Our lead climbing coaching courses are fully bespoke programs, designed to improve your trad leading skills.  Whether you are nervous on lead, struggling to break a grade barrier, or looking for expert guidance on other aspects of your personal climbing – we design a tailor made program for you to work on and improve in specific areas, as well as suggesting mental approaches and training strategies that will help you to achieve your personal goals.

Who is this course for?

This is a program of intensive coaching for established climbers.  Prior to the course we ask for detailed information about your current climbing performance, in order to plan an appropriate coaching program. Improving rock climbing confidence or personal leading grade is a common focus, but we can also cover topics as diverse as alpine climbing skills and improvised rescue techniques if required.

NB All courses are fully bespoke and planned to your requirements.  We need at least 2 students on the course, both of whom must be safe and experienced belayers (ie yourself and a regular climbing partner).

To take part you should be at Fitness Level 2 and minimum Tech Level 3 (see our Fitness/Experience guidelines below).  You must have some trad leading experience before the course.

We run these courses in the Lake District, North Wales, Yorkshire and the Peak District.

Any items of specialist climbing equipment that you need are also included (eg helmet, harness, rock climbing shoes etc).

• Expert IFMGA British Mountain Guide
• Fully bespoke course
• 2 days climbing and training
• Choice of venues
• Equipment hire included

Please get in touch to discuss dates, venues and your requirements.

Dates

This course can be booked by ready made teams of 2 people. It is ideal for family groups, or if you have a regular climbing partner and wish to develop your skills together. Please contact us to discuss your preferred dates.

Guiding ratio

One IFMGA guide climbing with 2 clients.

All our UK guides are fully qualified IFMGA guides and members of British Association of Mountain Guides, the professional association for mountain guides in the UK – meet some of our  team here.

In terms of added value, climbing with an IFMGA guide is a great option if you want to learn from someone with the widest possible range of experience, or you aspire to/are already obsessed with winter or Alpine climbing!  IFMGA guides work worldwide on rock, ice, glaciers and ski – so we can offer training, advice and recommendations for all your future plans, whatever and wherever they may be.

Included in price

• 2 days of guiding and instruction
• All guides expenses
• Local transport in guides vehicle to complete the itinerary
• Use of communal technical equipment eg ropes and climbing hardware
• Hire of personal equipment including harness, helmet, belay equipment and rock shoes

Excluded from price

• Travel to venue
• Food and accommodation

Accommodation

We price this course on a guiding & instruction only basis. Food and accommodation must be paid for separately. Hotel/BnB/camping ideas can be found on our Accommodation page.

Subject to weather and climbing conditions, the plan is as follows. Please note that this is a sample itinerary only – on trips like this, itineraries are always subject to change as the current weather and climbing conditions need to be taken into account. This is an essential part of safety planning for all mountaineering, so please be ready for changes as part of your trip.

Meet in morning for Course Briefing.

Your guide will run through kit checks and safety routines, as well as hand out any rental equipment, before going on to discuss the itinerary for the course, together with the current weather and mountain conditions and how these affect our planning. We’ll then head to the crag for our first days activities.

Climbing Days

We tailor each course to your current experience and aspirations. Typical areas covered may include:

• More effective gear placement
• Advanced rope techniques
• Performance lead coaching sessions
• Overcoming psychological barriers
• Training and development strategies
• Self rescue skills etc.

Just let us know where you are currently at with your climbing and where you would like to be, so we can put you on the right track to getting there.

PM Q+A session, course debrief and advice for the future.

Travel details to be confirmed.

To enjoy this trip you should be comfortable operating at Fitness Level 2, and Tech Level 3 (as appropriate for the style of climbing on this trip ie Alpine, rock climbing or ice climbing).

Fitness Level 2
You do 2-3 hours CV training/sport per week. At this level you should be happy doing either a 3-4 hour hillwalk, cycling 30-40 miles or mountain biking 2-3 hours without being exhausted. Eg: you should be able to walk from Ogwen Cottage in North Wales up Glyder Fach – Glyder Fawr – Y Garn – Ogwen in ~5hrs. Or in the Lake District Langdale – Bowfell – Esk Pike – Angle Tarn – Langdale in ~ 6hrs.

Tech Level 3
Intermediate climber. Leading single or multi pitch trad rock climbs at Severe – VS / ice climbing experience seconding routes to Scottish grade 2 – 3 / familiar with multipitch abseil descents / alpine peaks at PD – easy AD standard.

To view all climbing Technical and Fitness Levels, and for advice on trip preparation and training, please visit our training advice page.

UK Rock Climbing Kit List

Above all, your kit needs to do the job but be as light as possible. Lightweight breathable fabrics are ideal for waterproofs, which are carried as often as worn (hopefully!).

Technical Clothing

• Waterproof jacket – lightweight breathable model
• Overtrousers – with long side zips
• Socks – warm ‘Smartwool’ type, plus thin liner socks and spares
• Wicking thermal tops/t-shirts
• Softshell jacket – or equivalent light insulating layer
• Mountain trousers – light/mid-weight windproof softshell model
• Thin gloves – windproof ‘hardfleece’ model is good
• Warm hat – must fit under a helmet
• Spare warm layer – fleece or lightweight synthetic belay jacket

Personal Items

• Water Container – at least 1 litre
• Headtorch and batteries
• Map, compass and whistle (optional, but a good idea)
• Personal medications and blister kit – zinc oxide tape, compeed, painkillers etc
• Sun Glasses – CE rated 3 or 4
• Sun and lip cream – factor 30+
• Sun hat
• Shorts and t-shirt

Technical Equipment

• Rucsac 35/45l is perfect for general use
• Approach shoes or trainers – sticky rubber models are excellent
• Rock climbing shoes – must be comfortable enough to wear for several hours
• Climbing Harness – with locking karabiner and belay device
• 120cm sling and locking karabiner
• Climbing helmet
• *Semi rigid B2 mountaineering boots – Axe, Boot and Crampon advice

Other Equipment

Depending on the trip, these may be ‘nice to have’ or ‘required’ items – see individual joining instructions.

• Superlight rucsac – superlight 15/20l model, for taking on long multi-pitch rock routes
• 2 prussik loops and karabiner – if in doubt, bring 3m of 6mm climbing cord!
• Trekking poles
• Camping gear if you choose to camp in the valley

Your guide will have ropes, climbing rack, first aid and survival equipment.

*On trips where boots are required, these should be reasonably stiff 3/4 season mountaineering models. They will be needed if we decide to go ‘big boots’ climbing on easy rock climbs or scrambling terrain. Soft bendy walking boots are not very good for technical scrambling/climbing (you may be better off in a pair of ‘sticky rubber’ approach shoes). See below for advice.

Recommendations and Advice
Visit the Knowledge Base section of our website or our blog for equipment advice. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, please get in touch!

Purchasing Equipment
Backcountry UK in Otley offer an excellent walking boot fitting service and general equipment advice.

Hiring Equipment
It’s best to have your own rock climbing shoes so you can get a proper fit, but if you need to hire some please get in touch. Other safety equipment can also be hired from us (subject to availability) – please see our Equipment Hire page for details.

For UK residents – we strongly recommend that you purchase cancellation cover, in case you’re unable to attend your trip due to personal circumstances or injury.

For non UK residents – search and rescue is currently free in the UK, but you may be charged by the NHS for certain treatments, and you should also consider the need for emergency repatriation in the event of a serious illness/accident. We also strongly recommend that you purchase cancellation cover, in case you’re unable to attend your trip due to personal circumstances or injury.

Please arrange your insurance as soon as your trip is confirmed to run.

Please find further details on our insurance info page.