Rock Skills
Rock Skills is a new Mountaineering Ireland courses launched in January 2019 that provides a progressive introduction to the basic skills and techniques of rock climbing, which will help you stay safe, enjoy climbing to the full and provide the foundations required for participation and development of your own rock climbing activities.
Rock Skills is designed to be enjoyed in either a progressive sequential manner starting from an Introductory level right through to Learn to Lead on Rock.
Alternatively, if a participant has an already existing skills set they can choose to do the Intermediate or Learn to Lead courses as this may suit their requirements.
The Mountaineering Ireland scheme is structured as below:
- Introduction
- Intermediate
- Learn to Lead Sport Climbing
- Learn to Lead Traditional Climbing
Rock Skills Introduction
This course is your key to getting started! No previous experience of climbing is required to attend a Rock Skills Introduction course because the content of the course is aimed at beginners.
If you do have some experience of climbing but aren’t confident about using the equipment required, finding the crags, locating the routes you want to do and how to stay safe on the crag then a Rock Skills Introduction course is an ideal way to learn.
The Introduction course runs over 8 hours and can be either covered in one full day or divided up into two 4 hour blocks.
This course is suitable for children from 12 years and older.
Rock Skills Introduction covers the following:
- Using a guidebook
- Safety awareness at an outdoor venue
- Climbing and Environmental Ethics
- Climbing Skills and Movement Skills
- Footwear and Equipment
- Harness Information and Tying in using a Fig of 8 Knot
- Abseiling
Rock Skills courses run from March to November.
Cost: €90 p/person (excluding a once off payment of €22 made directly to Mountaineering Ireland).
Venue: Dalkey Quarry and Wicklow Mountains.
Minimum of two and maximum of six people.
No experience necessary and all equipment provided.
Rock Skills Intermediate
The Intermediate course is designed to introduce the climber to learning how to be a safe belayer, how to second routes competently and how to belay a lead climber safely and efficiently.
Rock Skills Intermediate will also develop your climbing movement skills and learn how to place protection and construct belays over two days at a rock climbing venue.
Rock Skills Intermediate runs over 16 hours and can be either covered in two full days or divided up into two 8 hour blocks.
This course is suitable for children from 13 years and older.
Rock Skills Intermediate covers the following:
- Route Reading / Using a Guidebook
- Rock Climbing and Environmental Ethics
- Warming Up / Injury Prevention
- Movement Skills
- Building anchors / selecting runners / ropework / belaying / holding falls / lowering / seconding a route and personal abseiling.
- Focusing on Risk Assessment at all times.
Equipment is provided if required but those attending this course are not complete beginners therefore will have their own personal equipment.
Requirements: Have attended the Rock Skills Introduction course or have climbed and belayed on 10 routes indoors/outdoors.
Rock Skills Intermediate courses run from March to November.
Cost: €160 p/person.
Venue: Dalkey Quarry and Wicklow Mountains.
Minimum of two and maximum of four people.
Some experience required.
Rock Skills Sport Climbing
The Learn to Lead Sport Climbing course will provide you with the skills you need to participate in bolted sport climbing, including an introduction to leading bolt protected climbs.
This course is also perfect if you are ready to progress to leading sport routes outside, if you are looking to improve your lead climbing confidence or refresh your leading skills. This course does not cover the skills required for leading trad routes
Rock Skills Learn to Lead Sport Climbing runs over 16 hours and can be either covered in two full days or divided up into two 8 hour blocks. This course is suitable for children from 14 years and older.
Rock Skills Learn to Lead Sport Climbing covers the following:
- Route Reading / Using a Guidebook
- Using on-line resources
- Sport Climbing and Environmental Ethics
- Warming Up / Injury Prevention
- Movement Skills
- Clipping techniques / rope management / holding falls / lowering off a route / abseiling
- Risk Assessment at a new venue
Requirements: Have attended the Rock Skills Intermediate course or have climbed and belayed on 20 routes indoors/outdoors.
Rock Skills Sports Climbing courses run from March to November.
Cost: €160 p/person.
Venue: Specific Sports Crags.
Minimum of two and maximum of three people.
Some experience required.
Rock Skills Traditional Climbing
The Learn to Lead Traditional Climbing course will provide you with the skills you need to participate in traditionally protected climbing, including an introduction to leading trad routes.
This course is also ideal if you are looking to improve your confidence or refresh your personal trad leading skills with the aim of helping you to become an independent climber and for those planning to complete the Rock Climbing Instructor Scheme.
Rock Skills Learn to Lead Trad Climbing runs over 16 hours and can be either covered in two full days or divided up into two 8 hour blocks. This course is suitable for children from 14 years and older.
Rock Skills Learn to Lead Sport Climbing covers the following:
- Route Reading / Using a Guidebook
- Using on-line resources
- Trad Climbing and Environmental Ethics
- Rope management / belayer & lead roles / choosing trad equipment / understanding trad equipment / racking trad equipment
- Assessing rock quality / assessing trad placements / building anchors
- Risk Assessment at a new venue
Requirements: Have seconded a minimum of 20 outdoor rock climbs at V-Diff or above. Have led 20 sport climbs (indoors or outdoors) and have belayed on at least 20 occasions.
The Learn to Lead courses run from March to November.
Cost: €190 p/person.
Venue: Dalkey Quarry and Wicklow Mountains.
Minimum of two and maximum of three people.
Rock Skills is an official Mountaineering Ireland series of skills courses. Each participant is required to register for the course at a once off fee of €22. This covers the entire course scheme.
To register please click on the below logo
