Yes, another ‘warming up for climbing’ article. No, we’re not going to give you a prescriptive list of all the things you must absolutely do to warm up for the best climbing session ever, but hopefully you will finish reading this with a few ideas on what a climbing warm up might look like for…
It’s the start of our Scottish winter season! Chris, Oli and James have settled down in our Cairngorms base to begin providing instruction, guiding and coaching on our various winter courses. To celebrate here are some photos from our previous Scottish winter adventures. We offer long weekend three-day and five-day winter hillwalking skills courses and…
About a year ago, Mel and I decided to do a big wall in America. A month ago we bailed at the top of the first pitch and flew home without having completed our objective. The route was Tricks of the Trade in Zion National Park, Utah: 18 pitches of up to 5.10d with a…
Why Book a Climbing Course with Beyond the Edge? Aside from our professional qualifications (Between us we hold the following awards; Rock Climbing Instructor, Rock Climbing Development Instructor, Mountain Leader, Winter Mountain Leader, Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor, Winter Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor, International Mountain Leader and Development Coach) we also have one of the most…
It seems fitting that our 100th blog post should be about Alex featuring in the celebratory 100th of the legendary Japanese climbing magazine Rock & Snow. Alex’s photo of Toru Nakajima climbing the Millstone E8 was featured on the cover of the issue. This issue also included Alex’s account of Toru’s incredible tour of…
‘Hard is Easy’ GriGri Videos Over the last few months I’ve had climbers on my Climbing Wall Instructor and Rock Climbing Instructor training and assessment courses mention the ‘Hard is Easy’ YouTube channel. The chatter especially mentions the Hard is Easy GriGri videos and in particular the videos on GriGri slippage and failure. Ben has…
Winter climbing partners never move fast enough! From my perspective I have just completed a lightning fast accent on a thin runout smear of ice then undertook the cleaning of iced up cracks with poise and precision to build a structurally satisfying anchor. All this done in record breaking time. Why then, is my partner…
Figure of Eight Knot with Follow Through In the late 80’s there was a fashion for poking and threading the tail of a Figure of Eight knot back through the body of the knot. It looked neat and myself and few other young climbers and instructors starting using this variation. Then word got around that…
Hurrah! we are happy to announce that we now run the Climbing Wall Development Instructor (CWDI) training courses and assessments. You can book your CWDI here, or read on for more information… What is the CWDI? The CWDI is a nationally recognised qualification, administered by Mountain Training. In this course, you’ll learn to help other…
Joe shares advice on how to choose the right nuts, cams, slings and karabiners for your first trad lead rack. First Trad Rack With the enormous range of climbing equipment being manufactured today knowing where to begin with your first trad rack can seem a bewildering task. A huge amount of information is available online…
In preparation for the climbing season ahead, Hati talks us through how to clean your cams for rock climbing. Pumped out of your mind, slightly regretting your choice of warmup and acutely aware that your last runner is closer to the ground than you are, you fumble around your harness for the right piece. The…
Having completed her RCI assessment just after lockdown no. 1, Hati shares her tips for blowing away the cobwebs and getting back into the habit of consolidation. Is this how hedgehogs feel come Spring? Do they groan with irritation at their 7am alarms and stumble round their nests in search of distractions, procrastinations, and anything…