Our team
Duncan McCallum
CEO
Alasdair Lawton
CFO
Marc Peart
Social Impact Manager
Ian Grabowski
Chief Instructor
I’m originally from Dunstable, Bedfordshire but have lived between North Wales and Australia for the last 8 years since discovering climbing and re-training as an instructor in 2015. I’ve guided and instructed in Tongariro, New Zealand, Mount Arapiles and the Grampians in Australia and across the UK and Europe, most recently teaching people how to climb and mountaineer in North Wales. I hold the Mountaineering and Climber Instructor Award.
I’m one of the UK’s leading Emu artists (self-declared). With over 13 and under 15 Emu pieces to my name and no sales to date they are undiscovered masterpieces yet to find their market. Not available for purchase.
Seek challenge – embrace the pump – go hard!
I’d like to do a self-supported free-climb of Freerider, the easiest route on El Capitan in Yosemite, USA. Freerider has run-out slab climbing, off-width cracks, stamina pitches, insecure yet powerful stemming, traverse boulder-problems and steep exposed climbing – over 1000 metres of it! You have to be a well-rounded climber, physically and mentally, with solid technical expertise to accomplish it which is why it stands out to me. It’s a route that requires the full-package as a climber.
Because it’s not the average commercial climbing wall. It’s a really exciting project with a powerful vision to offer the benefits of indoor and outdoor climbing to all folk, from all socio-economic groups and to those who could benefit most from it in the Highlands and beyond. The Ledge staff understand that climbing is more than a sport. It can help develop a life-enhancing growth mindset, give tools for dealing with challenge, stress, fear and anxiety and can help build confidence, trust and positive habits in people. We aim to instil this knowledge into the courses we deliver and hopefully help people in their climbing and non-climbing lives in doing so. The team, the wall and surrounding rock climbing on our doorstep is also pretty exceptional!
Steve Archer
Social Impact Manager
Originally from Luton. I have moved slowly further north since 16 years old completing various qualifications on my way. I ended up in Glasgow completing a Masters Degree and decided Scotland was where I wanted to live. Yet again within Scotland I have moved further north stopping at Dingwall. As well as working for the Ledge I also have a small tree surgery business.
I got into climbing relatively late in life, around – ie in my mid 20s. I grew up competing in gymnastics, swimming, basketball, and Jiu-Jitsu.
Steep and thuggy
Something in Lofoten.
I have previously experience of working with vulnerable / disadvantaged youth groups. I found the work challenging, fulfilling and enjoyable. If you combine being able to do this type of work with climbing it might possibly be my dream job!
Paul “from the wall” Freudenthal
Youth Development Instructor
Born and bred in Inverness, I have lived here most of my life. Since climbing took over my life around 20 years ago this has provided me with a great home base from which to hopefully find some dry rock, not too far away, in some direction or another and sixty percent of the time, this works every time. Having previously worked at the old leisure centre wall for too long to remember (or should that be forget?) I have been lucky enough to be able to pass on my love for climbing to many a young person and proud enough to have had a hand in seeing some of them become better climbers than I could ever hope to be. Most at home multi-pitching up a high mountain north face in the middle of the summer.
Repeatedly falling off the very last moves of a project, to give myself every possible advantage I stripped down to just my pants for my very last go of the night. It went 🙂
Softly softly catchy monkey. Limpet-like endurance has allowed me to become a master of indecision…. Or is it the other way around?
Yosemite Valley, California
Perfect granite, splitter cracks, bolted belays and getting heat-stroke breaking yourself hauling super heavy bags 1000m into the sky – whats not to love?
Lidl next door sells some weapon toffee yum yums.
Seriously though, being able to be part of a fantastic team in a brand new facility run by climbers for climbers, where i’ll have even more chance to give a little back and maybe just make someone else’s life just a little better through the joy of climbing.
…..but mainly the yum yums 😉
Ellen Macaskill
All Rounder
I have been climbing for 23 years, it’s been a lifelong passion that has given me opportunities to travel and meet so many amazing people! I now have the opportunity to introduce my kids to this amazing sport.
I’m a dog whisperer
Wall rat with a touch of sport
A trip to Kalymnos is definitely top of the bucket list!
Having been based in the Highlands my whole life, it’s been a dream for a lot of us to have a new climbing centre. Being even a small part of this is amazing!
Will Walton
Instructor
I’m originally from Buckinghamshire but lived and worked in Edinburgh at Alien Rock for six years before moving to the Highlands. I do trad whenever possible but all climbing is good climbing! I’m working on my outdoor qualifications and am keen to get to know the Inverness climbing community.
I can drive a combine harvester.
Leggy boi
Indian Creek, because crack is the purest form of climbing
For the opportunity to get involved in such an awesome project, to help people through climbing and to get to know the highland climbing scene!
Jamie Skelton
Full time instructor
I was brought up in Devon but slowly crept up the UK after leaving college. Moving to South Wales before going up to North Wales but finding home in the Highlands. I’m always out hunting for new rock with the dog and am aiming for an MCI assessment in the not too distant future.
I once got Andy Nisbet lost in the Cairngorms.
All year round ledge shuffler.
Despite having travelled abit my favourite climbing is here in Scotland. I can’t think of a specific route but I’d likely choose a mixed climb in the North West. Something challenging with an uncertain outcome and a good pal to share it with.
It’s exciting to be part of a growing community of people from all walks of life that share a wide range of climbing experience. I’ve wanted to move to Inverness for a long time and I think The Ledge are filling an obvious void in the Highlands with the new state of the art facilities. Getting to have a monkey around myself is a bonus too.
Ben Watson
Instructor
I grew up in South West England but haven’t been there for a long while. I moved away to study outdoor education at the University of Cumbria and have taken that work with me across the UK and overseas. I have always worked in the outdoor industry, and have been fortunate enough to work in some amazing places including New Zealand, Japan, Canada and sunny Spain. I started out as a Jack of all trades guiding and instructing a bit of everything, but have been specialising in all things climbing and mountaineering for the last 5 years or so. I am a qualified Mountain Leader and Rock Climbing Instructor and trainee mountaineering and climbing instructor. I have a wide range of other qualifications too including skiing, snowboarding, kayaking and mountain biking.
I have quite the sweet tooth and love to scratch the itch by baking delicious treats.
Wee crimpers and a little over hanging! Heavy chalk user, my palms are often sweaty just thinking about climbing…
Squamish and the chief. A much younger and less wise Ben once passed through Squamish and it rained for days so I decided to go mountain biking on some of the trails at Whistler instead. I would love to get back and climb some of the stunning cracks on the Grand Wall.
I was super inspired to see The Ledge’s commitment to providing fantastic indoor and outdoor climbing experiences for ALL! I cannot think of any other climbing gym ANYWHERE with a similar approach to developing individuals, community, the team, in addition to offering a world class indoor climbing facility and world class outdoor adventurous climbing. The list goes on!
Stacey Lawrence
Instructor
Originally I’m from the deep countryside of Norfolk, where there are no hills! Climbing and mountaineering wasn’t even on my radar as a kid.. There weren’t even any climbing walls in Norwich until very recently.
I had a small experience of bouldering at uni in North Wales but really got into it when I moved to Edinburgh. I started going bouldering all the time and the guys behind the desk at Alien Bloc who were all super supportive, they encouraged me to go for my CWI and 5 years later here I am. I’ve done a mixture of bouldering and sport climbing outside, with a smattering of trad thrown in, but I think my heart belongs to bouldering!
I was in two Christmas episodes of Blue Peter when I was a kid. You can see me walking into the studio singing my little heart out holding a lantern.
Sloper slapping, crimp crushing lady power with rad feetsies.
I don’t really have a dream route yet, just many many places I want to visit and climb. I don’t want to constrict my climbing to one route until I’ve tasted many types of climbs. On the list is Magic Wood, Joe’s Valley, Squamish……….. It keeps on going.
Climbing helped me so much during a very dark period of my life, and helped me in so many ways. I’ve met so many lovely people who are now a big big part of my life. When I heard about the ethos of the Ledge, about what they want to do with their social outreach, it seemed to fit so well with what I wanted to do with my climbing that I just had to be a part of it.
It helped that I spent a lot of time climbing around Inverness last year and fell in love with the area. My partner and I decided we wanted to move up here, when I heard about the Ledge it was just perfect timing as well.
Jamie Lowther
Instructor
I’m from Aviemore. I started climbing when I was around 3,4 and enjoy all disciplines of the sport.
I started climbing outdoors but it was the competitions that got me really hooked into the sport. Over the last few years my focus has transitioned more towards climbing outside again but I’ll still enter competitions when I can.
When I used to do kickboxing I learnt how to do the splits for a free T-shirt and then as soon as I got the T-shirt I stopped stretching.
I like to think I’m good at mixing it up where a route requires a certain style.
Maybe one day it would be cool to dry Dreamcatcher in Squamish but apart from that just any route that looks cool.
Everyone complains about their jobs so when I was younger I figured to enjoy work I might as well do something I enjoy. The main thing I enjoy doing is climbing so why not work in a job that involves being around climbing!
(This was a long way of saying for the free membership)
Vicki Mayes
Chief Routesetter
My name is Vicki, (vix/ vixter/ trix). I’m from Glasgow and have been climbing for over 20 years. I’ve worked and travelled all over the place, teaching climbing and snowboarding, and spent the last 4 years living in Munich where I gained experience in commercial route setting and rope access.
I entered a cheerleading competition aged 16 and our team won and performed at Hampden Park!
Slopers, crimpy face climbing, cracks and comp style moves. My weakness is pinching my left hand because I dislocated my thumb whilst snowboarding.
Tribeswoman at Tunnel wall, Chimen de Fer at Dumby and London Wall at Millstone Edge.
I came to work at the ledge because I believe in the ethos and aims of the charity. It is my belief that climbing should be accessible to all and that diversity is key to a healthy and supportive climbing community.