About Us - The History of Compass West

In the year 1976 Rowland, along with his family moved to Cornwall from North Wales where he had been working as a private guide and a senior instructor at Plas – y – Brenin, The National Mountaineering Centre.  
      
There were at that time no climbing schools in Cornwall but an abundance of superb granite cliffs, many of them completely unexplored.  For the whole of Roland’s’ climbing career, exploring new areas had always been a major part of climbing.  Cornwall with its mild weather, superb rock and easy access was also perfect for teaching rock climbing. Initially the school started in a small way organising courses in Cornwall, Wales, Scotland and the Alps.  At the same time Rowland started to record many new routes done with friends, but later Mark his son was to join the team. Major climbs were done, many of them to become classics.   Amongst these routes were: Land’s End and its ‘Atlantic Ocean Wall’. Chair Ladder, ‘Rats in a Rage’, Gurnards Head,  Kenidjack, Pordanack Point. Paradise wall, Pendower Cove, Dutchmans Zawn, Vellan, Sennen, Bosigran, Great Zawn,  St Loy. Carn Barra.  Thousands of new climbs, many to become classic’s.  Marks routes were to become some of the hardest climbs in the UK.  His development of Carn Vellan, the first route to reach the astronomical grade of E10 (the first in the UK) was an astonishing achievement.  At that time he had the largest first ascent record of  E8 to E9s rock climbs. In Spain his record of such hard and difficult routes is still unsurpassed.  
      
During the summer season Compass West still operates in Cornwall with new routes being climbed every year.  On average about 30 new climbs every summer are recorded.  Our next seasons, 2007-8-9, will again find new areas of rock to climb, both for the experienced and less experienced climber.

During this time Rowland and Mark visited various areas abroad. One of which was Jordan where they again created a number of high quality new routes, many again becoming classics and for many years the hardest routes in Jordan.

In 1986 Compass West arrived in Spain to explore the possibility of  running their courses there during the winter months.  The Edwards had explored many such areas looking for good weather in the winter and new mountains and rock to teach their students on.  America, Jordan, Southern France and Northern Italy where all explored. None of these ticked all the right boxes which they thought were needed to encourage students to continue to rock climb during the winter months; that is until they climbed in the Costa Blanca.  In the eighties very few climbers had visited this part of Spain particularly during the winter. There were no climbing schools and there was very little information on this area.  What they found in the Costa Blanca was simply astonishing. Vast areas of superb mountains and rock walls, most of it unclimbed. In fact it is a rock climbers' and mountaineers' dream, added to which it has the best winter weather in Europe, if not the world.  Another advantage was the ease in which visitors could reach the area.  This has improved immeasurably since when they first came in early 80’s.

In Spain, the school's first base was in Calpe, where they discovered and developed the upper area of Toix, TV Toix in particular.  The sea cliffs were next with the discovery of ‘Rowland’s Magical Mystery Tour’ and the surrounding climbs.  They also discovered and developed the first climbs on Echo Placa and La Capella; ‘Deidro Edwards’, on La Capella, being the hardest climb in the area. Other routes were to follow on Haunted Walls and Catedral.  The move to Finestrat heralded an explosion of long multi pitch climbs on the Puig Campana. A total of fourteen new classic rock climbs many of which are now classics in their own right.  Mark and Rowland, along with a number of local Spanish climbing companions, also developed many of the areas in the Sella Valley. The Dark Side of Hidden Valley and Sector Vips, also The Elefante, and the  impressive upper and lower walls of El Divino didn’t escape their attention.  Rowland and Mark were also the first climbers to climb, and be given permission, to climb on the cliffs of Guadalest. These cliffs where later to be taken over by local sport climbers who bolted most of the natural lines.  All of the Echo Valley cliffs were first developed by Rowland and Mark as where the cliffs on the opposite side of the valley.  Pleasure Domes, the summit cliffs of Penya Roc,  which produced incredible routes for summer or the hot days, being over 1000mts.  In the same area is Haunted Walls with its incredible vertical lines. Just further on is the magical area of Cynical Pinnacle, a superb easily accessible mountain cliff.  Three Brothers are also amongst new cliffs discovered by Rowland.  The only route climbed on the magnificent mountain of Bollulla was climbed by Rowland (Solo). Developing and discovering new areas in the Costa Blanca has still not stopped. The most recent development, the astonishing rock towers of The Castellets, a ring of rock walls and towers which make up the head of the valley of Realet (close to Puig Campana).  This area is destined to become one of the most saught-after areas to climb on in the Costa Blanca. It has astonishing rock climbs of cracks, walls, towers, chimneys, grooves and arêtes; with an equally astonishing aspect looking out over the valley of Realet and the whole of the west face of the Puig Campana. It faces the sun all day and is out of the wind most of the time, perfection!  The Castellets is not just one single area but made up of dozens of rock towers, giving the area a feel of real adventure

Will it ever stop?  Well, the amount of rock and new areas to discover in the Costa Blanca would last several lifetimes of a whole climbing nation, let alone two individuals.  What we can say is that all their discoveries has put back into climbing some of what it has given to them.

During the whole of this period both Rowland and Mark have been instructing and guiding students. Although the exploration of new climbs and areas have been important, their teaching students has never been forgotten.  The enthusiasm for their profession, and climbing in general, has always been at the forefront of their lives.  

Without the help of our students they realise that they wouldn’t be where they are today.  The exploration of new route etc has always given them a freshness which shows through whenever  they are with their students.  The exploration and discoveries they have made has also given them the opportunity to take their students and clients into beautiful and un-crowded climbing areas, to pass onto those same students the experience and the thrill of  rock climbing and discovery.

JOIN OUR FREE MAILING LIST FOR NEWS AND SPECIAL OFFERS - CLICK HERE