"Mountaineering Skills are common to many adventurous activities - I offer a wide range of both training in skills and guiding of adventurous activities. As a proud member of the Association of Mountaineering Instructors (AMI) I, like my colleagues, love sharing my passion for the mountains and climbing both with the people I come into contact with through work & personal adventures."
~Kieran Thompson (owner).
This short video from the AMI showcases just some of what we can do. Have a look then scroll down to see what's on offer.
A Mountaineering Skills day could be anything from an intro to rock climbing or a guided classic rock climb to learning to lead climb or learning improvised rescue skills. If the Mountaineering Skills courses below aren't what you're looking for, get in touch and we can chat about what you'd like to achieve and how we can help.
Want to try rock climbing? Maybe you've done some indoor climbing already, or maybe not - either way, a Mountaineering Skills 'Intro to Rock Climbing' course can help you get to grips with real rock, learn the ropes and boost your confidence on grades to suit you. Contact us to discuss your aspirations.
1:2 max Instructor to student ratio
£120pp or £240 for 1:1 instruction.
Ready to take the next step and learn to lead climb? A Mountaineering Skills 'Learning to Lead Climb' course keeps you safe whilst working towards lead climbing independently on grades and routes to suit you on either single pitch roadside crags or multi pitch mountain routes. Contact us to discuss your goals.
1:2 max Instructor to student ratio
£120pp or £240 for 1:1 instruction.
We can guide you up a classic scramble such as Tower Ridge (Ben Nevis), Curved Ridge (Buachaille Etive Mor), Aonach Eagach (Glen Coe) or a route of your choice. Or a Mountaineering Skills 'Scrambling Skills' course can teach you the safety, movement and rope skills to become self-sufficient when scrambling. Contact us to discuss your aims.
1:2 max Instructor to student ratio
£120pp or £240 for 1:1 instruction.
Winter Mountaineering Skills courses can be single or multi-day courses, for groups or individuals, tailored to suit your needs. If the options below don't describe what you're looking for, get in touch and we can chat about what sort of Winter Mountaineering Skills you'd like to learn and how we can help you.
Learn winter mountaineering skills and maybe bag a Munro at the same time! We cover the use of crampons and ice axe as well as the essentials, including avalanche awareness and safe journeying mountaineering skills. Contact us for booking information.
1:6 max Instructor to student ratio
£400 for a group of 6 (or £240 for 1:1 instruction plus £32 per extra person).
Already ski and want to get away from the crowds? Or are you a walker fed up of wading through thigh deep snow? Ski Touring is the answer! Learn the ski mountaineering skills to ski safely off piste and in mountainous backcountry terrain. Contact us for booking information.
1:6 Instructor to student ratio
£400 for a group of 6 (or £240 for 1:1 instruction plus £32 per extra person).
Develop your toolbox of navigation skills to ensure you always know where you are in a white out. We cover pacing, timing, countour interpretation, GPS and more. Participants must already be proficient with ice axe and crampon use. Contact us for booking information.
1:6 Instructor to student ratio
£400 for a group of 6 (or £240 for 1:1 instruction plus £32 per extra person).
Mountaineering Skills for Rescue courses focus on principles (rather than rules) and practising them in different scenarios. If the options below don't describe what you're looking for, get in touch and we can chat about what sort of Mountaineering Rescue Skills you'd like to learn and how we can help you.
Mountaineering Skills offer Rescue Emergency Care (REC) certified first aid courses. These are 16 hours (2 days) with a heavy practical focus on performing first aid in the outdoor environment. Other options are available including First Aid at Work courses, see expedientfirstaid.com or contact us for more details.
1:10 max Instructor to student ratio
£600 for a group of 6 (minimum), plus £40 per extra person for the 2 day course.
Want to ensure that you can "escape the system" or retreat from a multi-pitch climb? Learn the principles and skills to stay safe and look after yourself and your partner. Mountaineering Skills courses can also include refreshers for those working towards the Mountain Training Rock Climbing Instructor Award.
Contact us for booking information.
1:2 max Instructor to student ratio
£120pp or £240 for 1:1 instruction.
Mountaineering Skills advice, training and guidance is available on a wide variety of subjects including avalanche companion rescue for skiers, tyrolean set-up, site specific rescue scenarios, outdoor centre staff training, policy & procedure advice and more.
Contact us for more information.
Prices and ratios vary.
Contact us to discusss your requirements.
"Mountaineering Skills are common to many adventurous activities - I offer a wide range of both training in skills and guiding of adventurous activities."
Kieran has been mountaineering since the 1990's. In 1996 he climbed to Point Lenana of Mount Kenya (4,985m) and ascended Mont Blanc (4,808m) in 1998. In 2003 he graduated from Strathclyde University with a BA (Hons) Outdoor Education. In 2005 Kieran became an Accredited Practitioner (APIOL) and is now a Recognised Professional (POL) of the Institute for Outdoor Learning and he has been a mentor and assessor for the APIOL scheme. Since 2010 he has been an active member of his local Mountain Rescue Team. Kieran has always worked full time in Outdoor Education and has a passion for sharing the outdoors with others, passing on the skills and knowledge he has gained over the years.
Kieran holds the Mountaineering & Climbing Instructor Award (MCI) which is the highest qualification for climbing and mountaineering in the UK in summer conditions. He also holds the Winter Mountain Leader Award and Mountain Snowsports Leader Award which qualifies him to lead groups in the winter mountains on foot and on ski. Kieran works with several other highly qualified Instructors and if he's not free on the day that you are, he'll pass on their details to you.
Kieran is a full member of the Association of Mountaineering Instructors (AMI), the Mountain Training Association (MTA), Snowsport Scotland as well as a registered trainer with Rescue Emergency Care (REC). For more information about the organisations see the links below.
Kieran recommends Harvey Maps because they are simply the best maps to use for mountaineering, being waterproof, tough and light. If you're looking for a map for your adventure, check out Harvey Maps for their clarity and ease of use on the hill. If you've not used one yet, why not?