Learning to lead your own climbs is the final stage in gaining your independence, but it can often feel daunting to make the transition from seconding climbs to leading them because of the extra commitment and skills required.
This course is targeted at those who have some experience of climbing and have seconded routes, but now wish to lead their own climbs. We will try to help you make that step towards lead climbing independently and safely. The additional confidence gained from undertaking your first lead climb with an instructor by your side often makes the experience enjoyable rather than traumatic.
The Learn to Lead course runs on a 1:2 ratio and the days will be carefully tailored to suit both your abilities and your aspirations.
Initially we make sure you have the basic techniques needed to keep you and your partner safe whilst leading; then we will look at your current climbing skills and ensure that your belay management skills are up to scratch and safe. We will then run through the various scenarios that can occur when leading your first pitches and together we will choose some routes for you to climb.
Initially we will probably work on routes that are well within your physical and technical ability to get you used to the feeling of leading above gear. This way you can learn the techniques for placing gear and clipping the ropes before moving onto routes where pyschological issues start to be involved.
In order to get the most from this Learn to Lead course you should already be able to second routes competently and be able to belay your partner from both above and below. The emphasis is about getting you leading and doing all your own rope work, whilst we supervise everything closely – in fact, we are often right by your side on a fixed line.
Key skills that we will try to include in the Learn to Lead course are:
- Essential crag skills - looking for objective dangers.
- Belaying, communication, rope work - make sure everything is clear before anybody leaves the ground.
- Choosing routes and understanding guidebook terminology.
- Getting organised for the lead - racking your gear and evaluating the climb
- Placing protection - choosing the best gear quickly and placing it securely from the correct position.
- Reading the route - look ahead, plan your footholds, organise the various options, look for the rests and move cofidently between them
- Foreseeing hazards and dealing with them
- Constructing and managing safe stances - keeping everything organised and tidy is ood practise and safe
- Falling - inevitable, but intimidating the first few times. We look at how to fall safely and in control
- Retreating down a crag
These Learn to Lead Climb courses can last from 2 to 5 days; a two day course will give you the basic skills and experience to lead on your own. A longer course will reinforce all the skills learnt and will include more advanced ones to give you additional resources and confidence.
Dates, venues and duration are by arrangement and totally customisable. Please do not hesitate to get in touch to discuss your requirements.