Monday saw a4adventure meet two keen clients on Llangattock Mountain (near Crickhowell, in the Brecon Beacons) for an evening rock climbing and abseiling session.
Julie and Ben were two beginners with a small amount of prior rock climbing experience, but who were keen to develop their climbing technique, to increase the number of routes climbed and also to challenge themselves with an abseil.
Starting with a bouldering session (climbing sideways across the rock, but staying only a few feet off the ground) Ben and Julie were coached on their climbing technique - using their hands and feet effectively, utilising a range of hand- and footholds, and using their bodies in a balanced and efficient way. Starting off in this low and controlled manner also served as a warm up for their joints and muscles (we are very fitness and safety minded at a4adventure!) as well as for their confidence ... getting them to watch and support each other, and to develop their climbing skills before tackling longer routes.
Once their climbing technique had improved in style and confidence, Julie and Ben progressed to a slightly sloping rock face for some roped climbing.
By climbing a number of routes up the rock face both climbers were able to challenge themselves at a greater exposure, as well as taking the opportunity to begin controlling the rope to the other climber. After watching a4adventure's instructor Tim Jarvis belaying each climber, Ben and Julie then took full control and under Tim's guidance belayed and lowered each other off the routes.Having successfully completed a number of rock climbs on the open rock face, the activity then moved around a corner and the climbers took up the challenge of climbing a chimney (a hollow, 3 sided gully moving vertically upwards) and an arete (a sharp rock corner / ridge) learning to utilise a new range of moves and hand- and footholds to overcome the different challenges of these new climbs.
With the rock climbs safely and successfully overcome, Ben and Julie then climbed up and out of the rocky outcrop ready for the next phase of the activity ... the 60 foot abseil!!
From multiple anchors at the top of the crag, two lines ran over the cliff and down to the floor far below. One of these lines was a safety line and the other one the abseil line down which our two brave climbers would soon be lowering themselves.
Following a lesson on how to attach and use the abseil device each climber was then clipped to the safety line (controlled from the top by Tim) and then to the abseil line. From here they were coached on the body position and technique needed to be stable and secure through the abseil ... before they walked backwards to the cliff edge, and then down the vertical sheer rock face.
Once down the cliff was not enough of a challenge for our duo though, and a number more descents were made before the dusk and a light rain started to fall and we retreated from the crag tired and happy.
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