Wednesday, 22 August 2012

Learning to be a coach...

What I have learned in the last 9 months about finding out how to coach climbing better has surprised me. Because, learning about yourself and how you cope or fail to cope in climbing situations is important because until you know about yourself then you can't truly coach others well.

I started the 1st month with a knee operation so I could continue to run in the hills in December. I then drove 2000km to Spain with post op stiffness in the knee at christmas. I lived in my car through the winter month of Jan while working in Scotland on the ropes then drove to Ariege for Feb. Stayed off my elbows and ran in the snow around Foix to let them recover and strengthen my knee a little... 

Bolting on Gozo
Bolted routes on Gozo then coached the kids in Siurana in April, then took a holiday with the a friend across the Pyrenees to the surf in May. Started in the Grotte de Sabart in June and messed up July under pressure.

Learning about your self takes commitment and time and this is what coaching is about for me. Passing on what you know without ego to help others find the better in themselves.

Grotte de Sabart (Photo: Craig Smith)
So here is to climbing in the Ariege, here is to the ReAch September Team and here is to enchaining your own '8b'! ...mine is an epic..

Working Reine de Sabart (8b) - Photos: Sam Smith

Working Reine de Sabart (8b) - Photos: Sam Smith
Working Reine de Sabart (8b) - Photos: Sam Smith

Referrals from clients:



"...This training season I decided to get all the help I can to speed up my improvement. I needed guidance to work towards my goals in long term. I also needed more vision and opinions about my exercises and weak links. I am glad I can share my training with Mark..." (Ville Mustonen, Finland)


" I met Mark in Glen Nevis on his return to climbing to check out some lines he had in mind for me, I wasn't really training at this point but after a day or two talking and training with him I had a much more structured idea of what to do to improve and I did" (Kev Shields)