Steve has been delivering lectures on his rock climbing adventures and top level performances for over 15 years. He has spoken to a wide range of audiences from local climbing clubs to corporate events. More recently, from 2014, he has delivered fun orientated motivational and educational talks to primary schools.

Working alongside the syllabus for Y3 and Y4, Steve’s talks are designed to introduce and expand on geology and geography, concentrating on the formation and characteristics of different rock types, where they are found around the world, and how these effect the sport of rock climbing. A selection of samples including limestone, sandstone, slate, granite, shale and gritstone are all available for the children to touch and feel where they can note roughness, weight and other characteristics.

Steve also talks in detail about his performance climbing, with photographs and video of his ascents of the hardest climbs in the UK. With 20 years at the top of the sport, Steve talks about the dedication, motivation, sacrifices and rewards of achievement. Key messages are about not giving up, setting goals, working towards them in small steps and taking risks.

Each talk has a number of ‘practicals’, where children are invited to test their strength against climbing related exercises.

With a strong emphasis on fun and involvement, and working closely with each school, each talk can be tailored to fit with current assembly topics, and optimized for each class dependent on where they are in the curriculum. Typically each session will fit a morning or afternoon, with 60-75 minutes on climbing followed by a break and a further 60 minutes on geology.