On Sunday the 7th of December Rock and Ice provided the services to facilitate a charity abseil off the famous Tyne Bridge in Newcastle.

Considering the weather which was pretty cold ( there was still some snow on the streets in places) we managed to get all the participants down in fine style.

If any other charity needs a Tyne Bridge abseil event, just let us know, we have now done the risk assessment on the venue.

The main pictures are here in our gallery if you want them.

A brand new rock climbing and outdoor gear shop has opened in Belper, Derbyshire.

Click here or click the image to check out their competitive climbing kit deals. (opens in a new window)

We are proud to offer the NICAS scheme in association with Alter Rock in Derby.

The National Indoor Climbing Achievement Scheme (NICAS) is a UK
wide scheme designed to promote climbing development and accredit
individual achievement on artificial climbing structures. It can be
used as a starting point for people wishing to take up climbing and
mountaineering. It is open to all candidates aged 7 and upwards.

Click here for more on NICAS

New for the 2009 season Rock and Ice will be offering first aid training and qualifications for those interested in pursuing the First aid at work certificate and the appointed persons first aid certificate.

These courses are run by paramedics who are active so you will get a grounded view from thier extensive hands on experience.

Our first aid courses can be taken almost anywhere: Wales, High Peak, Scotland etc.

All courses will have emphasis on the outdoors 

Click here to find out more or look in our menu on the left.

Rock and Ice have been really busy with courses and other activities over the summer, we have welcomed several new mountaineering instructors (male and female) to our growing list of excellent freelance staff.

Over the last few months we have been working on Mountain skills courses in North Wales and introduction to rock climbing in Derbyshire. We have undertaken responsibility to ensure many charity abseils are successful and also worked with new companies like Mountain hardware and EON providing corporate events.

All in all its been a good year for outdoor pursuit companies, even with the credit crunch we are still getting requests for courses running into December.

Hopefully things will continue to be productive in the new year - we intend to run courses in France in 2009 as our qualifications (AMI) have been recognised there finally.

Keep checking this space..

We started July with a beginners trad climbing course run over two days at the Roaches in Staffordshire and Stanage. One of our regular clients achieved her first lead climbs on day 2.

John Lewis in Kingston had a superb day's abseiling in aid of the Nick Parks Wallace and Grommit foundation a children's charity.. approximately 80 persons abseiled off the Kingston building (Sun 6th)

The next week found us covering a 4 day structured event for EON apprentices which ran in various locations including Kinder Scout. Most days it rained, but all was not lost as the apprentices struggled and met the challenges head on! The proof is in our gallery http://www.rockandice.net/twg/ under corporate events.

A Hen party encountered problems during a weaseling session when several of the women got stuck in challenging problems! but all was well as everyone helped out to extract the jammed Hens.

A course in North Wales ran last week introducing several climbers to multi pitch scenarios and sea cliff climbing. The weather was poor but spirits were high ensuring many new skills were learnt.

This weekend was mixed in terms of weather and we had to bail out of the Roaches on Saturday due to heavy rain, we ended up at Stanage edge near Sheffield where the weather was reasonable for the introduction to Trad climbing and Lead climbing course.

One of our instructors (Dan) got whiplash in a car accident today.. we wish him a speedy recovery... Driving is definitely more dangerous than climbing!

Be careful out there ;-)

2 great days of sunshine and warm dry rock allowed several Rock and Ice customers the chance to practice some traditional climbing skills on the Staffordshire and Derbyshire gritstone.

2 of the customers achived thier first lead climbs on Friday! Well done guys!

Danielle Harrison from the Ashbourne News attended a Rock and Ice climbing course in Derbyshire recently.

Click here to download the article (PDF)

Rock and Ice are always on the lookout for good reliable climbing instructors, if you are doing your MLTUK training and looking for some quality work experience to fill out your logbooks you may help us out on group days / charity events.

Once we get to know you and see you working we can get a good idea as to where you will slot into our freelance database for future work when you get qualified.

If this interests you, please contact Richard Hogan either by email or phone.

For qualified instructors you can now register availability here: http://www.outdoor-instructors.com

Rock and Ice have been asked to provide abseil stunts to help launch the new Bond book.
Several Borders bookstores will have events on the 31st of May which will include our staff abseiling in Tuxedos to promote this brand new book.
This is the first book to be released (by a mystery author) since the original author Ian Fleming died.

Watch this space for pictures.

Here is a link to the promo

Rock and Ice were asked to run a charity abseil event in aid of the Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland Air Ambulance based at EMA. The abseil was from the Aircraft control tower.

Only 24 hours notice was all that was given but we managed to insure and equip the event.
16 people abseiled in aid of the Air Ambulance.

This event was televised on the BBC East Midlands news.

Central Tonight - East - Friday - 16/05/08