Prowess Climbing Coaching

Our Courses

Prowess Climbing Coaching currently offers a wide range of service of courses to suit each individual climbers as well as coach education courses. The company is based in North Wales but travel is possible, subject to availability and travel expenses being covered. There are currently three available walls in the local area and outdoor sessions are possible, with discussion.

Outdoor Guided Bouldering

Taking you outdoors to the boulders.

Indoor Performance Coaching

Finding weaknesses in the climbing wall.

BMC Fundamentals of Climbing Workshops

One-day workshops, run on behalf of the BMC and are conditions of Mountain Training coaching courses.

Workshops

Pre-arranged workshops for small or large groups based on a set theme; for example, dynamic climbing.

Online consultation

A video chat online to discuss and analyse your climbing performance and advise on methods for you to improve.

Presentations and Lectures

A range of lectures on a variety of topics, primarily related to coach education based on findings from my Master’s Degree in Elite Performance.

Cost of Sessions

Indoor one-off sessions are currently offered at a flat rate of £20 per person per hour (not including wall registration and entry) with a two hour minimum.

For multiple people or multiple sessions indoors, there are three simple steps to follow:

  1. Choose how many people. A 1:1 ratio runs at £20 per person per hour (ppph) . Between 2 and 6 clients runs at £15 ppph and between 7 and 12 clients is £10 ppph.
  2. Choose how long. Each session can run as long as you like between a minimum of 2 hours to a maximum of 4 hours. This is multiplied by the hourly rate. For example, 4 people for a two hour session would cost £30 for each client.
  3. Choose how often. Sessions are usually run at one per week and you can choose how many weeks those sessions run for.

Outdoor rates are currently £30 per hour with three hour minimum.

Outdoor sessions are generally priced for either a half day (3 hours) or full day (6 hours). 1:1 or small groups are available, please click here for more information.

Workshops, including the BMC FUNdamentals, are individually priced to be in line with other providers. Please follow the individual links for specific details.

Some background on me

I hate this bit. There’s something that makes me deeply uncomfortable about listing all the reasons I’m good at what I do; ‘blowing my own trumpet’ kinda goes against my inherent Britishness.

Yet, I do have pride in how I’m able to help climbers improve their skills and their enjoyment in climbing. I have a massive passion for both climbing and coaching, have spent countless hours reading, researching and learning, and regularly receive exceptional feedback (as much as that makes me blush).

Qualifications wise, I hold the Development Coach Award and Climbing Wall Development Instructor Award (CWDI). I’m currently Performance Coach Award trained – one of only 24 nationwide to have completed the training, at time of writing – and am a provider of BMC FUNdamentals of Climbing Coach Education Workshops. But that doesn’t even begin to tell the whole story.

I suppose my major USP is my Master’s Degree in Elite Performance. Completed in 2020, this degree saw me observe several top climbing coaches across the country to identify their particular teaching styles. The degree involved A LOT of reading on climbing performance, learning philosophy and how this is appropriately delivered. This gives me a very different mindset on the teaching of rock climbing coaching. Off the back of this, I have worked as a research assistant for Dr Rebecca Williams on her book Smart Climbing, designed the Mountain Training Mental Skills Module syllabus and read literally hundreds of academic papers. I am very much hoping to continue the academic side of my work too.

It began at the back-end of 2015, when I completed my first coaching training – attending the BMC FUNdamentals of Climbing Workshops 1 and 2 and completing my Foundation Coaching training. It was a natural progression from years of unofficial and informal coaching at climbing walls, offering advice and help to people working their projects, normally in the 6s and below.

Since then I’ve been busy cutting my teeth as a rock climbing movement coach. I’ve taught every ability level from total beginners, working on good belaying, right the way up to advanced climbers operating in the V8+ range. I’ve had groups up to around ten climbers at a time and coached individual clients over a long period of time. I’ve also worked both indoors and outdoors.

And it turns out I have a natural affinity for coaching. I have a long history of teaching through Scouts and various teacher training while in my third year of University – so I find it quite natural to be able to convey a message or skill to someone.

What’s more is the way I learned to climb, again at University. It was in my second year when I started to develop into a half-decent boulderer and while others focused on getting stronger, I concentrated on improving my technique and becoming a more technical climber. I worked my footwork for session after session, did hands-free climbing over and over and analysed body movement and style to the subtlest degree.

Now, as a coach, those attributes have become invaluable. I can look at a body position and see what needs to be tweaked to increase efficiency and I’m working on an increasing series of lessons to help students become better climbers.

For a more detailed description of my qualifications and experience, please click here.