James Hickman

James been involved in the climbing industry for over ten years, working as a climbing instructor, coach, and route setter. As well as a climbing coach, he is also a qualified sports therapy graduate of the University of Chichester.

James is our Junior Team Manager here at Volume 1 working with our most talented individuals to help them progress with their climbing at help them compete at regional and national levels, alongside supporting their goals such as outdoor climbing.

Whilst James is a fantastic junior coach, he is able to work with those at all ages and levels and apply his innovative coaching practice to help people realise their potential.

You can find out more about James and his coaching style below:

Kirsten Pyper

Kirsten is our Development Squad Manager and has a wide range of skills and knowledge when it comes to coaching. Having worked in the industry for many years she is able to pull on this knowledge base and apply it to her coaching sessions.

Not only is Kirsten a fantastic coach and handy climber, she is also an ex GB Junior team member so has firsthand experience at competing but also as an accomplished outside climber she will be able to help you focus on your goals.

To find out more about Kirsten click on the link below:

Coaching FAQ

Who is coaching for?

If you have been climbing for more than 6 months then you could benefit from our performance coaching. James have a wide experience of working with people of all abilities and will be able to adapt the session to whatever level you are currently at.

How long are the sessions?

Our 1:1 sessions are 2 hours long and will not only give our coaches a chance to understand where your current level is at but also find out more about your goals and previous climbing and sporting history. This 2 hour session will also enable you to understand your coaches methodology and if this will work for you and what you want to get out of coaching.

How do the sessions work?

All our performance coaching sessions are run as 1:1 to make sure that you get all of the focus. During the session the coach will get to know more about your current climbing level and what you hope to achieve. They will then tailor the session to best meet these needs through a range of exercises and drills to help you make that progress.

What options are there?

Below you can read more about our coaches approach and coaching styles. Once you are happy, you can then book online your first 1:1 session. After the session, you will have the option to sign up to regular coaching via one of our coaching memberships or you can just book adhoc sessions as and when you feel then need. There are discounts available when you sign up to one of our coaching memberships.