Outdoor pursuits training diary, Dartmoor, Devon, UK and Spain

Weekly Diary <2007 - 2008>
Online diary recording the trainees' progress through the course.

Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16

Week 1 - Instructor Training starts in Spain The group arrived at Alicante airport throughout the day on Sunday and where met by the instructor team of Paul, Kate, Simon and Kat. Sunday evening was taken up with getting to know each other in the warm Spainish dusk helped along with a good old barb-a-que. On Monday morning the group jumped straight into the programme getting onto the rock and having a go at some simple routes. The aim of the first week has been to develop good climbing technique - smearing, edging, bridging, crimps, palming and laybacks have all be looked at and practised. There has also been a focus on belaying to ensure that safety standards start high on the programme. For novice climbers it is so important that they feel secure and are able to have complete trust in their belayer to enable them to push themselves and overcome nerves on the rock. The Single Pitch Award is the climbing instructor award which the group are working towards; this award if for climbers who want to supervise others on simple routes - so our main aim is to teach people how to climb and then to inspire them to absorb themselves in the culture of climbing. The Orange House in Finestrat is a great place to do this from; as a climbers lodge there is a constant stream of climbers. passing through from all over the world, coming to the Costa Blanca to enjoy climbing quality limestone crags in the sun The decision to bring the course out to Spain for the climbing phase was based on the ideal weather at this time of year - warm and dry, but it was also to get students climbing on bolted routes of which there are hundreds in this part of the Costa Blanca. What we hadn't anticipated was how well this plan would work. The group has a range of climbing experience from a few with previous experience and most at the beginner end of the scale. By the end of this first week everybody has progressed beyond our expectations with all moving on from top rope climbing to lead climbing using the in situ bolts.

The swimming pool at the Orange House has been well used by the trainee instructors after a long hot day of climbing.	Knot tying and belaying are essential basic skills.

	2 of the group climb beside each other on a limestone slab, clipping bolts for the first time.

The inland crags on the Costa Blanca have the most stunning backdrops of seemingly endless mountain ridges.