Introduction to Lead Climbing

This is it: the big show! Lead climbing is to top-roping as college is to high-school: When you become a lead climber, you get to experience more diverse things, gain a lot of freedom, and have a lot more fun than you did back in those top-roping days when you had to wait for another climber to take you everywhere. Of course, such freedom carries a lot of responsibility, and there is nobody better to give you the skills to lead safely and responsibly than CMRCA.

In the morning of this class, you'll be introduced to the basics of sport lead climbing, and taught how to belay a leader. You will do a "mock lead" so you can practice proper clipping technique and quickdraw use safely while your partner practices belaying you. Soon, the training wheels come off, and you will do a couple of true lead climbs on easy routes that let you focus on leading and building your confidence.

After lunch, the focus will be on easing you into more realistic leading situations. You will be coached on how to safely take and catch a fall, and will take a few small falls so that you learn to trust the system and feel safe when the rope is below you. As you slowly transition to harder grades, you will be introduced to energy-saving techniques, and between climbs you will learn about bolt integrity, the physics of falling, and more.

Please note: In order to safely teach a lead-climbing course, CMRCA feels that it is essential that all students have had a fair amount of top-roping or following experience. Before you are allowed to take this course, you will be asked to demonstrate how to thread a top-rope anchor (i.e. how to clean an anchor that a leader has built without putting yourself in danger). This course is a thorough but fast-paced introduction to lead climbing, and if you lack crucial top-roping skills, you have the potential to create an unsafe environment for yourself, your peers, and your instructors. If you are not certain that you are ready to take this course, please contact our staff for advice, and please consider taking the Technical Top Rope Skills course before or in lieu of this course.