ReAch Climbing Coaches
ReAch Climbing & Coaching is a Coaching Partnership of four of the UK’s best performance coaches and includes some of Scotland’s leading climbers.
It is the brainchild of Mark McGowan who has joined with Neil McGeachy (MCofS National Coach), Gary Vincent (MCofS Endorsed Coach) and Johnny Dawes (one of the UK's most talented and influential climbers of the 1980's) to offer professional coaching services.
ReAch have joined with MCofS to deliver our Youth competitions and coaching sessions.
Find out more at: reachclimbingcoach
Mark McGowan
Hailing from Glasgow, Mark started climbing at the age of 12. When he was just 17 he moved to Wales and climbed with many of the big names of the time (including Johnny Dawes), making on-sight ascents up to E6. He dissapeared from the climbing scene for a while to pursue business interestes but recently came back with a vengeance and achieved 8a after just 6 months training - after finding out what the best methods were. He has climbed E7 and 8a and in winter made the first ascent of grade VIII. He has soloed Shibboleth (700ft E2) and acted as MCofS Team Coach for Scotland, helping at the 2011 Team meet to Spain.
Neil McGeachy
Neil started climbing 18 years ago and has enjoyed trips throughout Scotland, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Austria, Norway and the States. His favoured styles of climbing are on-sight traditional and on-sight sport climbing, although he is interested in traditional Scottish winter, ice and mixed as he believes it’s beneficial to be an all-round climber. His favourite traditional crags are Sheigra Second Geo (in the extreme North West), Wave Buttress (in Glen Nevis) and Huntsman's leap (on the Pembroke coast). His favourite sport crags are Ceuse (in France) & Kilnsey (in Yorkshire). He has worked as as a voluntary MCofS Area Youth Coordinator, GB Team coach, is an MCofS FUNdamentals Provider and international Competition route-setter. he received Honorary Membership of the MCofS in 2010 and Youth Coach of the Year - Edinburgh Sports Awards - in 2011.
Key Achievements ahve been: over 100 on-sights/flash ascents of E5 & above / On-sight first ascents up to E5 6b throughout Scotland; Flash of ‘Natural High’ E7 6b, Dunkeld / Ground up ascent of ‘Dalriada’ E7 6b / Ground up ascent of ‘Undertow’ E7 6c; 8b+ Red-point - Sport / 8a on-sight - Sport / WI6 on-sight - Ice / M10+ red-point - Mixed; On-sight of 18 pitch E5 6b ‘Brandler Hasse’ - Cima Grande, Dolomites
Gary Vincent:
Gary has been climbing since the mid-90's and is renowned for his astonishing strength. Starting out on the climbing wall at Carnegie Leisure Centre in his home town of Dunfermline and later at Alien Rock's new bouldering wall. Gary was both a British Bouldering Team Member and a regular competitor on the national circuit. He isn't however just a plastic climber. He has climbed some of the hardest problems at Dumbarton Rock, climbed Font 8a in Fontainebleau and Magic Wood, and perhaps his most stand out ascent is Chris Sharma's legendary problem The Mandala, Font 8a+, in the Buttermilks, near Bishop, California.
