Desirée Verbeek (RCI) is a climbing guide and coach from the Netherlands. Growing up in what might be the flattest country in the world – there is certainly no rock to climb! – Desirée discovered climbing through indoor climbing gyms. When she first stepped into an indoor gym after the summer of 2010 she immediately thought of it as the ultimate playground for adults.
It was only after her first outdoor climbing trip in the next summer though (to Austria’s Ötztal) that she got the point of climbing indoors: to be able to climb more routes outdoors! She got hooked and started climbing more regularly indoors and tried to fit in as many outdoor climbing trips as possible to the nearest crags in Belgium, Germany and the UK.
On a climbing holiday in Thailand in 2012 she met Trevor Massiah. This turned out to be a turning point in her lifestyle and career. She fully committed to climbing and in 2014 she became a Director of Rock & Sun and has been combining her management tasks with guiding and coaching ever since.
Desirée and Trevor have a travelling lifestyle, running Rock & Sun Sport Climbing Holidays and Performance Coaching Courses in the Costa Blanca, Thailand, Kalymnos, as well as Sardinia. And occasionally you’ll find them trad climbing on Pembrokeshire’s sea cliffs, or bouldering in Fontainebleau or Albarracin.
(Photo by Bettina Baksa)
Desiree is a Rock Climbing Instructor (RCI), formerly known as Single Pitch Award (SPA), and is qualified as a Mental Health First Aider.
Mountain Training Membership number: 171294.
Climb with Desiree Verbeek
Costa Blanca Climbing Holidays >
Sport Climbing Holiday Kalymnos >
The most amazing climbing trip
Thanks so much Dees and Trev for being patient, letting me work it all out, boosting my confidence and leading me on the path to being a better and safer climber. I am forever grateful! You guys rock! (Climbing Holiday Thailand)
Joanne R.
6th January 2024
Joanne R.
6th January 2024
Absolutely outstanding
Daniel B.
4th October 2023
Daniel B.
4th October 2023
I had the best time…
Leanne T.
18th April 2023
Leanne T.
18th April 2023
Unforgettable climbing holiday
Back to the reason for being here though, mine was to try something different, while I’m still fit enough. But what I now sense is that climbing outdoors and has a different philosophy to working routes indoors. The limestone rock is warm to touch and redolent of teeming life in the oceans aeons ago. There’s a deep connection with something that is universal when I touch the stone and Trevor, Desiree and Kiera instructed me how to find my own way to climb on it. I’ve gained some appreciation of how routes on the rock and different locations are professionally designed and tested to suit each person’s experience and skills. So whether you are at a later stage of life, like me, or in your early 20’s this holiday will change things up for you in more ways than you might imagine.
Ruari W.
26th July 2022
Ruari W.
26th July 2022
I always come out of these trips a better climber
Allison B.
18th November 2021
Allison B.
18th November 2021
Really enjoyed the climbing holiday!
Caroline B.
30th November 2021
Caroline B.
30th November 2021
Great climbing!
Julie G.
23rd October 2021
Julie G.
23rd October 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed the introduction to rock climbing course…
John-Paul A.
2nd August 2021
John-Paul A.
2nd August 2021
I love climbing with Trevor and Dees
Julie G.
4th November 2020
Julie G.
4th November 2020
Professional, thorough, inspiring, encouraging coaching
Denise H.
22nd September 2020
Denise H.
22nd September 2020
Had an unforgettable time…
Stefan S.
1st September 2020
Stefan S.
1st September 2020
Easily one of the best holidays I’ve ever had.
Accommodation was comfortable and in beautiful surroundings. Just excellent trip all round. Thank you
Blanka
6th January 2020
Blanka
6th January 2020
One of the best trips I can remember…
Stuart W.
6th January 2020
Stuart W.
6th January 2020
Trev and Desi are both great coaches…
Heather A.
18th August 2019
Heather A.
18th August 2019
I had a fantastic time on the Women Only trip to Spain!
As expected, climbers and instructors were friendly, fun and inspiring. Both Dees and Esther were ever patient with my questions and their different approaches worked well together. They also supplied me with some more aggressive shoes which made a huge difference to my climbing.
Overall a fab experience. I arrived having done one or two F4/5 lead climbs indoors and not for a year or so. I left having led F6a+ and confident at lead belaying and cleaning.
Thank you!
Rosie F.
1st March 2019
Rosie F.
1st March 2019
Truly the holiday of a lifetime!
The locations and adventures that were handpicked by Dees and Trev are just perfect! Also they are the safest and most conscientious climbing guides I have ever climbed with. They constantly ensure safety is paramount and this only adds to the enjoyment and efficiency of all climbing. I can’t recommend this holiday enough!
The climbing took my breath away daily, and was so different to European climbing (which I love too!) but offered so much more variety and really pushed me to my best ability by far! Dees and Trev are such knowledgeable instructors, and also as a bonus are fantastic company! Can’t wait to experience this trip again, December can’t come quickly enough!
Julie L.
7th January 2019
Julie L.
7th January 2019
The trip to Morocco was magic!
Luigi S.
12th November 2018
Luigi S.
12th November 2018
Trevor and Desiree are both excellent teachers…
Chris B.
30th September 2018
Chris B.
30th September 2018
Trevor and Desiree were excellent instructors…
Felix J.
30th July 2018
Felix J.
30th July 2018
An amazing journey through Thailand with Rock and Sun…
Ben A.
17th January 2017
Ben A.
17th January 2017
One of my all time favourite holidays from start to finish…
Cheryl L.
3rd January 2018
Cheryl L.
3rd January 2018
Great introduction to outdoor climbing with the perfect setting and coaches…
Daniel C.
12th February 2018
Daniel C.
12th February 2018