Sport lead climbing seems to becoming more and more popular as people head to the climbing gym to keep fit and then realise you can do the same thing outside too. Monsterclimbs have run two consecutive sport lead courses in the Wye Valley to more and less experienced indoor climbers with amazing results.
Indoor climbers often assume that climbing outdoors is much the same as indoors – in some ways it is. The mechanics are the same – being attached to a dynamic lead rope, using quick draws to clip bolts that are preplaced, lowering off a preplaced belay and lead belaying.
BUT there are also major differences – real rock is often difficult to read and the hand and footholds aren’t obvious, the bolts are often further apart as the first ascentionist drills the bolts and decides where they will go – often dependent on how solid the rock is, and what grade the FA climbs. Harder climbs tend to have closely spaced bolts, but easier routes tend to have bolts further apart – this causes problems for the beginner who is used to the climbing wall and bolts being about a metre apart.
The other major problem is that once you get to the top, the belay could be anything from 2 single bolts hangars to 2 bolts hangars linked with chains and a screw gate karabiner and unless you have knowledge of the crag – the belay may come as a shock especially if you don’t know how to thread the belay to recover all your gear and keep safe at the same time.
Booking a course with Monsterclimbs takes you through all these stages, from initial top roping, to clipping bolt hangars and mock leading, to threading the belay and leading independently in a safe and progressive way, building on your skill, confidence and comfort zone.
So if you want to make the move from indoor to outdoor sport lead climbing contact Monsterclimbs and you can ensure professional and experienced instruction with all equipment provided.