AAC 5-Day Learn to Lead Course
DEPOSIT | FULL AMOUNT £600
*You must be a member of the Austrian Alpine Club to attend this course*
As an AAC member you’ll be eligible to apply for a grant of 50% (or 75% for young members) off the course price.
2025 DATES
Peak District 21th - 25th April 2025
North Wales 25th -29th August 2025
A deposit of £150 secures a place. The remainder will be due 4 weeks before the course start date.
The aim of this five day course is to progress indoor climbers, or those who second routes, towards becoming competent trad lead climbers. This will be achieved through increasing knowledge of trad climbing equipment and ropework, climbing technique coaching and trad climbing tactics including route selection and guidebook interpretation.
Local indoor climbing walls are the back-up option in the case of poor weather, but the aim would be to climb outside everyday. Sport climbing options may be used to improve leading climbing tactics and climbing technique. For courses in North Wales, it is anticipated that participants will progress onto multipitch climbing.
Each climber’s progression will differ, and rather than aim to have everyone lead climbing by the end of the week, the focus will be on appropriate progressions towards lead climbing. It is, however, anticipated that most participants will take on a lead climb during the course.
A grant is available to AAC members who attend this course https://www.alpenverein.at/britannia/activities/Training.php
If the course is sold out, please fill out your email below to find out if more spaces are available.
DEPOSIT | FULL AMOUNT £600
*You must be a member of the Austrian Alpine Club to attend this course*
As an AAC member you’ll be eligible to apply for a grant of 50% (or 75% for young members) off the course price.
2025 DATES
Peak District 21th - 25th April 2025
North Wales 25th -29th August 2025
A deposit of £150 secures a place. The remainder will be due 4 weeks before the course start date.
The aim of this five day course is to progress indoor climbers, or those who second routes, towards becoming competent trad lead climbers. This will be achieved through increasing knowledge of trad climbing equipment and ropework, climbing technique coaching and trad climbing tactics including route selection and guidebook interpretation.
Local indoor climbing walls are the back-up option in the case of poor weather, but the aim would be to climb outside everyday. Sport climbing options may be used to improve leading climbing tactics and climbing technique. For courses in North Wales, it is anticipated that participants will progress onto multipitch climbing.
Each climber’s progression will differ, and rather than aim to have everyone lead climbing by the end of the week, the focus will be on appropriate progressions towards lead climbing. It is, however, anticipated that most participants will take on a lead climb during the course.
A grant is available to AAC members who attend this course https://www.alpenverein.at/britannia/activities/Training.php
If the course is sold out, please fill out your email below to find out if more spaces are available.
DEPOSIT | FULL AMOUNT £600
*You must be a member of the Austrian Alpine Club to attend this course*
As an AAC member you’ll be eligible to apply for a grant of 50% (or 75% for young members) off the course price.
2025 DATES
Peak District 21th - 25th April 2025
North Wales 25th -29th August 2025
A deposit of £150 secures a place. The remainder will be due 4 weeks before the course start date.
The aim of this five day course is to progress indoor climbers, or those who second routes, towards becoming competent trad lead climbers. This will be achieved through increasing knowledge of trad climbing equipment and ropework, climbing technique coaching and trad climbing tactics including route selection and guidebook interpretation.
Local indoor climbing walls are the back-up option in the case of poor weather, but the aim would be to climb outside everyday. Sport climbing options may be used to improve leading climbing tactics and climbing technique. For courses in North Wales, it is anticipated that participants will progress onto multipitch climbing.
Each climber’s progression will differ, and rather than aim to have everyone lead climbing by the end of the week, the focus will be on appropriate progressions towards lead climbing. It is, however, anticipated that most participants will take on a lead climb during the course.
A grant is available to AAC members who attend this course https://www.alpenverein.at/britannia/activities/Training.php
If the course is sold out, please fill out your email below to find out if more spaces are available.
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Day 1 Ratio 1:6 Introduction to instructors and the course content. Re-cap on doing the basics well including fitting of harness, tying in, belaying, trad grades and using guidebooks. The day will include plenty of climbing and climbing technique.
Day 2 Ratio 1:3 Introduction to placing trad gear and building good anchors as well as coaching movement and tactics for trad climbing. The skills instructed will be progressive meaning that simulating lead climbing with a rope above the climber will be used by instructors to begin with.
Day 3-5 Ratio 1:2 The aim is to progress climbers towards independently lead climbing with a climbing pair per instructor. The day will refresh some skills from the previous days and then continue lead climbing progression from the point left the prior day. Where appropriate, instruction on retrievable abseils and problem solving may be covered.
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Participants should have experience indoor or outdoor climbing prior to the course. They should be able to belay and have a basic outdoor fitness to spend a full day at a crag.
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All ropes, climbing hardware and emergency group kit is supplied. Climbing harnesses and helmets can be supplied on request. Participants will need outdoor clothing and footwear, climbing shoes and food for each day according to the kit list supplied.
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The first day will be a maximum of 6 climbers to 1 instructor. The second day will have 1 instructor to 3 climbers. The remaining three days the course will run 1 instructor to 2 climbers.
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For North Wales courses - Meet at Caban Cafe, Brynrefail (near Llanberis) at 9am on Monday.
For Peak District courses - Meet at the Swimming Pool cafe, Hathersage at 9am on Monday.
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Accommodation is not included on this course.
There is a range of accommodation which can be booked close by including:
Peak District
Hathersage YHA https://www.yha.org.uk/hostel/yha-hathersage
Thorpe Farm Bunkhouse https://thorpe-bunk.co.uk/
North Lees Campsite https://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/visiting/things-to-do/camping/camping-northlees
North Wales:
The Snowdon Inn Campsite https://www.thesnowdoninn.co.uk/
The Bowline Club Hut (open to other club members) https://www.bowlineclimbingclub.co.uk/hut
The Lodge Dinorwig Hostel https://lodge-dinorwig.co.uk/hostel/wordpress/
Llanberis YHA https://www.yha.org.uk/hostel/yha-snowdon-llanberis
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For full terms and conditions please follow this link https://www.roammountains.co.uk/terms-conditions
In case of bad weather we will find relevant skills and activities at low level.
We try to stay outside but may suggest going to an indoor wall if it will provide a better learning environment. Climbing wall fees are not included.
If a participant cancels between 4 and 2 weeks before the course 50% can be refunded. If less than 2 weeks no refund is given.
We recommend taking insurance to cover unforeseen events like illness.