Get To Grips With Climbing

This two day course can run with one person or two people booking together.

Inclusion of coaching and instruction of trad or sport lead climbing requires two people booking together.

Add the 1 day sport bolt-on option for 2 people at the point of booking the trad skills crammer for the best price advantage and have the option of doing this as a stand alone day.

Lakeland Mountaineering will provide you with instructional and motivational coaching to develop and enhance your personal climbing ability and confidence with ropework and the use of technical climbing equipment. Above all, the aim is to share and enthuse you with my experience and knowledge to aid your outdoor rock climbing progression.

This is a two-day course as I feel this is the necessary minimum for me to provide you with a solid skills grounding and a sequenced, practised learning curve. We will use venues in the Lake District and the nearby Limestone cliffs and outcrops. The Limestone venues are fantastic for learning movement skills and technique and can often provide more options for climbing lots of routes, practising anchor placements and belaying. The climbs are short but pack a punch and we will often have the place to ourselves.

Lakeland Mountaineering will discuss your current experience levels and aspirations at the point of enquiry. We can then agree on the best course of action for you or your climbing partnership. Coaching focuses on traditional “TRAD” rock climbing skills. If you wish to look at skills for outdoor sport lead climbing look at the BOLT ON sport day. The BOLT ON sport day does not have to be consecutive to the 2 day skills crammer and we will mutually agree when this takes place.

Here are  examples of areas we could cover, actual programmes will vary and be bespoke to you or your team as previously stated and you can pick and mix as to what best suits. You will complete the course with a new tool bag of skills and learning points that will make your rock climbing far more enjoyable, flowing and, above all, safer.

• Guidebook interpretation, grading systems and route choice – learn to identify and select appropriate itineraries.
• Crag hazards learn where to best base yourself when gearing up and between climbs.
• Climbing etiquette with other climbers, environmental and wildlife considerations and access.
• Advice with rope type, rope length and rope diameter choices.
• Advice with harness, technical equipment and rock shoe purchases.
• Top guide tips for racking gear and carrying slings for quick deployment.
• Movement skills and technique tips (bouldering).
• Tying into the harness and essential knots and hitches for climbers.
• Placing passive (nuts) and active (cams) climbing protection.
• Assessment of rock spike, thread and tree anchors, especially when used singularly.
• Removing protection while avoiding damage (to rock and kit) and loss.
• Top guide tips when using climbing slings for fixed and running belays.
• Setting up bottom ropes and top ropes safely.
• Belaying techniques for bottom-roping and top-roping.
• Belay construction and stance management when multi-pitch climbing.
• Stance changeover with designated leader and competent second.
• Stance changeover with alternate leaders.
• Belay devices, passive and assisted types.
• Indirect and direct belays, when to use and why.
• Creating single-point anchors, when to use and why.
• Multi-point anchors, equalisation with slings and/or directly with climbing rope.
• Multi-pitch belay set ups and rope systems for indirect, “In Reach” and “Out of Reach” belaying.
• Belay systems involving safely untying and anchoring the end of the rope then reconnecting and positioning in sight of the second climber when near your rope limit or faced with unmanageable rope drag.
• Multi-pitch belay set ups for direct belaying including appropriate use of belay devices with “Guide” mode function.
• Fall factors when leading, dynamic proactive and reactive rope handling, handedness considerations, directional belaying.
• Safe “on foot” descent considerations on mountain crags with hazards e.g. loose rock, wet grass, steep ground. To descend in rock boots or carry light pack/approach shoes. Safety of climbers below.
• Abseiling and crag evacuation techniques.
• Self-rescue and companion rescue scenarios.
• Review of traditional carabiner, rope loop (prusik) and sling techniques for abseiling, rope ascension and rescue.
• Review of dedicated device use for rope ascension and rescue e.g. progressive capture pulleys.
• Holding leader falls and maintaining a dynamic stance and rope system.
• Mindful position of belayer to avoid rope burns or entrapment by fully weighted ropes of fallen second climber.
• Double rope technique masterclass.