About

This page is regularly amended as qualifications, CPD and experience are further obtained. It will give a profile of me, Pete Edwards, demonstrating both my experience and my qualifications to give a better understanding of who you are going to work with on a course. 

Pete Edwards posing for the camera circa 2000 in the Gwynant Valley,, North Wales

Prowess is me, Pete Edwards, and me alone. I was born in Dartford, Kent but raised in Birmingham. At 18, I moved to Lancaster University to study Physics and while I was unsuccessful with my degree – I spent too much time climbing and not enough studying – they say you never use what you learnt at University and now, here I am. It remains to be seen whether joining the Lancaster University Mountaineering Club in fresher’s week was a blessing or a curse but I view it as all part of my journey through life.

In 2005, I moved back to Birmingham, having various jobs – including working at Creation Climbing Centre throughout 2006 – before ending up working for Snow + Rock in Birmingham City Centre. In January 2009, I traded big buildings for big mountains and went to work for Joe Brown’s in North Wales, settling in Llanberis and working primarily in Capel Curig. In 2012, my wonderful crag dog, Tess, came along to join my on my adventures too.

In 2014, I left Joe’s to work in stores at the nearby Plas y Brenin. Initially with a split role across Stores and Ski stores, in 2018 I dropped the latter in favour of a Professional Master’s degree with the University of Central Lancashire. It was during these years at PYB that I met my now-wife and where I began training as a climbing coach. It was during this time that we started a family, now with two wonderful daughters.

In September 2019, I left the Brenin to go it alone as a climbing coach. While naming the business ‘Pete Edwards Climbing Coaching’ was tempting, I wanted something more catchy and so decided to name my business something different. After much thought, I decided to name the company after my first quality, hard, first ascent: Prowess.

Pete Edwards bouldering at Crafnant, North Wales. Photo: Sam Beaumont Media

I have packed a lot into the last twenty years plus of my climbing career. These days, I live in North Wales, in the climbers-town of Llanberis. While I’ve led trad climbs up to HVS and winter climbed up to grade 3, (and can still turn it on when I need to) my focus for many years has been bouldering and I’ve climbed two 7c+/V10 boulder problems as well as multiple 7c/V9, both at home and abroad.

My record shows a clear variety of climbing, on many rock types, various styles and all grades. To date, I have over 1,100 logged boulder problems at over 130 venues across ten countries. Highlights include Carnage assis 7c in Fontainebleau, Intermezzo 7c at Magic Wood, Rock Atrocity (Wobbly Bloc Start) 7c+ and Jerry’s Problem 7c+ at Sheep Pen, to name a handful. For more information on my personal bouldering achievements, please click here.

Pete coaching at the Beacon Climbing Centre, North Wales. Photo: Deb Meziane-Joynson

Having qualifications is key in this day and age, to demonstrate a level of knowledge and a level of competency as shown among ones peers. Thankfully, I have plenty of relevant tickets that are relevant to my work as a climbing coach. Some have been completed, others are ongoing. For more information, please use the contact page to get in touch.

• Performance Coach Award (DC). The Performance Coach is significantly more detailed and deep. Classed as a higher-award (meaning there is an application process before training) this is the top climbing coaching award in the UK. Awaiting assessment.
• Development Coach Award (DC). The Development Coach looks more at one-to-one coaching and mentoring other coaches. This is focused more on individual needs and is slightly more student-led than the FC. Qualified.
• Climbing Wall Development Award (CWDI). This is a progression from the CWI in that it features lead climbing on artificial structures. Qualified.
• Foundation Coach Award (FC). The Foundation Coach focuses on working on coaching within a group environment, being able to deliver structured and progressive learning to several clients at once. Qualified.
• Climbing Wall Award (CWI). This award is related to working with climbers in artificial climbing walls. Qualified.
• Rock Climbing Instructor Award (RCI). Formerly the Single Pitch Award (SPA), this award allows the holder to work on outdoor single pitch venues, using top topes and bouldering. Trained.
• Professional Masters in Elite Performance (MProf). This is a full on Masters degree with the University of Central Lancashire and as is common in higher education, allows for a higher level of specialisation. My studies were focused on climbing coaching, investigating both content and delivery by top level climbing coaches. Completed.

Pete running a Teaching Outdoor Bouldering Workshop for other qualified professionals. Photo: Jamie Holding

Mountain Training recognise four routes to competency. While one is qualification, the other is substantial experience. Details of CPD modules are demonstrated below but here, I demonstrate any other aspects of my experience that demonstrate this particular element of my expertise.

I am a contributing author on the Mountain Training ‘Bouldering Guidance on Session Delivery and Supervision’ document; a booklet which is provided to trained and assessed outdoor professionals (and is available to view here).

My Teaching Outdoor Bouldering Workshop has been verified as an official CPD course for members of AMI, MTA and British Mountain Guides; in essence meaning those whose profession is to take clients up Himalayan mountains come to me to learn about how to boulder successfully. To the best of my knowledge, I am the only person nationwide currently running these courses.

Indoors, local climbing wall, the Beacon Climbing Centre, hire me to train their staff on safe and effective use of the bouldering wall with climbers. I have run staff training on how to safely and effectively teach falling from the bouldering wall, as well as workshops for the public. Locally, I am widely regarded as an expert in my field.

Likewise, with coaching. Among our cohort of Performance Coach trainees, I am often looked to for expertise in coaching and climbing.

Pete Edwards on Nazgul’s Traverse 7c at Rhiw Goch, North Wales

It is one thing to complete a course and then rest on your laurels in the knowledge that you have ticked the right boxes. It is another to continue to develop once the course is done and one common method of continuing over time is through CPD. The following are a series of examples of formal workshops attended to develop my coaching since beginning my coaching career.

• Mountain Training Association Mentoring Scheme Induction. September 2025. Training course run by the MTA to facilitate mentoring for other Performance Coach trainees.
• 5 interactive online courses with Climbing Psychology. June/July 2024. I facilitated and attended five interactive online courses with world-leading coach educators Madeleine Crane and Carina Jungblut of Climbing Psychology, topics including: coaching youth climbers; dealing with emotions in climbing; communication; fostering confidence; and prevention of eating disorders
• Climbing for All (Disability Awareness). January 2024. Graeme Hill’s one-day workshop looked at language, classifications of disability as well as safety aspects on working with disabled climbers
• Menopause for Men. December 2023. An interactive online workshop with information for male outdoor professionals to provide guidance on working with clients going through the menopause
• Coaching Climbing Movement. October 2023. The first of two of John Kettle’s workshops (an experienced and well-established climbing coach in Kendal) covering ideas on coaching technique to all abilities.
• Climbing Tactics: Physical and Mental. October 2023. A day of theory and practical exercises exploring rock climbing tactics and how to coach them, including route reading, anxiety management, visualisation, injury management, breathing, pacing and goal setting.
• GB Climbing Coaches Conference. April 2023. An extensive two-day conference with workshops by leading proponents in climbing coaching and other related areas including women’s health, anxiety management, motivational interviewing, athlete’s perspective from an Olympic athlete plus much more.
• Mindfulness Techniques to Improve Climbing Performance. April 2023. Run jointly by Dr. Kris Chapman of Mindfulkindfulness and climbing coach Becca Lounds, this workshop focused on applying mindfulness and compassion-based techniques to help improve climbing performance.
• Reflective Practice Workshop. October 2019. An excellent evening workshop run by Smart Climbing looking at methods of reflecting and improving on one’s own practice.
• Adventure Sports Coaching Conference. January 2018. Roughly 24 hours of a blend of academic background and coaching practitioners sharing their knowledge and experience.
• BMC Coaching Symposium. October 2016. A two day symposium run by some of the best climbing coaches in the country, including Mark Glennie, Udo Neumann and Kris Peters.

Rhys Morgan on a Prowess Outdoor Coaching Session at Sheep Pen, North Wales

Much like my climbing experience, my coaching is wide and varied. From groups of school children up to retired individuals, there are not many ages I have not worked with, in many formats including 1:1 sessions, youth groups, NICAS sessions, climbing academies and even coach education and staff training. Likewise, I have coached all ability levels, from those working on 4s and 5s, right the way up to two separate climbers operating at 8a and above.

There is one constant: they all improve. Roughly half my individual clients have gone on from one of my sessions to climb a grade harder than ever before, while all offer the feedback that they feel they are happier in their ability to climb their chosen routes. I am totally convinced I can help any climber that comes to me, at any level, age or circumstance.

The articles shown on this website are to both give an idea of my abilities and to offer a starting point for you to improve; to get you going on your way to that next improvement.

Participants on a Prowess Teaching Outdoor Bouldering Workshop at Clogwyn y Garreg, North Wales

As well as coaching people to become better climbers, I also coach the coaches. Whether it is through staff training at the local Beacon Climbing Centre, privately designed and run workshops such as the Teaching Outdoor Bouldering workshops or as an official provider of the BMC FUNdamentals of Climbing Workshops, I teach the teachers how to work at their peak.

However the journey rarely stops there and I regularly mentor other coaches to prepare for assessment or simply to continue to improve their own coaching skills.

Stepping another level above as well, I was employed by Mountain Training to design the syllabus for the Mental Skills Workshops, to be provided to all levels right the way up to teaching coach educators.

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For a more formal version of my qualifications and experience, please download my Climbing CV below.