How to get into trad climbing in the UK

If you’ve watched DMM’s Learning to Trad Climb YouTube series and want to take your trad climbing to the next level, we’ve written a handy guide on how to take advantage of the resources available to you from our Learning to Trad climb film series partners:

AMI

The Association of Mountaineering Instructors (AMI) is the representative body for professionally qualified Mountaineering and Climbing Instructors in the UK and Ireland. Learning to Trad Climb instructor Alice Kerr is an AMI member. If you book a course with an instructor, look out for the AMI accreditation.

Mountain Training

Mountain Training is the collection of awarding bodies for skills courses and qualifications in walking, climbing and mountaineering in the UK and Ireland.

If you want to aspire to become an instructor, you can find out the qualification pathway you need to take here.

Plas y Brenin

The National Outdoor Centre located in Snowdonia. They offer training and assessment courses in rock climbing, mountaineering and other outdoor activities. You can find out their rock climbing course offerings here.

Glenmore Lodge

Scotland’s National Outdoor Centre based in the Cairngorms. They offer training and assessment courses in rock climbing, mountaineering and other outdoor activities. You can find out their rock climbing course offerings here.

Mountaineering Scotland

Mountaineering Scotland is the national representative organisation for hill walkers, climbers, mountaineers and ski-tourers in Scotland, and aims to inspire, support and represent people who enjoy the benefits of walking, climbing and ski touring in Scotland’s mountains and climbing venues.

You can find a list of trad climbing courses on their website here.

BMC

The BMC (British Mountaineering Council) is the representative body that exists to protect the freedoms and promote the interests of climbers, hill walkers and mountaineers, including ski-mountaineers.

You can find a list of trad climbing courses on their website here.

Join a club

Climbing clubs are a great way to meet new people, find climbing partners and go on climbing trips.
Clubs can be affiliated with the BMC (England and Wales) or Mountaineering Scotland. This affiliation gives you great benefits such as liability insurance when you’re out climbing.

You can find a list of national clubs and clubs near you on the BMC and Mountaineering Scotland websites.