Learn to Lead Climb

Are you ready to take your climbing skills to new heights and experience lead climbing on the natural rock? Say goodbye to indoor top-roping and hello to outdoor Sport climbing. Take the lead and climb on the “Sharp End”!

In this course, you will learn the fundamentals of lead climbing, a bolted Sport route on natural rock, and prepare for a lifetime of climbing and route possibilities. This course follows a step-by-step process that builds your confidence and creates an excellent foundation for you as a lead climber. It is the next step in your climbing progression.

You will discover what it takes to climb successfully with a partner to maximize team safety and success. You’ll build partnerships with fellow climbers and share the experience of tying into the rope together.

Discover the distinction between Lead climbing and Sport climbing, as well as the meaning of “The Sharp End,” located at the bottom of the page.

Overview of Learn to Lead program:

• Selecting the best route for your ability level
• Lead climbing techniques
• Lead belaying techniques
• Bolt assessment & clipping quickdraws
• How to thread the rope at the anchor for lowering
• Setting up a top-rope
• Partner communication & making a plan
• Understanding the Guidebook
• Finally, Go Climbing!

The Learn to Lead course can be completed in either one or two days, depending on your preference. The one-day course covers all the material needed to get you leading your first routes by the end of the day. However, if you opt for the two-day course, you’ll have the added advantage of extra practice time to solidify your newly acquired skills, with the added benefit of a guide to provide backup support.

Moreover, the two-day course includes overnight lodging, dinner, and breakfast, giving you more opportunities to socialize with the group and meet other climbers. Plus, with more time allocated for climbing, you can explore even more routes and take your skills to the next level. So, you can take advantage of this adventure and choose the two-day option at checkout.

Click Here to Sign up Now!

Check Out the 2023 Season Calendar below

Skill Level:

Beginner ==> Intermediate

Prerequisites:

Previous top-rope climbing experience in a gym or outside. Or the Intro to Top-rope climbing course with Life Adventure Guiding.

Pricing

1-day course: CHF 247

2-day course: CHF 467

What does the price include?

• Full day of instruction, learning, and climbing
• Small group size with a dedicated climbing guide
• Group equipment
  • Technical hardware: Carabiners, quickdraws
  • Technical Softgoods: Rope, slings, cordelette
• 2-day course includes: Bed in a shared room, dinner, breakfast, and more climbing!

What does the price NOT include?

• Transportation to/from meeting point
• Chairlifts, cable cars, or gondolas
• Drinks
• Packed lunches
• Trip or rescue Insurance

Kit list- What to bring

• Water
• Snacks
• Packed lunch for Saturday and Sunday
• Climbing shoes
• Climbing helmet
• Harness and belay device (can be rented out for an additional CHF 20)
• Chalk bag

Maximum number of participants: 4

A visiting couple from Brazil took the 1-Day Learn to Lead Climb course, and here’s what they said,

“Life Adventure Guiding took us on our first outdoor lead climbing experience (we had only practiced indoor top-rope climbing). We had a great time and learned all that we had hoped for! Tim guided us each step of the way, so we always felt secure and gradually built our confidence to apply the new techniques independently. Thank you so much! We look forward to the next adventure!”  – Felipe (Brazil)

Here’s what Natalie said about her 2-day course with an overnight stay in an Alpine Hut

“Great weekend, great instructor!
I made so much progress in one weekend, was incredible.
Tim is a great teacher, very patient, and brought me to an incredible place near Göschenen.
I highly recommend booking a trip with him, and I will definitely do it again.
Thanks, Tim!”

2023 Calendar. Choose your date and sign up!

Curious about the difference between Lead climbing and Sport climbing?

In sport climbing and traditional (trad) climbing, the lead climber is the first to climb, taking the rope with them. However, there are some critical differences between the two styles.

Sport climbing routes have pre-drilled bolts and anchors that the lead climber can clip quickdraws and rope onto for protection. This means that sport climbing requires minimal gear and is an excellent option for those new to lead climbing.

On the other hand, traditional ‘Trad’ climbing involves placing protection or ‘Pro’ along the route, such as cams or nuts, or using natural features like cracks. Trad routes typically don’t have pre-drilled bolts or anchors, but a few problematic areas occasionally require bolts for protection.

In summary, while sport and trad climbing involve lead climbing, the difference is that sport climbing routes have pre-drilled bolts and require minimal gear, while trad climbing involves placing your protection along the route and may not have any pre-drilled bolts.

This course focuses on lead climbing Sport routes only. We offer private instruction for Traditional climbing techniques; contact us for more information.

What is the “Sharp End,” Anyway?

The end of the belay rope is attached to the lead climber. “Being on the sharp end” refers to lead climbing, which is more psychologically demanding than top-roping or following since it may involve more route-finding and the possibility of longer, more consequential falls.