My Story #13: Ben Roe, Outdoor Education Graduate and Climbing Wall Route Setter
/WRITTEN by ANNE ENSOLL & BEN ROE
In this series we’re sharing the stories of outdoor instructors, mountain guides and enthusiasts who work and play in the mountains. Links to all the previous posts can be found at the bottom of this post.
We first met Ben Roe in 2012 when he did his Single Pitch Award training course with us. He completed his Outdoor Education degree at the University of Cumbria in Ambleside in 2016. He is qualified as a Mountain Leader, a Rock Climbing Instructor and a Development Coach. He is currently working as a route setter at Kendal Wall.
Sport climbing on the Costa Blanca in Spain
What are your first memories of adventures in the outdoors as a child or teenager?
My first memory of an outdoor adventure would probably be walking round Buttermere and Crummock Water in the Lake District when I was almost ten, with my mum and my grandad. I remember it being a lot longer than I wanted to walk, but on the plus side I got a walking cane crafted from a stick by Grandad out of it.
What do you remember about your outdoor adventures when you started doing them independently?
The main appeal for me for going into the outdoors was having a sense of freedom, going into Mother Nature either on my own or with friends - bouldering or trad climbing in the Peak and having an awesome time. When we got more comfortable with that we started going further afield, exploring areas I’d been to in the past but never spent any real time looking into, like North Wales, the Lakes and Scotland. Everytime you visit a place you get more and more out of it, which I think is really cool.
At Aira Force in the Lake District as a teenager
When did it change from a hobby to a career?
It still is a hobby to a certain extent, although I got a career out of it when I left uni and started working at the climbing wall at the University of Nottingham. Because all the work I do at the moment is indoor-based, with all the route setting and coaching with the squad kids, and general instruction at the wall, when I go outside it still feels different. It doesn’t feel less fulfilling because I’m doing it all the time, it still feels unique and special, and something I really value.
What has the path been since then?
Since I started working in the outdoor industry, I’ve tried to keep developing. I was fortunate enough to get a role as an instructor straight out of uni, and everywhere I’ve worked I’ve had opportunities to grow and develop, doing more and more route setting and becoming increasingly competent. This has led to the role I’m in now, which is head route setter at Kendal, and also being able to coach a variety of different people, which is something I want to focus more on in the future. Being able to get my Development Coach qualification with John Kettle has been awesome, and I want to put that to more use, and maybe introduce more coaching at Kendal Wall to expand on what we currently offer.
Sport climbing on the Costa Blanca in Spain
If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to work in the outdoors what would it be?
If you love it, just stick to it, and look into different ways that you can make a career out of it. If you’d asked me when I was growing up what I wanted to do, I would have had no clue what a route setter is, but trying to find a creative outlet as a climber has led me to it. Keep every avenue open and don’t limit your options, so you can find what works for you and what makes you happy - if you’re making loads of money but you’re not happy, that’s not the way to go. Enjoy what you do and take pride in it.
Read the full My Story series
My Story #1: Chris Ensoll, International Mountain Guide
My Story #2: John Kettle, Climbing & Mountain Biking Coach
My Story #3: Kelvyn James, International Mountain Leader
My Story #4: Anne Ensoll, Business Manager And Ex-Outdoor Instructor
My Story #5: Michael Curry, All-Round Outdoor Instructor and Business Owner
My Story #6: Esther Foster, Freelance Outdoor Instructor
My Story #7: Rob Pugh, Mountaineering Instructor and Stay-at-Home Dad
My Story #8: Colin Reilly, Outdoor Instructor & Church Pastor
My Story #9: Rhiannon Pritchard, Arctic Nature Guide and Academic
My Story #10: Alan Kimber, Mountain Guide and Accommodation Provider
My Story #11: Claire Hendrickse, Freelance Outdoor Instructor
My Story #12: Alice Kerr, Outdoor Instructor & Long Distance Runner
