“The success of the AAC/CAM over the last 15+ years is due to the collective synergy of all it’s elements. First and foremost it is energised by the young climbers it serves – their response to opportunity and responsibility. It requires the trust of parents, for the club to develop their children’s potential, through adventure learning, with its assumed risks. The club’s volunteer team are drawn to it because they get back from the young climbers in spades what they give. The local climbing walls, the Indy and the Beacon, especially the Indy, Jon Ratcliffe and his team, allow the club to operate where young climbers are developed to manage their activity and associated risks. This is backed by TOP support, and coach education support that develops volunteer potential.

Ian Henderson, Bari Jones, Pete Edwards and Gaz Davies are the core of the club’s volunteers. The Indy is our home. Without them there is no AAC/CAM.

For my part, I simply strive to share my passion for climbing, communicate, and drive the club’s ethos, “climb like ninja’s and share your climbing,” that and “adventures are out there.” Paradoxically the club spends many hours “in there” but therein lies the development of the foundations for success “out there.” By this I don’t mean simply climbing adventures, it’s the attitude to face life challenges with inner confidence, self-esteem and efficacy.

How did I become involved with AAC?

In 2006, Aled Edwards, TOP’s first Anglesey Outdoor Development Officer, offered 2 taster sessions, at the Conway Centre’s climbing wall, to Year 9 Ysgol David Hughes. My son Joseph went to both sessions and I lent a hand. Further sessions were arranged at the Indy Wall.

Tudur Owen took over the Anglesey ODO role and between us we got the AAC/CAM going. I was nominated Chairman, and have been ever since.

For many years I taught at Birmingham’s Ogwen Cottage and this ensured I could commit to regular Friday evenings for the club.

Other key volunteers, Ian and Bari, were soon on board and we were running 40+ sessions a year, mostly at the Indy, but the Beacon and outdoors too.

With support from Ogwen we offered club members summer weeks, one at Ogwen Cottage and several annual trips to Pembrokeshire. A number of members also got assisted places on courses at Plas y Brenin.

Here are a few stories of how the club has shaped lives:

Bari Jones: amateur climber and parent volunteer, now owner/operator of Ropeworks Active, Llanberis.

Jill Reinsch: Bangor University undergraduate, 5 years an AAC volunteer, Masters degree, teacher, MCI and now a Tutor at the Conway Centre.

Lewis Perrin-Williams: joined at 13, when the BTEC at Coleg Menai, brought  a bunch of students to volunteer.  Now a leading climber in North Wales and BMC Youth Volunteer award.

Megan Bown: Coleg Menai volunteer at 16, now on the Glenmore Lodge Instructor Development Scheme.

Alis Jones: joined at 11yrs old, UK top 10 in the BMC Youth Climbing Series at 16. Just graduated from Harvard, and I’ve written her reference for the Civil Service fast track. Before she went to United World College, Hong Kong, at 17, we climbed A Dream of White Horses at Gogarth.

Pete Edwards: volunteered with the club when he was working in the stores at Plas y Brenin. One of the club’s key volunteers, now with a Masters degree in coaching performance and runs Prowess Coaching.

I guess it’s all about sharing a passion for climbing.

He was instrumental in providing Bangor University research that provided the necessary evidence for a need which led to the funding of the North West Wales Outdoor Partnership officer in 2002/03 for the first three years. She subsequently represented Bangor University and Gwynedd Council on the Partnership’s Stakeholder Group. She continued to support the Partnership’s work as Managing Director of Byw’n Iach, the body that employs an Outdoor Officer in Gwynedd.

In 2011 when the current company was formed she was a founding director and then a trustee when TOP became a Charity. She is a former Chair of TOP and was Director of Development until 2021 when she retired from the board. Her contribution to the continued success of TOP has been tremendous.

She loves walking the Eryri mountains, cycling (on the flat) as well as sailing and skiing when the opportunity arises.

He qualified as a teacher at Loughborough Colleges in 1971. In 1973 he moved from teaching to the emerging local authority leisure industry managing theatres, leisure centre and swimming pools. He moved to North Wales in 1986 where he worked for 23 years until retiring as Head of Leisure and Community Development for Conwy Council. He holds a Mountain Leader Award and has an Honorary Degree from Loughborough University. .

From 1977 until 1991 he orienteered at national and international level including a period as the Welsh Orienteering captain. He has also represented GB in the equestrian sport of TREC. His many outdoor interests over the years included fell running, rock climbing, winter mountaineering and Mountain Rescue. Paul now runs a smallholding in Betws yn Rhos for horses and rare breed sheep with his wife, Jenni.

“I have been a teacher, lecturer and outdoor activity coach and an outdoor activity & technical consultancy company owner, providing coaching, technical consultancy & worldwide kayaking, trekking & mountaineering opportunities.

I was also a freelance inspector for the Adventurous Activities Licensing Authority, Adventuremark, Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge, British Canoeing, Canoe Wales & Guernsey Health & Safety Executive.

Other roles include:

• A Quality Assurance Officer for British Canoeing & Canoe Wales;
• Expedition Leader for Adventureworks, Jagged Globe, Outlook Expeditions & Oceanwide Expeditions;
• A Professional Development Manager for the Institute for Outdoor Learning;
• A Project Manager for UK Adventure Industry Group (UKAIG) HSE/AALA Review Option 3 Proposal and AdventureSmart

In addition, I have held the following positions:

• Chair &/or Secretariat of Wales Adventure
  Tourism Organisation, AdventureSmart, Outdoor Alliance Wales, Canoe Wales National Coaching & Competitions Committee, Welsh Government Cross Party Group for the Outdoor Activity Sector;
• Executive Director for British Association of International Mountain Leaders (BAIML), Canoe Wales and Wales Tourism Alliance;
• Board Member of Welsh Government’s Tourism Advisory Board; Mountain Training Cymru, Mountain Training UK & Union of
  International Mountain Leaders Association (representing BAIML)
• Council / Committee / Group Member of the Adventure Activities Industry Advisory Council, UKAIG, Adventure UK and British Canoeing Coaching & Strategy Group.

I continue to run my own technical consultancy business; lead mountaineering expeditions, Chair Wales Adventure Tourism Organisation (WATO) & Outdoor Alliance Wales (OAW) and Co -project manage the AdventureSmart strategy to encourage people to get outdoors, have a good time and come back safely.