UKH

The Fontainebleau Climbing Coaching Workshop with Adrian Berry, Sam Hunter and Amber Thornton

April 20th - 27th 2019

The focus of this trip is climbing technique. Through the medium of bouldering we will spend five days getting back to the very essence of climbing: moving efficiently over rock.

Who's it for?

This trip is suitable for anyone who climbs and wants to improve. There is no minimum ability, nor a maximum, whatever level you're at we can challenge you! Couples are welcome.

It doesn't matter whether you have only done routes - you'll soon feel at home, and if you've never been to Fontainebleau you're in for a real treat. All we ask is that you love climbing and want to improve.

How it works

During the week we will examine general movement skills such as foot-placement and body positioning, static and dynamic approaches, optimising hand and foot positions, as well as more specific techniques aimed at climbing features such as slabs, overhangs, aretes, cracks, slopers and rounded top-outs. We will also help you learn how to give 100% effort on the rock and how to learn from the times when it still isn't enough.

There will be plenty of opportunity to explore the wealth of problems available in the forest, and if you find something you could use some help with - we'll be right there with you.

Coaching will be delivered through a combination of presentation to the group and 1:1 coaching where needed. The approach will be very hands-on with demonstrations and video recording.

How much is it?

£590 - £100 of which is taken as a deposit and the full amount is due two months prior to the start of the trip.

Accommodation & Meals

A comfortable gite in the village of Arbonne, in the centre of the climbing area will be our home for the week.

A simple breakfast and food for lunch will be provided, in the evening we will eat out, or if someone has the energy to cook, we can eat in.

Getting there and getting around

As most people coming on this trip will be arriving by car, we have found the best way to keep costs down is to arrange for clients to share car spaces and costs. In the past pickups from local train stations have been easily arranged. Car places available for the first six bookings.

The coaches

The coaching ratio for this trip is 1:4 max. Should a coach be unable to attend the trip due to injury or ill-health, a substitute with equal experience and ability will be found.

Adrian Berry has been climbing since 1988 and coaching climbing since 2002 when he began the planetFear coaching program. Adrian has coached numerous individuals and climbing clubs, including several clubs and operational units within the armed forces. He has delivered lectures and masterclasses at the request of the sport's governing bodies in Denmark and The Netherlands, provides instructor training at a major UK climbing wall, and has written two books (Sport Climbing+ and Trad Climbing+) which helped herald the new approach to the teaching of climbing. Adrian has climbed competitively internationally, sport climbed up to 8b+, trad climbed up to E9, and bouldered up to V10.

Sam Hunter has been living as a full-time climber since 2011, along with his partner Amber, he has been based in the forest of Fontainebleau for the last five years and has been guiding and teaching professionally for the the last three. Being highly motivated by the unique Fontainebleau style has led Sam to boulder up to Font 8B / V13 in the forest and achieve several of the benchmark test pieces of the area. Sam (and Amber) regularly shares his knowledge and enthusiasm of Fontainebleau climbing through his YouTube channel RoadRamble - see video on our website.

Amber Thornton has been guiding and coaching bouldering in Fontainebleau Forest for the last three years and works with Sam to help groups and individuals get the most out of the fantastic range of boulders. Before this she has worked as a climbing instructor in the UK. Amber has bouldered up to 7b+ / V8 and lives in Fontainebleau for much of the year, exploring other climbing areas around Europe for the remainder. Studies in Conservation Biology and Ecology have given her a particular interest in minimising climber impact in order to preserve the forest environment and promote continued bouldering access to the area.

More info and online bookings:

https://positiveclimbing.com/climbing_coaching_holidays/fontainebleau_coach...