PERFORMANCE COACHING // TRAINING // INSTRUCTION

What I provide

Coaching & mentoring

Personalised 1:1 coaching to help guide you both on and off the wall.
Coaching designed for you.
I can cover a wide range of expertise to help you along your climbing journey. This can be anything from technical / mindset coaching on the wall, instructional help and cueing in the gym or even consultation over a coffee to help guide your goals / training. Whatever you choose to do with our time is up to you.
Hourly rate 1:1
1 hour - £45
2 hours - £75
3 hours - £100
4 hours (half day) - £120
5-7 hours - £25 extra per hour
8 hours (whole day) - £220
Travel @ 40p per mile to external walls (excluding walls in central Southampton)
These costs do not include gym entry which must be paid on entry.
For additional persons please email and enquire.
Maximum of 6 people.

Training plans & long term development

Training plans, accountability and coach support to boost your long term climbing developement.
Personalised coaching for your climbing journey
Whether you're just starting out, bouncing back from injury, or chasing your next goal, I offer long-term training and support to help you climb at your best.
I will work with you to build a plan for long term performance, that fits your goals and time commitments. This gives you access in person coaching on the mats, support via message, in the gym coaching or consulting over a coffee. This can also be done online via video call.
I will be there to support you through the highs and the lows and keep you focused and accountable on your journey.
£70 consultation start up fee
Every 4 weeks cost;
£110 - with 1 hour coaching
£145 - with 2 x 1 hour coaching approx 10% save on in person coaching
£220 - with 4 x 1 hour coaching approx 15% save on in person coaching
Buy in for a minimum of 12 weeks

Rope instruction

Beginner to advanced tailored sessions for individuals or groups wanting to improve their rope climbing skills.
Tie In with confidence
This can be anywhere from learning how to rope climb for the first time or brushing up and advancing your lead climbing skills. I can also help coach you on the wall to get the most out of your rope sessions.
Hourly rate 1:1
1 hour - £45
2 hours - £75
3 hours - £100
4 hours (half day) - £120
5-7 hours - £25 extra per hour
8 hours (whole day) - £220
Travel @ 40p per mile to external walls (excluding walls in central Southampton)
These costs do not include gym entry which must be paid on entry.
For additional persons please email and enquire.
Maximum of 6 people.

Outdoor bouldering

Take those first steps from indoors to outdoors with guided bouldering days.
Take it to the rock — safe, supported, guided outdoor bouldering.
For those looking to make the transition from indoor to outdoor climbing. Learn to navigate the outdoor climbing world, transferring your skills to the real rock whilst gaining key skills to keep yourself safe.
Guided boulder day around Portland (approx 6 hours)
1 person - £180
2 people - £110 pp
3 people - £80 pp
4 people - £65 pp
5 people - £55 pp
6 people - £45 pp

Group sessions - adult

Group coaching for those looking to improve alongside other likeminded climbers.
Current group sessions:

Training for Climbing is a long standing weekly training group, which was started by Oli in 2020. This session runs every Wednesday 19:00 - 20:30 and covers a wide variety of topics, but most importantly, has a strong following and community. The regular, keen and friendly faces you can see every week are as much a part of the support as the coach is and will help keep you accountable and psyched. If you would like to join this group then you can book through the Boulder Shack website.
Southampton Uni Mountaineering Club - These sessions run through out the university term time and are aimed at improving those who want to compete or improve their climbing ability. This session usually runs on a Wednesday 15:00 - 16:30 and is exclusively for those part of SUMC.
Are you interested in group coaching? For friends, societies or any one interested in group coaching I have a discounted rate for long term bookings. We can set up an informal call or meet in Boulder Shack for a coffee and to discuss whether I can provide what you are looking for.
See individual sites or societies for more details on current group pricing.
For anyone who is interested in group costs please enquire through the contact form at the end of this page.

Youth performance group

Regular Monday support sessions for youth climbers.
This is a fun and informal group for any youth climbers who have either been part of a performance squad or are currently part of one who would like extra input into their climbing. Focussed around athletic skill development, fostering confidence and building self efficacy.
£15 a session - (gym entry not included)
Invoiced monthly with a buy in for a minimum of 12 weeks.
This session runs through the holidays.

About your coach

Hello, my name is Oli and I am an experienced performance climbing coach and mentor, firmly set in the Southampton climbing community coaching youths and adults alike. I believe in building self efficacy in your practice and using climbing as a medium for wellness. I will help you look after your relationship with the sport whilst guiding you towards the goals and ambitions you aspire to achieve. My approach is person centred and unique to you.

I am a certified development coach, CWDI & RCI and am part of the first public intake for the Mountain Training Performance Coach award in 2023.

I am also working towards a personal trainer qualification and have been actively coaching those in the Southampton climbing community since 2019.

I am based in Southampton, working out of Boulder Shack Climbing Gym where I have run the Youth Performance Squads and adult coaching classes for many years. Although this is my home gym I can travel to your preferred climbing wall and work remotely. I also have a close relationship with Southampton Physio, working alongside them with climbers looking to return from injury.

Development Coach Award
Rock Climbing Instructor
Climbing Wall Development Instructor
Performance Coach Award Training 2023
In no particular order:
FUNdamentals of climbing 1,2 & 3.
BMC coaching children.
BMC physical training 1.
John Kettle - Movement 1 & 2.
John Kettle - Tactics; Physical and Mental.
PCC summit 2022 - Climb Strong
including:
Flow in climbing - Hazel Findlay. Disordered Eating in Climbing and Periodising Nutrition - Amanda Watts. Cultivating Self-Awareness and Interpersonal Communication Skills in Coaches - Alex Bridgewater. Pros/Cons of Supplements for Climbers - Eric Hörst.
How to Rehabilitate Lateral Epicondylosis - Dr. Jared Vagy.
The Physiology of Finger Training - Tyler Nelson.
Coaching, Cueing, and the Reality of Training - Charlie Manganiello.
Risk to Resilience - in pursuit of the ‘unbreakable’ athlete - AJ Sobrilsky Training Tension - Leif Gasch. Fundamental Concepts in Training - Steve Bechtel.
Climbing Flexibility Protocols - Mercedes Pollmeier.
Athlete Management - Andrew Caraballo.
How to Program Resiliency Tools into Climbing Education - Lor Sabourin. Movement for Climbers - Zahan Billimoria.
Breathwork for Climbers: The Missing Part to Our Training - Joy Black.
Local Climbing Systems - Micah Elconin.
Climbing psychology workshops:
Coaching Youth Climbers.
Dealing with Emotions in Climbing.
Coach-Athlete communication.
Fostering Youth Athletes Confidence.
Prevention of Eating Disorders.

The Climbing Doctor: Rock Rehab - Dr Jared Vagy.
NSPCC Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable People - Child Protection in Sport and Physical Activity.
Enhanced DBS
Insurance
Safeguarding
First aid

Join the community

High Life Climbing is more than the coach, it is a community of like minded, enthusiastic and friendly individuals who have been growing and supporting one another both in and out of classes and coaching sessions for many years.
Join the community by purchasing a branded t shirt and stand out in the crowd!

Buy your t-shirt here!

Reviews & testimonials

Over the years I have known Oli he has consistently stood out among coaches as exceptionally person-centred and very skilled, supporting individual climbers and communities. His conscientiousness, diligence and thirst for knowledge make him a great choice for climbers of all abilities and ages looking for support in their journey.

John Kettle - Performance Coach, WMCI and author
I have been coached by Oli over the years and he has always been able to jump straight into wherever my climbing journey has been at those times. Coaching with Oli is fun! He makes it feel easy going and enjoyable but still holds you accountable and gets you to work hard. I'm very happy to recommend Oli to anyone looking to build upon their existing experience because you're guaranteed to come away with more than you came with!

Amy - 1:1 coaching
That was a fantastic day! I couldn't have asked for more (in April). All of us really enjoyed it, even Dan said he'd enjoyed it and is looking forward to going again. In fact we're all keen to go again and feel ready to go about it safely on our own. You ticked all the boxes for us: kept us safe, introduced us to a great location, showed us how to be safe, found problems appropriate for us, gave us confidence and just the right level of light-touch guidance so we got a good balance of challenge and achievement. I thought you managed us and the timing through the day really skillfully, it felt like we moved smoothly from place to place with no rushing or stress. I suspect there's a fair amount of work making it feel like that. It definitely feels a different level of challenge and pace being out on the rock - but what a great way to spend some time. I really enjoyed how you "inspired" Robin to push a bit harder. Probably my favourite moment was watching Andy be the first to send that last climb - it's great being part of his journey. And overall the best part of the experience for me was when we were working together and solving the problems as a group. Of course being the first to send a couple did my ego no harm at all. So thanks very much! I love your work!

Craig - guided outdoor bouldering
If there’s anything in climbing I do well it’s probably because Oli taught me. A lot of teachers in any discipline tend to be formulaic in their approach but Oli is adaptable, attentive and takes the time to listen to make sure he understands how best he can help. He is great with neurodivergency too. Not to mention highly knowledgeable and passionate about climbing.

Jenna - 1:1 coaching
Oli is a great coach. He’s technically very proficient, but also understands how to motivate kids in a way that improves both their skills and their confidence. Bella’s climbing has come a long way since she joined Oli’s class, and I couldn’t recommend him enough to anyone else looking at taking their climbing to the next level.

Scott - Bella, youth performance group
Oli is a great coach who helped me get to the next step of my climbing journey. He tailored the session to my needs, helped find where I was struggling and worked with me to build tools to get past those struggles. Since my session with him I have only seen improvements, not only in my ability to climb but also my confidence to climb.

Rocks - 1:1 coaching
This year we’ve had the pleasure of having Oli come on board as a weekly coach for our club. The sessions have been highly engaging, with guidance applicable to a wide range of climbing abilities. The support and care Oli has given to our members has helped us to strengthen our community whilst making us all better climbers. Oli’s appreciation of the mental aspects of climbing has helped us to improve our skills significantly, with members stating that they feel much stronger and more confident in their climbing, and have noticed considerable improvements in their technique and critical thinking skills whilst on the wall. Oli encourages us to pay attention to our attitudes towards our own climbing, promoting a degree of introspection that helps us remain calm and focused, ultimately resulting in more rewarding, higher quality climbing sessions. Oli’s guidance in off-the-wall training introduced us to the fundamentals of injury prevention and strength building applicable to all sports, as well as climbing-specific exercises and drills for becoming more dynamic, improving endurance, and enhancing footwork. In short, he’s been absolutely lovely!

Joe, SUMC competition secretary - Southampton University Mountaineering Club group coaching
Oli has been coaching and mentoring Tilly since she first started climbing at Boulder Shack Climbing Squad when she was only 7 years old (now 11), and supported her through a difficult transition period when the squad was disbanded. He’s been instrumental in helping her develop a resilient mindset, manage her own expectations and pressures, and understand to trust her strengths and her own unique way of climbing. Tilly loves the Youth Performance Group sessions - they are fun yet test her limits!

Kerstin - Tilly, England dev squad, youth performance group
Not only is Oli a great guy but he is a fantastic youth coach, who takes the time to listen and engage with the young people he coaches. As a parent, his communication about training plans and progress was excellent, and his support in key competitions was vital. Another aspect of Oli's coaching that set him apart, was looking after the whole individual, not just climbing. He adjusted plans based on school commitments, exams, mental wellbeing and the need for a social life, which is a refreshing approach when young people are continually pushed to excel.

Sharon - Zavi, U19 GB boulder long term training

Let’s work together

Interested in working together? Fill out some info and I will be in touch shortly! If you would like a free 15 minute in person or phone consultation, let me know in the message box to get booked in. Look forward to hearing from you!