crags. Over a full day of low ratio instruction we develop a ‘toolbox’ of key techniques. We also spend time looking at how to avoid common problems occurring in the first place. The focus is always on simple solutions and everything is done at your own pace and with a progressive approach. You’ll also have plenty of practice time. One day you may be very glad you took the time to prepare for the unexpected!
These courses are always run by one of our close knit team of Mountaineering Instructors. They are a group of passionate climbers with vast experience in climbing and mountaineering. Besides the key skills package central to the course, they will also be able to help if you have any particular requirements (such as if you are planning some glacier travel). They love to be challenged! All participants for this course must be over 16 and under 18’s must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
Over the years we also have run many bespoke Climber’s Self-Rescue courses for climbing clubs, rescue personnel and instructors. If you have a group that would be interested please do Contact Us. We’ll be delighted to arrange a course to suit your group, location and timescale.
Course Syllabus
Who is the course suitable for?
Our 1 day Climbers Self Rescue Course suits experienced climbers looking to develop a range of strategies to deal with emergency situations while climbing. The course is suitable for adults of all ages and we are happy to have participants as young as 16 although under 18’s need to be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. If you want us to arrange a similar event for groups under 16 please get in touch and we’ll be happy to help.
What is the format of the day?
We will meet at 9.30am in at the village of Hathersage which is right in the heart of the Peak District National Park (full joining instructions will be sent with your booking confirmation). We are very keen to help protect this precious natural environment (details of our Environment Policy) so if you don’t have a car we can collect you at the local train station and if you are travelling by bus we can also pick you up and drive you to the venue. Once introductions are complete we’ll head out to one of the many world class venues around the park and get started.
We’ll start the day by building up a range of techniques to deal with situations that might occur. As participants feel these skills are sufficiently embedded we’ll put them into practice on a vertical rock face. It is easy to overload participants with complex methods that they are unlikely to be able to remember so the emphasis on our course is always simple solutions covering a range of the most likely situations users may face.
We stay out for the full day so be sure to bring food and drink for a picnic lunch at the crag.
The selection of techniques covered will include:
• Choosing suitable self-rescue equipment
• Tying off a belay plate
• Escaping the system
• Lowering a climber
• Lowering a climber past a knot
• Accompanied abseils
• Ascending a rope
• Simple hoists (assisted and unassisted)
• Other skills may be introduced depending on the requirements/experience levels of participants and the time available
The day will end at about 4.30pm.
Who will be looking after me?
Peak Mountaineering prides itself on the quality of its instructors and our excellent reputation. The instructor that leads your day will be fully qualified and fully insured. They will be one of our close knit instructor team and personally known to us. We only use instructors who know the area well so they can ensure you get the most from your day.
Having said all that, we know that the views of past clients are probably your best guide to the quality of our provision. Please take the time to read the independent reviews clients have left before you book.
Where can I stay?
The Peak District has a wealth of accommodation options to suit all budgets. The course is centred around the village of Hathersage but the nearby villages of Bamford, Hope, Castleton or Grindleford are all ideally situated for the course. There are plenty of ideas available on our accommodation guide.
What do I need to bring?
We can provide all the technical equipment including harnesses and helmets (although you are welcome to bring your own if you have them) so all you need is suitable clothing and lunch. Long trousers that you can move in freely and warm upper layers are ideal.
Self-rescue courses do involve a fair amount of time where you won’t be moving much so please bring plenty of warm clothing.
The best footwear is simply a pair of training shoes although we do have a limited selection of climbing shoes in various sizes so we will happily lend you them free of charge if the right size is available.
Please also bring a set of waterproofs as the weather can change significantly over the course of a day.
Other benefits for Peak Mountaineering customers
We have negotiated some great discounts with a selection of great retailers for all course participants. Full details will be sent with your Joining Instructions.
Location
Our Peak District rock climbing courses run around the Hope Valley – the very heart of gritstone country. Gritstone is a coarse sandstone that is fantastic to climb on and forms part of the rich history of the area. There is a reason climbers call it God’s rock!
We centre our courses around the buzzing village of Hathersage as this gives us access to dozens of great venues and thousands of climbs within just a few minutes drive.
Hathersage makes a good base and, as well as being easily accessible by car, it is also well served by the Manchester to Sheffield rail line and regular buses from Sheffield. If you are travelling by public transport we are happy to provide local transport.
Hathersage has plenty of shops and other amenities, but it is also worth mentioning that a host of nearby villages also make a great base for your course. Bamford is just a couple of miles from Hathersage, Hope is really close and the lovely villages of Grindleford, Eyam or Castleton are also nearby. One of the beauties of the Peak District National Park is that a huge amount is packed into a small area.
FAQ's
Here are a list of questions clients frequently ask about our climbing courses. We hope you’ll find the info you need but, if there’s something you want to know that we haven’t covered, please call or email us and we’ll be more than happy to help. Infact, if you’ve thought of it then the chances are other people have too – so we’ll add it to the list!
What equipment is provided and do I have to pay to use it?
We supply all the technical equipment you’ll need for your course completely free of charge.
Do I need insurance?
We have professional indemnity insurance and for all UK courses we are all lucky enough to have free access to mountain rescue services and healthcare (although you may still consider it worthwhile purchasing your own personal accident and cancellation insurance). The following companies provide appropriate mountaineering insurance:
British Mountaineering Council www.thebmc.co.uk 0870 010 4878
Snowcard Insurance Services www.snowcard.co.uk 01327 262 805
What if I have a specific objective or want to learn things not offered on one of your courses?
That’s what we specialise in! Just get in touch and we will happily tailor an itinerary to suit your requirements.
What about under 18s?
For climbing courses we welcome participants over 16. For younger children we can still offer a great range of family climbing options – details on these are available on our family climbing page. Please note that under 18s must be accompanied for the duration of the course by a parent or guardian.
Will you give my details to other people?
All information supplied to us remains completely confidential and we will never pass it on to third parties.
Why is the instructor to client ratio so important?
You will get more out of your time with us if you work in a group where the numbers suit the activity. We favour small instructor to client ratios so that you benefit from quality time and instruction, where you have time to ask all the questions you want, the routes chosen can be tailored to suit you, and we can take plenty of time to show you specific techniques and skills.
What if I need to cancel a course booking?
If you cancel over 26 weeks in advance of a course start date we refund all the money you have paid us so far. If you cancel within 26 weeks of a course start date, you forfeit the deposit, but we refund any other money you may have paid. If you cancel within 8 weeks of the course start date you forfeit the full amount unless we are able to resell your place. See the Terms and Conditions page for more detailed information. To cover this eventuality we recommend you take out an insurance policy that includes cancellation of your trip or holiday.
Can you guarantee good conditions?
Unfortunately we can’t control the weather. However, we do always try to plan areas and routes that should be appropriate and in good condition. One of the advantages of being in small groups with flexible itineraries is that we can make the best of the conditions on the day. This does mean that we reserve the right to change the itinerary for safety reasons if required. Please follow the kit lists and be prepared for all the ‘interesting’ weather the U.K. has to offer.
What is the timetable for courses?
For non-residential courses we will meet somewhere convenient on the first morning of the course and a typical day lasts from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. Full joining instructions will be provided with your booking confirmation.
What about transport arrangements?
We ask you to provide your own transport to and from venues although we can quite often organise car sharing to minimise environmental impact and reduce fuel costs. Once we are there we will try to use car sharing to get us around during the course. We can usually collect you from a local station if you are travelling to your course via public transport.
How do you try to reduce your environmental impact?
We are passionate about protecting the natural environment. Please take the time to read our Environment Page.
How fit do I need to be?
It goes without saying that arriving fit and well is important if you want to get the most out of your course and it is essential for succeeding on many of our objectives. Please take note of the guidance on the Course Syllabus before booking and contact us in advance if you need more information.
Do you need to know about medical conditions?
It is essential that you let us know about any medical condition or injury when booking and that you also let your instructor know on the starting day of your course.This information will remain completely confidential but is essential to allow us to tailor our activities to suit you and to ensure the safety of other group members.
Accommodation Options
B&B’s
The Ramblers Rest, Millbridge, Castleton, Hope Valley, Derbyshire S33 8WR. Tel 01433 620125
The Swiss House, How Lane, Castleton, Hope Valley, Derbyshire S33 8WJ. Tel 01433 621098
The Cheshire Cheese Inn, Edale Rd, Hope, Derbyshire, S33 6ZF. Tel 01433 620381
Thorndene B and B, Hope Road, S33 6RU, England. Tel 01433 623743
The Plough Inn, Leadmill Bridge, Hathersage, S32 1BA. Tel 01433 650319
The Millstone Inn, Sheffield Road, Hathersage, S32 1DA. Tel 01433 650258
Hostels
YHA Castleton, Losehill Hall, Castleton. Tel 0845 371 9628
YHA Hathersage, Castleton Rd, Hathersage, S32 1EH. Tel 0845 371 9021
YHA Edale, Edale, Hope Valley, Derbyshire, S32 5QP. Tel 0845 371 9021
Camping
North Lees Campsite, Birley Lane, Hathersage, S33 1BR. Tel 01433 650838
Laneside Campsite, Hope, S33 6RR. Tel 01433 620215
Hardhurst Farm, Hope Valley, S33 6RB. Tel 01433 620001
Rowter Farm, Castleton, S33 8WA. Tel 01433 620271
Kit List
Of course we always hope that your Peak District Climbing Course will take place in stunning sunny weather, but this is the UK and so anything is possible! We will always try to adapt the course venue to the weather conditions, but our courses always take place outside and many of the local crags are quite exposed. Please also be aware that, unless there is a significant safety risk, our courses will always run regardless of the weather. So, the key message is to please come well equipped to climb in all conditions and to be warm, dry and comfortable for extended periods outside. It is also worth mentioning that venues in the Peak District are always close to a road and so don’t worry about packing light – it is worth bringing more than you think you might need rather than being uncomfortable during the day.
- Rucksack large enough to carry all your clothing and lunch items. We will also ask you to carry a helmet, harness and rock shoes and so it helps to leave some spare capacity for these items.
- Waterproof jacket and trousers
- Walking boots, approach shoes or sturdy trainers. The walk ins to crags is likely to be over challenging ground and it may be wet or muddy.
- Thermal base layer (synthetic fibres rather than cotton)
- Fleece mid layer
- Another spare warm layer
- Trousers that allow a full range of movement (not jeans)
- Hat and gloves
- Lunch and drink
- Spare food
- Personal first aid and medication
- Sunglasses and sun cream
- Rock climbing shoes or trainers
We can provide all specialised climbing equipment but if you have your own feel free to bring them along. The key items are a climbing harness (with belay device and screw gate carabiner), helmet and rock shoes. If you have any other climbing hardware you are welcome to bring that too. We will always provide ropes.
