Rock Skills

Rock Skills

Rock Skills is a new Mountaineering Ireland courses launching 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 will introduce you to the key technical skills in a progressive and well-structured format and provide you with safely managed opportunities to try them out at the crag.

Rock Skills Ireland

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 Rock Skills is structured as below:

  • Rock Skills Introduction
  • Rock Skills Intermediate
  • Rock Skill Learn to Lead Sport Climbing
  • Rock Skills Learn to Lead Traditional Climbing
Rock Skills Dalkey

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.

Dalkey Quarry

Rock Skills Introduction 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

All Equipment is provided.

Cost: €90 p/person or discounted group pricing available

Venue: Dalkey Quarry, Wicklow or the Mournes

Group Ratio: 1:6

Discounts available for Club and Scout Groups

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Rock Skills Intermediate

Rock Skills Intermediate 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 Mournes

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.

Cost: €160 p/person or discounted group pricing available

Venue: Dalkey Quarry, Wicklow or The Mournes

Group Ratio: 1:4

Discounts available to Clubs and Scout Groups

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Rock Skills Learn to Lead Sport Climbing

The Rock Skills Learn to Lead Sport Climbs 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

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.

Cost: €160 p/person or discounted group pricing available

Venue: Dalkey Quarry, Wicklow or The Mounres

Group Ratio: 1:3

Discounts available to Clubs and Scout Groups

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Rock Skills Learn to Lead Traditional Climbing

The Rock Skills Learn to Lead Trad Climbs 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

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 VDiff or above. Have led 20 sport climbs (indoors or outdoors) and have belayed on at least 20 occasions.

Cost: €190 p/person or discounted group pricing available

Venue: Dalkey Quarry, Wicklow or The Mournes

Group Ratio: 1:3

Discounts available for Clubs and Scout Groups

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Rock Skills Learn to Lead

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 or an individual course.

Included in this registration fee is the following:

  • New Rock Climbers Booklet
  • Copy of MI Magazine
  • Cheaper MI Memebership
  • Access to Digital Logbook

To register please click on the below logo

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