Bespoke Guiding in the Lake District

Guided rock climbing on Napes needle - Chris Ensoll Mountain Guide

Is this the course for me?

If you've looked at all our other courses and none of them is a perfect fit for you, then bespoke guiding is what you need. 

What level of fitness do I need?

This depends on what you want to achieve.

What does the course cover?

Anything you want it to. The beauty of this option is that we can completely tailor your time with us to your needs and aspirations.

What's the maximum ratio?

1:6 for rock climbing on single pitch crags, summer & winter mountaineering, and scrambling
1:3 or 1:2 for rock climbing on multi pitch crags, depending on the routes
1:2 for winter climbing

Where do the courses take place?

Please check out the Essential Info for the Lake District page.

What dates are available?

You choose the date, and we tailor the programme for you. Available dates are shown in the Climbing & Mountaineering in the Lake District section on the calendar.

How much will it cost, what about transport, and what do I need to bring?

Please check out the Essential Info for the Lake District page.

What do our clients say about us?

Booking was straight forward with any queries answered promptly. The programme was some of the easier multi-pitch routes on Dow Crag as requested. I was grateful that you offered to change the day from the Thursday to the Friday due to the poor weather. Chris obviously has a lot of experience from all his years guiding/instructing and clearly knew the routes on Dow Crag well, adapting route choice to my abilities in light of the conditions (slightly damp / slippy in places from the rain the day before). He gave opportunities to learn / practice things, and to re-cap stuff I'd done before.
Simon Withey, September 2019

Chris helped us to make the best of a poor weather day and I really enjoyed it. It was hard to climb with cold hands and slippery rock, but as Chris said, he wanted to stretch me, and it did in a good way :-) A good day, and will book again.
Andy Cramp, January 2020

The usual enjoyable and informative day - learn't loads just got to remember it now and put it into practice!
Tom Hiley, February 2020

After not climbing for a fair while I was looking for a refresher course and completely enjoyed my day in the Langdales with Chris. His knowledge and enthusiasm are brilliant and, while I was dragged out of my comfort zone at times, I learnt an enormous amount from the day and it was all great fun. The icing on the cake was rigging various simulated crevasse rescue scenarios when we stopped for a bite at lunchtime. I can't recommend Chris highly enough!
Iain Asher, June 2020

Working with Chris has been a pleasure. His skill in getting us to do the right things consistently, patience when we make mistakes and encouragement when nerves start to wobble has seen us both progress really well. Chris lives right in the middle of some of the best climbing in the country so his local knowledge is invaluable in helping to match the right venue with the level we are trying to climb at. Equally, Chris is a really easy person to get on with and very good at encouraging you to achieve. This was evident the first time we booked with him and that is still the case today.
Charles Eggleston, June 2020

Even after almost 25 years of climbing with Chris his enthusiasm, encouragement and motivation still inspires me to achieve things I beyond my expectations. Chris gives me the confidence to push myself to my limits.
Richard Bryant, September 2020

Very easy to book, with fast and responsive communications. I was challenged mentally and physically and pushed far outside my comfort zone, but never too far. And all the while learning techniques and tips in a relaxed and absorbing way. Chris is superb.
Tom Hamilton, November 2020

I am so happy I chose yourself and Chris for the day and I think you have a new client for life. I am hooked on the movement techniques Chris shown me. GREAT website too by the way.
Ste Talent, December 2020

Chris is a real inspiration. A fantastic guide, highly knowledgeable and absolutely great company to spend a day with.
Mike Millington, May 2022

I was completely happy with the booking process. Our instructor was Chris Moore - totally professional and made us feel totally safe whilst also providing what (for us) was a challenging couple of days. Willing to change times to fit with the weather and always had a plan. He is credit to the company - really excellent instructor (and I've worked with over up to a dozen over the years).
Will Breame, July 2022

Chris was really attentive to what I said I wanted to work on, and to what he noticed along the way. I felt our time together was well-spent working on my specific weaknesses, with no 'padding' doing things I could already do. He was professional and helpful, as well as being really warm, friendly and supportive. It can be hard spending a long time working on something you know is a weakness, and he made that really easy, as well as being so patient when I was being hesitant.
Jenny Bushell, 1:1 movement coaching, February 2023

It is always a pleasure to communicate with you and make the bookings. The first day really highlighted how conditions can change the difficulty of a route and the energy expenditure. Great overview of rope work, gear placement and safety considerations. The movement refresher is always enlightening. The day 2 decision to do some indoor training at the Kendal wall was fabulous use of our time, Chris covered a huge amount during the day, movement on the wall, factors that influence climbing performance and how they can be addressed, leading method, rope work and putting it all into practice. Absolutely brilliant.
Nigel Wildman, scrambling coaching, March 2024