Learn to Lead (Traditional Climbing)

£240.00

Ready for real adventure? This is the ultimate step in your climbing journey.

"Trad" or Traditional Climbing is the original, purest form of the sport. It's about taking on a rock face with no pre-placed bolts, relying only on your own skill, equipment, and judgment to climb—and protect—the route yourself. This is your gateway to the classic sea cliffs of Devon and Cornwall and the big mountain routes of Wales and the Lake District.

Over this comprehensive 2-day course, I (a qualified RCDI) will give you the skills, judgment, and confidence to safely place your own protection, build solid anchors, and become a self-sufficient trad climber.

Date:

Ready for real adventure? This is the ultimate step in your climbing journey.

"Trad" or Traditional Climbing is the original, purest form of the sport. It's about taking on a rock face with no pre-placed bolts, relying only on your own skill, equipment, and judgment to climb—and protect—the route yourself. This is your gateway to the classic sea cliffs of Devon and Cornwall and the big mountain routes of Wales and the Lake District.

Over this comprehensive 2-day course, I (a qualified RCDI) will give you the skills, judgment, and confidence to safely place your own protection, build solid anchors, and become a self-sufficient trad climber.

Course: Learn to Lead (Traditional Climbing)

  • Price: £240 per person

  • Duration: 2-Day Course

  • Group Size: Max 4 people (1:4 instructor ratio)

  • Location: A classic Dartmoor crag (e.g., The Dewerstone, Sheeps Tor, Haytor)

  • Includes:

    • 2 full days of expert instruction from an RCDI.

    • Use of all specialist "trad rack" equipment (nuts, cams, slings).

    • Ropes, helmet, and harness (clients are welcome to bring their own).

  • Prerequisites: This is an advanced course. You must be a competent and experienced outdoor climber. You should be comfortably leading outdoor sport routes (F6a or above) or have extensive outdoor top-rope/seconding experience (climbing VS 4c or above). You must be a confident belayer.

Course Description

Ready for real adventure? This is the ultimate step in your climbing journey.

"Trad" or Traditional Climbing is the original, purest form of the sport. It's about taking on a rock face with no pre-placed bolts, relying only on your own skill, equipment, and judgment to climb—and protect—the route yourself. This is your gateway to the classic sea cliffs of Devon and Cornwall and the big mountain routes of Wales and the Lake District.

Over this comprehensive 2-day course, I (a qualified RCDI) will give you the skills, judgment, and confidence to safely place your own protection, build solid anchors, and become a self-sufficient trad climber.

What You'll Learn

This is an intensive, hands-on course. We'll cover:

  • The Trad Rack: An introduction to "nuts," "cams," "hexes," and slings.

  • Gear Placement: How to find, assess, place, and remove gear effectively to build a "bomb-proof" system.

  • Building Anchors: How to build safe, equalised, and redundant (SERE) belay anchors using your gear.

  • Rope Management: How to manage your ropes efficiently at a belay (including an introduction to using half-ropes).

  • Belaying the Leader: How to safely and dynamically belay a trad leader, minimising fall forces.

  • Your First Leads: You'll have the opportunity to lead your first, easy trad routes in a safe and supportive environment (often with a "top rope" backup or pre-placed gear).

  • Abseil Retreats: How to build a safe abseil anchor to retreat from a route.

  • Guidebook Interpretation: How to read and understand a trad guidebook's symbols and descriptions.

Scheduled 2026 Dates

  • Saturday, March 14 – Sunday, March 15, 2026

  • Saturday, April 25 – Sunday, April 26, 2026

  • Saturday, May 30 – Sunday, May 31, 2026

  • Saturday, September 5 – Sunday, September 6, 2026

  • Saturday, October 17 – Sunday, October 18, 2026