Learn to Lead Climb Courses
The Learn to Lead Climb course is to help you start leading your own outdoor rock routes in a safe and controlled environment.
It is one of our most popular courses because leading your first rock climbs is a crucial stage in any climber's development, but it is often difficult to make the transition from following climbs to leading them because of the jump in commitment, confidence and skills that is required.
On this course your climbing instructor is often right alongside you on a separate rope as you are climbing; offering advice and ensuring your safety making the experience memorable and enjoyable, rather than traumatic.
The Learn to Lead course runs best on a 1:2 ratio and we will always try to run the days so that you get the most out of them - pacing the days at a level that suits you.
Initially we make sure you have the core skills needed to keep both you and your partner safe whilst climbing before practicing some simulated lead climbing with a loose top rope - this is a great way of easing into lead climbing and getting used to having some slack in the rope system.
After running through the various scenarios that can occur when leading your first pitches and we'll then choose some routes for you to lead 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 psychological issues start to be involved.
A typical itinerary for the Learning to Lead Climb course is:
- Essential crag awareness - Staying safe and looking for objective dangers such as loose rock.
- 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 - Choosing the correct gear for the climb you are about to climb and racking it so that you can get to it easily and quickly.
- Placing quickdraws and protection - choosing the best gear quickly and placing it quickly and securely from the correct position.
- Reading the route - look ahead, plan your footholds, organise the various options, looking for protection, spotting potential rest positions and moving confidently between them
- Foreseeing hazards and dealing with them.
- Constructing and managing safe stances - keeping everything organised and tidy is good practice and safe
- Falling - inevitable, but intimidating the first few times. We can look at how to fall safely and in control.
- Retreating down a crag
A Learn to Lead Climb course can last from two to five days or longer depending on what you want to get out of it; a two day course should give you the basic skills and experience to lead climbs on your own, whilst a longer course will reinforce all the skills that you have learnt and let us work on more advanced techniques.
We can also arrange accommodation for your stay.
There is more detailed information on this course on the main Rock Climbing Company website
Booking Form
Useful Information on our Courses
Type of Course |
Instructor: Student ratio |
Cost of the Course per Person |
1 Day Course |
1:1 |
150 Euros |
1:2 |
80 Euros |
1:3 |
60 Euros |
2 Day Course |
1:1 |
280 Euros |
1:2 |
150 Euros |
1:3 |
120 Euros |
3 Day Course |
1:1 |
400 Euros |
1:2 |
220 Euros |
1:3 |
170 Euros |
5 Day Course |
1:1 |
650 Euros |
1:2 |
350 Euros |
1:3 |
260 Euros |
Booking Information
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