Simon Moore

Simon, the founder of Vertical Ascents, is an experienced climber and coach with over 30 years of involvement in the sport. His journey began in the Mourne Mountains of Ireland, where he first discovered the joy of rock climbing. In his late teens, he moved to Sheffield, England, and later spent 15 years in the US, living in California, before returning to Ireland in 2021. He now lives in Ballycastle, Northern Ireland, beside Ireland’s best climbing destination, Fairhead.

Over the past 15 years, Simon has worked with over 300 climbers, ranging from aspiring amateurs to elite-level athletes. Some of his childhood rock-climbing heroes have been among his valued clients, making his coaching particularly rewarding. His expertise extends beyond climbing; he has successfully coached endurance competitors to achieve impressive results at both national and world championship levels.

Vertical Ascents developed from Simon's lifelong interest in understanding how we learn to climb. His approach is strongly influenced by a human-centric, individualized perspective on coaching, training, and climbing. His coaching is theory-guided and built upon the science of movement control and learning, recognizing the inseparable relationship between climbers and their environment. Motivated by constant innovation, he strives to create programs that can pivot and adapt quickly as new perspectives emerge.

Simon specializes in various climbing disciplines, including bouldering, trad climbing, big-wall free climbing, alpine climbing, ice climbing, sport climbing, and backcountry skiing. As a Certified AMGA Rock Guide and having completed the Alpine Guide and Ice Instructor Courses, he has honed his expertise in coaching athletes across diverse mountainous environments.

Simon's vision is to help climbers continually improve their climbing performance and have an enjoyable and rewarding experience every time they go climbing.