Me and my friend enrolled in both the Single-Pitch and Multi-Pitch Trad courses over a full week while we were staying in Natimuk. We read that The Climbing Company were the best guides to teach us Trad skills at Mt Arapiles and we were not wrong. Aaron was an incredible teacher, making us feel competent and confident within as short as a day (with prvious outdoor sport climbing experience) to tackle single pitches across raps over the next few days. He tried his best to schedule the course for us within short notice. Returning for the Multi-pitch course after a few days of climbing by ourselves really cemented why it’s so essential to learn from experienced professionals. There were so many small but critical skills that Aaron taught us that seemed to be emerging techniques becoming the standard in safety for building anchors on multi-pitch climbs. After the two days of the course we felt so confident to tackle some multi-pitches of our own (Siren, Agamemnon, Brolga, Panzer, Arachnus). We were taught skills related to abseiling, descending when in situations where the rope isn’t long enough, or when communication is poor (which we put to use not long after the course).

It was an incredible privilege to learn from a guiding company with serious history and, to hear that they have been active in the involvement with the positive resolution of Mt Arapiles future climbing with respect to the First Nations communities’ cultural heritage.

I couldn’t recommend The Climbing Company enough for anyone wanting to learn or wanting a refresher in the world of Trad Climbing. We are already planning our trip back to Mt Arapiles, and keen on reading into the Big Wall course also offered.