A Climbing for All Disability Awareness Course was run at the 2017 Student Safety Seminar, organised by the BMC and hosted at the National Mountaineering Centre Plas Y Brenin. It was a fantastic chance for university students to gain insight into technical systems used to assist climbers while brushing upon subjects such as terminology, causes of disability and models of disability.
Now running for over 10 years, Climbing for All is a much-needed course that is accredited by Mountain Training Association and Association of Mountaineering Instructors. Adventure for All who oversee the course has been on a recent push to get more course providers and also build the skills of technical advisors. The course at PYB provided an opportunity for Gav Kelly and Jay Jackson to be signed off.
Gav and Jay's involvement is a great development that may well help fill a gap in provision down in the South West of the UK, where they are based. In addition to being newly signed off Climbing for All providers, Gav and Jay are also both very competent technical advisors in accessible climbing and are also in the process of setting up disability activity hubs potentially around Plymouth and Exeter. Graeme Hill secretary for Adventure for All discussed the efforts to have a good geographical spread of Climbing for All providers and Technical Advisors so that lack of knowledge and resources isn’t the main barrier.
The course was really well attended and well received with some great questions coming from the students and an excellent illustration of picking up the technical side of it. Inclusion of the course at the Safety Seminar goes to show that the BMC is committed to opening up opportunities and that climbing is a sport for all.
Further information
Courses for indoor climbers making their first moves onto rock
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Who are they for?
These courses are ideal for novice climbing club members, students, parents and individuals who may have had the odd taster of climbing outdoors and wish to gain key safety skills at an excellent price. They may also be a good precursor for people contemplating the Single Pitch Award training. You should already know how to put on a harness and belay. These courses are for people aged 18 or older.
What do the courses cover?
A variety of topics will be covered during the day as well as offering a fun taster to outdoor climbing. Topics may include:
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Types of trad climbing equipment
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Placing good protection
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Building good belays
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Using guidebooks
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Seconding/top roping
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