About

A warm welcome. My name is Mike Laing and I run and operate Snowdonia Climbing. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have grown-up in here Snowdonia where I spent a large part of my youth roaming the Carneddau which backed onto my childhood home.

I began my mountaineering in earnest some 35 years ago and was given the opportunity to develop it further in the Army where I served for 16 years. Much of those years were spent gaining mountaineering qualifications, leading rock climbing and mountaineering expeditions Worldwide and teaching mountaineering skills to soldiers. I have been fortunate to plan and lead expeditions to Kilimanjaro, Cotopaxi, Chimborazo, Aconcagua, Toubkal, Mt Kenya, climb in the USA, Australia, Spain, Italy, France, Germany and Belgium as well as trek long-distance trails in some amazing places such as The Lebanon, Peru, Greenland, The Alps and Ecuador. More recently I have authored a guidebook to Sweden's most famous trail, The Kungsleden for Cicerone Press and look forward to authoring their hiking guide to Northern Norway in 2023.

On leaving the Army I decided to return to North Wales and embark on a full-time career in the outdoors and thus, founded Snowdonia Climbing back in 2007. As a professionally qualified mountaineering instructor I am a full member of The Association of Mountaineering Instructors and hold the Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor (MCI) award and the Mountain Leader Winter (MLW) Award. This means I am fully qualified to instruct and conduct all forms of summer mountaineering and lead hill walking groups in winter conditions in the UK. Additionally, I hold a Mountain/Outdoor First Aid Certificate.

Snowdonia Climbing is able to offer a great wealth of activities that will inform, instruct and delight all mountaineers from the absoloute novice to the established operator. In addition to mountaineering activities, we offer remote trekking in Western Greenland, ML Summer and RCI Refreshers Courses and bespoke private guiding. If you can't find what you require then please do get in touch.

Snowdonia Climbing only uses professionally qualified instructors whose wealth of experience ensures that your progress is structured and paced to your current abilities. Their informed feedback and developmental advice will allow you to take stock and set your sights further