Learn to Lead Climb (Part 2 – Cleaning)

OVERVIEW

So you’ve climbed to the top of the route and are ready to come down. But wait! What about the gear you used to set the anchor? If you lower now, you’ll leave that gear behind on the wall. How do you return safely to the ground without leaving any of your gear behind?

Enter: cleaning techniques.

This trip will facilitate the hands-on practice you need to clean an anchor confidently and safely. We will practice on the ground first. Cleaning is one of those things that is easy to mess up, resulting in dangerous situations, so I will be closely monitoring peoples’ technique and ease on the ground. If I’m confident in your abilities, we’ll do some climbing and practice for real.

The prerequisite for this trip is that you are comfortable top roping and top rope belaying. Ideally, you will have also attended my workshop on cleaning routes (Sport Climbing Part 2 – Seconding) so you have some textbook knowledge on how to clean. You’ll get the most out of this session if you’ve been practicing on the ground so we can spend more time climbing and cleaning for real.

Gear to Bring:
– climbing harness
– belay device + locking carabiner
– climbing shoes
– chalk (optional)
– helmet (optional, but encouraged)
– personal climbing gear (optional)
– clothes appropriate for the weather
– water
– snack

I’ll check out some quickdraws and climbing ropes for group use. I will also have spare climbing harnesses and a spare helmet or two if you need it.