The Mountaineering Company

Had an amazing day with Matt up around Derwent doing a Navigation Improvers course. He's a seemingly bottomless fount of knowledge, and tailored the course very well to each individual. Everybody reported that they had enjoyed themselves, and had managed to come away feeling like they had learned something new specific to them. The route was perfectly designed, and he even managed to arrange some heavy fog so we could practice navigating without any visibility! We'll be booking again for sure, looking forward to the next outing.

I’ve just returned from a 5 day Mountain Independence course run by Matt and can honestly say, it is one of the best weeks I’ve ever had.Matt is very professional, super friendly and extremely knowledgeable. You can tell he loves what he does and loves just as much passing his knowledge and expertise on to other people. A special shout-out to Sam & Dave who took us out on days 2 & 3, Both of whom were just as friendly, helpful & knowledgeable as Matt.With this being my first time in the mountains I was unsure if the course was going to be right for me, but Matt assured me it would be and he was right. The course is the perfect mix of learning and adventure. The skills I’ve picked up this week are invaluable and with the confidence I’ve also gained, I know that if I wanted to go out in the mountains on my own, I could and would be able to keep myself safe.I loved every day on the course but the highlights have to be the grade 1 scrambling we done, along with the night navigation and wild camp on days 4 & 5. Waking up yesterday in the mountains on a perfect sunny autumn morning was just incredible and the perfect way to end the week.I’d have no hesitation recommending Matt and his courses to anyone, be that the absolute beginner or the more experienced outdoors person looking to improve or gain new skills. He has courses for all skill levels and know they will be run in the same professional and friendly manner mine was.Thanks once again Matt for an amazing week and look forward to seeing you again soon.

The Mountaineering Company are simply the best!I have just returned from an Atlas Mountain Trek with Matt who owns the company.It was simply awesome, brilliantly organised, felt completely safe and it has built my trekking confidence.Put simply, if you want to work on your confidence, build your mental and physical strength, do anything adventurous that involves the outdoors then this company is the place to do it.I have been fortunate to do various adventures with Matt over the years and have never been disappointed. He helps you achieve goals and dreams you may never have thought you could.Looking forward to our next adventure!Thanks Matt xxx

I have recently just done the Hill Skills course and it was absolutely fantastic. I have some experience walking in hills and I was surprised at how much Matt taught us over the two days. I learnt so much! Matt is incredibly knowledgeable, professional and fun. Both days were varied and in stunning locations, ideal for anyone interested in hiking, beginner or not, would definitely recommend!

I booked in for a two day map reading course with instructor Matt. I already had a basic knowledge of map reading but wanted time out in the hills/mountains to fine tune these skills. I asked Matt to push and challenge me as best he could and he delivered exactly what I asked. I soaked up every bit of information Matt gave me, I was challenged and pushed but always felt safe. We had a day of bad weather and a day of great weather and both days were fantastic. I’ve already recommended Matt and his team to my friends and I will most definitely be back. Thanks Matt for such a great experience I came away with much more confidence having such an amazing few days with some great views of the Snowdonia National Park.

I was guided by Matt Cooper for a great day out developing my navigation and movement skills in the Glyderau. I have been out with many guides in Wales, Scotland and the Alps and none have surpassed Matt’s genuine passion and knowledge for all things mountaineering, hiking and climbing. I learned more about navigation and operating independently in the mountains with Matt in one day than I had with others over many years. Can’t recommend The Mountaineering Company highly enough - they are moving the guiding game forward at pace so if you want to learn more about the mountains or just want a great day out, look no further!

We’ve just had a fantastic day with Matt on his Navigation Improvers course. After breakfast at the Siabod Cafe we sat with Matt and had an hour or so learning the basics of OS map reading and compass use. We then headed out into the hills to put these to good use with ongoing advice and training. Matts very engaging, easy company and a great tutor . We learned so much and left confident we wouldn’t be getting lost any more !Thanks Matt for a great day and look forward to advancing our newly gained knowledge with you very soon.

My brother and I have now been on 3 courses (rock climbing/mountaineering) with TMC (Matt) and have always left feeling super inspired and that we'd each progressed alot. We always feel like we're in safe, experienced hands and have enjoyed being kept on the right side of our comfort zones, depending on your preference! The courses are skillfully tailored around the ever changing weather in the hills, always managing (so far) to seek out a more sheltered spot, be it from the Sun, wind or rain, to have a great day out. Thank you, we can't wait for the trip to Skye in the Summer.

2 day introduction to mountaineering course, didn’t know what to expect from the experience but I was blown away with everything we did. Matt and John got us out in some pretty awful conditions for the last intro course of the year but it was so worth it. A quick meet up at a brilliant cafe with a sit down and a chat and then absolutely no messing about. Straight onto the rock learning the basics but having the absolute best time doing so. Going to be booking my mountaineering development course ASAP. Matt and John were incredibly professional, clear cut, patient and just good blokes. Exactly what you want. Don’t bother with anyone else!