ABOUT US
Freestone Climbing and Mountain Services
Freestone climbing is run by Jon Freestone and Nikki Burniston, we have been climbing and travelling together for nearly 25 years. Based in Lancashire within easy reach of the Lancashire quarries, Yorkshire, Lake District, Peak District, and North Wales.
We offer personalised experiences in all aspects of rock climbing, mountaineering, hill walking and navigation. Courses are tailored to the needs and aspirations of our clients, our ultimate aim is to ensure the client can become independent and confident in their chosen activity or to achieve their chosen goal or ambition. At the core of all our courses is enjoyment, adventure, learning and beautiful environments.
We each hold comprehensive insurance cover for the courses we provide and up to date first aid training.
If you want a skills course or adventurous experience designed around your requirements and aspirations then please get in touch.
Jon Freestone
My enthusiasm for all things climbing is always high (regardless of the weather!) and I am passionate about delivering fun, challenging and informative courses, as well as enjoying every opportunity to spend time on the crags and in the mountains. Climbing and mountaineering for over 25 years and instructing for over 20, has led me to explore most major climbing areas within the UK from my beginnings in the Peak District, to the mountains of Scotland, N. Wales, and the Lake District, to the sea cliffs of Cornwall, Pembroke, Anglesey, Lundy Island and Dorset, as well as my local crags in Lancashire and West Yorkshire. More recently visiting and climbing in areas across Europe, from the Alps and Spanish sport crags to the far north of Norway inside the Arctic Circle, has provided an added dimension to my enjoyment of climbing and mountaineering.
My instructing experience ranges from one to one instruction and instructor training, to school groups and D of E expeditions. Having gained the SPA award (climbing) in 1997 and ML (mountain walking) award in 1999 and have since gained the Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor qualification (the highest level of UK award for climbing and mountaineering in summer conditions). I am a full member of the Association of Mountaineering Instructors, this helps to ensure that I am up to date with current good practice and issues within the outdoor industry.
Nikki Burniston
Mountain walking and climbing has been a big part of my life from a very young age, except for a short blip as a teenager having to be dragged up mountains in the Lake District. Walking and climbing in most of the main areas of the UK, and extensively across Europe has led to some amazing experiences, but there are always areas left to explore such as some of the more remote areas of Scotland. I hold the Mountain Leader and Rock Climbing Instructor qualifications and have worked with a variety of clients for over 20 years. Having also previously worked in environmental education for over 7 years with primary and secondary schools, giving me a good all round knowledge of the environments that I work in. Favourite places include the Lakes for mountain walks with the dogs, Scotland for adventure and anywhere in Europe for winter sun. I am equally at home bouldering in Yorkshire, walking on our local moorland or trad climbing on a remote mountain crag and just as enthusiastic as I was when I started out!
Jess and Shauna (pronounced Shoona - nobody's sure why!!)
Our owners have been taking us climbing and mountain walking for the past 2 years, we love walking in the mountains or over moorland and have also visited several European countries touring climbing destinations, which is even better as its normally warmer so we can spend most of our time sleeping in the sun. We occasionally like to tag along when our humans are working but we are very well behaved and don't cause any problems, most people appear to like having us there, but we only go if it is appropriate and agreed beforehand.
Jess likes fetching a ball, running over moorland, and food - any food!
Shauna likes sleeping by the fire, being next to Nikki and food - any food!