About Us

paul-climbing-shot Ascent Training is run by Paul Platt whose mountaineering experience began in 1987. "I undertake trips to climb rock and ice; as well as alpine and big wall climbing - I have climbed El Capitan in Yosemite twice now including an ascent of The Nose.

"I have extensively climbed in the UK and the alpine regions of Europe and have also had a number of expeditions to North and South America, which has included an ascent of Mount McKinley (Denali) in Alaska. My one expedition to the Himalayas was successful with an ascent of Ama Dablam. I have also led an expedition ski mountaineering to Greenland for Tangent Expeditions.

I am a holder of the Mountain Instructor Certificate (MIC) and full member of the Association of Mountain Instructors (AMI).

Paul took over the Chair role of the AMI in January 2011 and this is a three year term. An exciting period for the association.

paul_greenland "I first caved in the late 1980's but have caved extensively in Yorkshire since the late 1990's with trips to the Peak District and South Wales (including a trip to the end of Darren Cilau and out in one push) and further afield to the Vercors, in France. I am a holder of the Cave Instructor Certificate (CIC) and a full member of the Association of Cave Instructors (ACI)".

"Besides being extremely passionate about these sports, I have a wealth of experience instructing. Having first worked in outdoor education in 1987 I have worked at a number of Local Education Authorities' Centres (LEA's) in England and Wales, as well freelancing for the National Mountain Centre, Plas y Brenin, in North Wales".

Ascent Training's courses are run by Paul Platt and a team of highly qualified professional freelance staff, all of which have an extensive amount of experience in the mountains and/or underground. Here is a little information about some of the staff we use:

Stuart Halford has been a climber, skier, caver and canoeist for over twenty years and holds a range of instructional qualifications including the MIC (Mountain Instructor Certificate). He has travelled widely to climb in the UK and abroad, visiting Continental Europe, North and South America, the Middle and Far East, and Australia and has a number of first ascents to his name. Based in the Lake District, Stuart works in the experiential development training industry besides working for us.

Neil Mathews, a local lad, has been working in outdoor education for over 15 years. He holds many instructional certificates including skiing, canoeing, kayaking, caving and windsurfing but primarily now works as a freelance mountaineering instructor holding the Mountain Instructor Certificate (M.I.C.). Neil has worked in a wide range of outdoor centres and is a qualified secondary school science teacher.

Simon McCabe has been climbing since 1987 and instructing since 1994. A freelance climbing and caving instructor based near Ingleton, North Yorkshire. His qualifications include the MIA, Winter ML, IML and CIC. He has climbed extensively throughout Europe and in Canada, USA, Australia and New Zealand. An extremely competent caver and caving instructor who has had a number of trips to the Vercors, Simon and Paul regularly cave together in Yorkshire on winter evenings. He is a well-travelled wanderer who takes too many holidays.

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Fiona Drake is active in many adventurous activities with the main passion being rock climbing and mountaineering. She has been climbing for a number of years and is a holder of the summer ML and SPA awards among others. She works full time at Lanehead OEC on the shores of Coniston Water and a very popular instructor besides working for Ascent Training. During the winter of 2006/7 she did her winter ML training and hopes to undertake the MIA training soon.

Stu Stanley's passion in the outdoors started at school when he joined the canoe club and today he can often be found in his sea kayak around the North Wales coast. He holds both the Coach Level 4 Inland and Level 3 Sea awards. They say one drug tends to leads to another, and for Stu it was rock climbing. He still remembers the transition today! Crying on an introductory climb in N Wales in the rain (of course) whilst wearing a dry cag! Things rapidly improved after that day and a new lifestyle was introduced to him. Today, 17 years on, a life without climbing would be difficult to imagine and to date he has sampled most forms of climbing in many amazing places. Stu also holds the Mountain Instructor Certificate (MIC).