Matthew "Fantastic sport climbing coaching!"

Dave took us for an introductory sport climbing experience - it was highly informative and fun thanks to Dave's expertise, experience, and patience. Would highly recommend :)

​

Adam "Outdoor Bouldering Introduction"

Dave has a great approach to teaching climbing, starting with basic techniques and then applying these to routes, and this helped me to feel more confident, such that I would be able to continue independently. It was my first time outdoors and he quickly put me at ease. He is very knowledgeable in regards to climbing and of the crag, making for an excellent session.

​

Stephen "Great day of instruction"​

My friend and I met Dave at Almscliff Crag for a first day of instruction primarily intended for me to start learning to lead climb and for my mate to, probably be, my second. This was a great day of learning where Dave explained the basics of finding your way around the guidebooks and how to belay, on to building your own secure belay points and some seconding experience. Dave is a really good teacher with loads of experience and knowledge and really took the time to get to know us and our ambitions when it comes to climbing. We were both buzzing on the way home and are looking forward to practicing what we have learned before booking a second day to advance to the next stage in our climbing.

"Second Day - Learning to Lead"

After a great learning day last month we were excited to get to this next session. We met up at Almscliff Crag again and straight away got into practicing setting up belays as a recap and confirmation of the previous day. Once Dave was happy we had got a good idea of what we were doing we set to on a top rope where I climbed the route second, meeting Dave at the top, then set up my own belay to then allow Matthew to climb. Following on, Matthew set up his belay and after I had walked back to the bottom he was then able to belay me as I climbed the route again. After some lunch we chatted about leading and I was happy to try a lead climb on the same route. Dave set up a rope for him to walk up the route alongside me and being able to talk through with me as I picked my gear placements. At the top, once more I set up a fresh belay and brought Matthew up who was able to gather up the gear as he climbed. Once again Dave was a fantastic instructor, always happy to listen to and answer questions no matter how silly we may have felt asking them. He was able to see our abilities better than we could and just pushed us within them. All in all a great day (weather was good too) and I have now led my first climb (Low Man Easy Way - Diff)!

​

Simon "Great Morning Climbing"

My brother and I had a great session with Dave at Almscliff Crag. Dave’s knowledge of the crag and coaching meant we were able to push ourselves and come away having climbed some harder (for us) routes than we were expecting.

​

Aamir "Intro to rock climbing"​

Excellent introduction to rock climbing at Almscliff Crag for me and my son. Dave was highly knowledgeable with excellent instruction so that we were belaying and climbing in no time. He also ensured that the climbs were appropriately challenging. Dave also showed us techniques and approaches that we would not have considered - e.g. hand jamming in the bird nest crack. Will be planning some indoor sessions with Dave to improve our climbing efficiency. Would highly recommend.

​

Louise "Family beginners bouldering session at Almscliff"

We had a fantastic time with Dave at Almscliff Crag. Dave was friendly and knowledgeable, making us all feel safe and confident. He showed us a variety of boulders suitable for all our skill levels. We all made great progress throughout the session. It was a fantastic, challenging and engaging day with Dave that we all found thoroughly enjoyable, rewarding and inspiring. We can’t wait to return to Almscliff for more climbing adventures. Thanks Dave!​

​

Debbie and Rich "Climbing Coaching"

Had an enjoyable and well paced day of climbing at Almscliff. Dave had a calm approach and was able to provide suitable coaching for our varying levels. We both ended the day with increased confidence in the technical elements of our climbing.

​​

Fynn "Best Day Out"

We had a fantastic day at Almscliff with Dave. He showed us amazing different climbs like Birds Nest Crack and several other variations. Thanks a lot Dave.

​

Joe "Great Lesson"

Dave is very friendly and knowledgeable, I learned the fundamentals of trad gear placements and setting up a top rope anchor, as well as performing some classic British rock climbs. Will be booking another lesson in the future, thanks to Dave.

​

Emma "A fantastic climbing instructor"

I spent the day with Dave and emerged with the knowledge and confidence to set up climbs so that I can take my kids out. This was the brief that I gave Dave, he understood my learning needs and more than met them. Thank you for an enjoyable and informative day Dave. I can't wait to practice and use my new knowledge.

​

Lucie and Andy "Perfect Day at Troller's Gill"

My partner & I spent the day with Dave at Troller's Gill as an introduction to sport climbing. Dave tailored the whole day around us and what we wanted to get out of it, from equipment, to conditions, climbing styles, knots & rope work to the climbing itself, his knowledge is endless. We felt safe & were given the confidence to push ourselves that bit further. We came away from the day on a high (despite the torrential storm) and can't wait to put everything we learnt into practice! We will be returning customers without a doubt and would recommend it in a heartbeat! Big thanks to Dave from both of us for such a fab day!

​

Ali -"Fantastic day at Almscliff"

We were a group of four - differing ages, experience and climbing levels - and Dave gave us a great day out at Almscliffe. Dave had everything very well organised and was also really friendly and laid back. He made sure that we were all challenged to the right degree even though that meant different things to each member of our group. We bouldered and top roped, and started to look at how to set up anchors and place gear. Dave was extremely helpful with the beta and I definitely achieved more than I would have done without his guidance. He knows Almscliffe like the back of his hand! I would very much like to have more days out with Dave to progress to being a self-sufficient trad climber, and I would definitely recommend him as a fantastic instructor. Thanks for a perfect day Dave!

​

Jake - "Fantastic Tuition"

Myself and a group of friends recently spent a day climbing with Dave at Almscliff. It was a great experience and I can highly recommend him to anyone who's interested! We covered the basics of trad gear placement and setting up an anchor, then spent the next few hours climbing a variety of routes which he recommended according to our ability levels. Everything felt very safe, and all the equipment was well maintained. He clearly has a wealth of knowledge gained from years of climbing experience, and is a fantastic teacher! He answered all of our questions thoroughly, supplementing his answers with physical demonstrations to explain difficult concepts, and was more than happy to tailor the lesson based on our needs. I have no doubt that he'd be equally good at teaching higher-level skills and techniques, and I hope to one day take advantage of that with a few more lessons (once the weather clears up!) Thanks Dave!

​

Seb - "Trad climbing at Almscliff"

Dave took a group of us on a day-long introduction to trad climbing at Almscliff. The weather was pretty retched but after 7 hours I really wished we could have carried on. You couldn't ask for a better instructor than Dave, he is knowledgeable and incredibly generous with how he shares all his wisdom. Most importantly he was very patient with all of the questions that we asked of him! Will definitely be coming back to pick Dave's brain some more in the future.

​

Iyla - "An Extremely Fun Day"

"We had a really fun day climbing at Almscliff. We learnt loads and we can't wait until we go again!"

​

Max - "Introduction to outdoor bouldering"

I had an amazing time getting outside trying bouldering for the first time. Dave made the day informative, fun and safe. Would highly recommend!

​

Chris - "Outdoor Climbing Instruction"

"This review is for anyone visiting this site but also for me to say thanks. We've done several sessions updating my rusty and dated skills and it's been everything I wanted. It felt safe and fun and Dave quickly worked out my level and what I need. I've learnt a lot and I appreciated Dave's tremendous knowledge, skill and enthusiasm for everything to do with the outdoors and climbing".

​

Cath - "Fun day out"

"Following a few indoor climbing sessions my (newly) 7 year old son headed out to Brimham Rocks for a day out climbing outdoors as a birthday treat. Dave was brilliant at tailoring the whole day around what would work best for Chester; he did bouldering with a crash mat, climbing with a harness and rope, a little cave exploring and abseiling. Dave was great at slowing Chester’s pace down and helping him understand the importance of health and safety procedures, planning a route before starting off & how to spot parts of the rocks that are less safe to climb on. Chester couldn’t have enjoyed himself more, it was a fantastic day out and he’s already looking forward to his next day climbing in the great outdoors with Dave. I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending Dave he’s proficient, creative and great with kids".

​

Jol & Helena - "A Great Introduction to Trad Climbing"

"Myself and my partner thoroughly enjoyed our trip out with Dave, his experience and patient nature meant for a welcoming yet challenging excursion. Starting as complete beginners to traditional climbing, Dave made the experience relaxing and enjoyable for both, allowing us to challenge ourselves on the rock without any pressure and to feel comfortable in a new environment dealing with equipment we've never used before. Through demonstration and conversation, Dave passed on so much knowledge and showed numerous ways of attacking certain scenarios. Friendly, informative and with a clear passion for climbing, we couldn't recommend his services any more and we look forward to the possibility of more days out learning from him."