Climbing Classroom Session: Sport Climbing Part 1 – Lead Climbing

OVERVIEW

Several of you have been asking me about lead climbing, so let’s start with a classroom session to start prepping to get out on real rock. There is a strong possibility of follow-up sessions, so let me know what you want to know and we’ll make it happen.

BEFORE signing up for this session, you should be very comfortable with top rope climbing and belaying including:
– tying in with a double figure-8 and double fisherman
– correct belay technique (either brake-under-slide or pinch and slide) with an ATC and GriGri
– basic verbal cues (“on belay,” “belay on,” “climbing,” “climb on,” “take,” “on me,” “ready to lower,” “lowering,” “rock,” “falling”)

In this session (Sport Climbing Part 1 – Leading), we will go through everything you need to know to climb sport routes on lead. The safety-related “whys” are baked into each topic. My goal with this course is for you to develop confidence and competence such that your first real lead is as smooth and safe as possible. Topics include:
– New gear and knots
– How is a climber protected on lead?
– Dangerous things not to do (backclip, z clip, chicken clip, backstep, etc.)
– Clip techniques (thumb flicks, anchor/index flicks, reverse thumbs, loop-ins, etc.)
– Cleaning the route to set up a top rope
– Communication
– Risks

The session will be workshop style with intermixed discussing and doing. About half of the time will be a conversation/presentation with the other half of the time dedicated to questions and hands-on practice interspersed throughout each topic. I’m keeping the group small to ensure we can tailor topics to individual questions/goals/gaps as needed.

Things you should have for the hands-on practice:
– Harness
– Spare rope/practice rope (can use a non-climbing rope for practice, the closer to climbing rope diameter, the better, but anything is better than nothing)
– A one or two quickdraws (can use a single carabiner affixed to a soft good if you don’t have a quickdraw)

Note that this is a virtual session. I will send out a zoom/google meets link on the day of the workshop.