What is RealRock?

RealRock sessions aim to support the transition from indoor to outdoor climbing for young people aged 8-17 years old. Whether it is trad, sport or bouldering you're into, come along to progress your outdoor climbing experience.

RealRock Sessions

We run a variety of RealRock sessions that cover the various disciplines of climbing for different experience levels. These disciplines include bouldering, sport climbing and trad climbing. In each discipline we cater for beginners through to more experienced young climbers and everything inbetween. RealRock is heavily subsidized as outdoor sessions for young people can often be prohibitive due to cost.

We're a small team of psyched climbers who are passionate about inspiring and teaching the next generation of climbers, check the bottom of the page for a wee bio of Anna, Calum and Robert.

Boulder

Boulder sessions are aimed at introducing outdoor bouldering to young climbers. We run these with an experienced climbing coach with a maximum ratio of 1:6. We're big believers in the social element of bouldering and as a result we run one bouldering session for all abilities levels, whether you're wanting to boulder outside for the first time or you've been bouldering loads before and just want some coaching and a fun session.

Costs

• Mountaineering Scotland / ClimbScotland Gold Members: £27 per person.
• Non-members: £43.75 (this includes a year's membership!).

Roped Taster

Roped Taster courses are designed to take competent young indoor climbers and help them make the transition to climbing outside, we do this by climbing with the safety of a top-rope at sport or trad climbing venues. Content of the session will vary dependant on participants and venue, however broadly we aim to look at several of the following topics; Movement technique on real rock, technical skills, footwear and equipment, lead climbing is NOT covered (see sessions below for this).

Outdoor Intro sessions are perfect for indoor climbers wanting to give outdoor climbing a try.

Costs

• Mountaineering Scotland / ClimbScotland Gold Members: £27 per person.
• Non-members: £43.75 (this includes a year's membership!).

Trad Taster

Just want a day out experiencing trad climbing with an experienced coach? This is the session for you. We run these days at a 1:2 ratio and the focus is as simple as heading to a trad crag and getting loads of climbing in. The focus here isn't on becoming a lead climber, rather becoming a competent 'second'. With a smaller ratio, we generally don't setup top-ropes on these days and instead your coach will lead up routes with you following behind on the safety of a top-rope. This is what would usually happen when climbers go to a crag for the day.

Participants must be able to put on a harness, tie a figure of eight knot and competently bottom-rope belay another climber. Some experience of lead climbing is useful but not essential.

Costs

• Mountaineering Scotland / ClimbScotland Gold Members: £60 per person.
• Non-members: £76.75 (this includes a year's membership!).

Trad Intro

These days also run at a 1:2 ratio, however the focus is on building up skills towards you leading on traditionally protected routes. We break down trad climbing into its individual elements and practice each in turn under the supervision of an experienced coach with a top-rope back-up until you feel ready to lead.

Content of the session will vary dependant on participants, however the aim is to develop participants trad lead climbing skills. This may include looking at some of the following topics; Movement technique on real rock, footwear and equipment, belaying a trad lead, lead climbing, placing and removing traditional gear, setting up belays, setting up retrievable abseils, background planning.

Participants must be consistently lead climbing indoors and have some experience of climbing outdoors (either personal or through prior RealRock courses).

Costs

• Mountaineering Scotland / ClimbScotland Gold Members: £60 per person.
• Non-members: £76.75 (this includes a year's membership!).

Sport Intro

These courses are run at a 1:4 ratio and are designed to help those who can lead climb indoors transfer their lead climbing skills to outdoor sport climbing venues. Content of the session will vary dependant on participants, however the aim is to develop participants sport lead climbing skills. This may include looking at some of the following topics; Movement technique on real rock, footwear and equipment, lead belaying, lead climbing, background planning.

Participants must be consistently climbing 6a indoors and be a competent top-rope belayer. Some experience of indoor lead climbing would be beneficial.

Costs

• Mountaineering Scotland / ClimbScotland Gold Members: £40 per person.
• Non-members: £56.75 (this includes a year's membership!).

Sport Improvers

These courses are run at a 1:2 ratio and are designed to help improve your sport climbing grade outside and cover more advanced techniques than the intro such as projecting routes and retreating from sport climbs safely.

Participants must have some experience of leading outdoor sport routes and be able to belay another lead climber.

Costs

• Mountaineering Scotland / ClimbScotland Gold Members: £60 per person.
• Non-members: £76.75 (this includes a year's membership!).

How it works

Here is some key information that will help you plan for your RealRock session:

• If in doubt about a climbers suitability for any of the above courses please get in touch with us (info@climbscotland.net)
• We aim to be at the crag for a full day dependant on weather and energy levels
• Parents/guardians must provide their own transport to the climbing venue
• Under 14s must be accompanied by a parent or guardian for the whole session
• Participants need their own belay device and rock climbing shoes
• We may cancel or reschedule if the weather means we cannot run the session
• Exact venues may vary if the weather necessitates a change
• Photography and video are taken at these events to promote through our website and social media. Please advise a member of the team if you do not wish to have your or your child's photograph taken.
• You can find our full booking conditions on the Mountaineering Scotland website here.

2022 RealRock

Dates	Area/Location*	Activity
Wednesday - 6th April	Glen Lednock, Comrie	Boulder
Thursday - 7th April	Cummingston (Anna Wells)	Roped Taster
Wednesday - 13th April	Kingussie	Roped Taster
Wednesday - 13th April	Neilston, Glasgow	Roped Taster
Thursday - 14th April	Arisaig, Fort William	Roped Taster
Thursday - 14th April	Craigmaddie, Glasgow	Boulder
Sunday - 24th April	Bennybeg, Crieff	Sport Intro
Saturday - 7th May	Kirriemuir, Dundee	Sport Intro
Sunday - 8th May	Kingussie, Highlands	Trad Taster
Sunday - 22nd May	Kingussie, Highlands (Anna Wells)	Trad Taster
Saturday - 11th June	Neilston, Glasgow	Trad Intro
Sunday - 12th June	Kirriemuir, Dundee	Sport Improvers
Saturday - 25th June	Cummingston, nr Inverness	Trad Intro
Sunday - 26th June	Moy, nr Inverness	Sport Improvers
Wednesday - 6th July	TBC	Roped Taster
Thursday - 7th July	Hawkcraig, Fife	Trad Taster
Saturday - 23rd July	Bennybeg, Crieff	Sport Intro
Sunday - 24th July	Limekilns, Fife	Trad Taster
Thursday - 28th July	Bennybeg, Crieff	Roped Taster
Thursday - 30th July	Pinnacle Crag, Highlands	Trad Taster
Saturday - 6th August	Kirriemuir, Dundee	Sport Intro
Sunday - 7th August	Kirriemuir, Dundee	Sport Improvers
Saturday - 13th August	TBC, Highlands (Anna Wells)	Trad Taster
Saturday - 3rd September	Glen Nevis, Fort William	Trad Intro
Sunday - 4th September	Glen Nevis, Fort William	Trad Intro
Saturday - 1st October	Highlands	Sport Improvers
Sunday - 2nd October	Highlands	Sport Improvers

*Area/Location: Will be confirmed two days before the sessions take place. This allows us to be flexible with the weather and the hunt for dry rock.

How to book

Book and pay quickly and easily online via the Mountaineering Scotland web portal. Here's how:

• Existing members who are first-time users of the portal will need to set up their login via the 'forgotten password' link and follow on-screen instructions. When you are in, go to the 'book an event' tab and select the RealRock session you want.
  
  
• Non-members will need to login to the portal via the "Join us" option; enter your details and follow on-screen instructions. Go into the "Your details" tab and complete the required fields before heading for the "Book an event" tab. Select the non-member price for the RealRock session you would like to attend. This includes a year’s ClimbScotland Gold membership.
  
  
• After booking you will receive a payment receipt and an event booking confirmation email with the booking conditions attached.
  
  
• A further information email will be sent out two days prior to the session taking place.
  
  
• New members will get their membership pack through the post in a week – find out more about what you get as a Mountaineering Scotland member.
  
  
• For parents / guardians on Income Support please contact us directly regarding a further concession.

Any questions?

Don't hesitate to get in touch with us at: info@climbscotland.net

Meet the Coaches

Robert MacKenzie

Why do you like climbing?

That is a hard question... EVERYTHING! There are so many reason to like climbing. How it keeps your body and mind fit, how it challenges you, how it's the ultimate form of movement expression, how it lets you escape any and all things going on in the world around you.

Full Q&A with Robert

Calum McBain

How did you get involved in climbing?

I first got into climbing when I went to my friend's birthday party at the Glasgow Climbing Centre when I was 9. I went in and out of climbing for the next few years until I went to university, where I got really into climbing, especially outside and I was really involved with my unviersity mountaineering club. After university I continued working at climbing walls and as a freelance coach as I really enjoyed the work and the flexibility it gave to go climbing myself.



Full Q&A with Calum

Anna Wells

A bit about Anna

Anna has been climbing since growing up in Inverness, she competed in some of the first youth climbing comps and was also involved in one of Scotland's first youth climbing clubs. Nowadays Anna is still as psyched as ever for all types of climbing - boulder, sport, trad or winter and she now works as a mountaineering instructor running her own guiding business Rocks and Trails.

Last but by no means least...

Massive thank you to DMM Climbing who support our RealRock programme by providing awesome kit that makes our sessions possible.