Advanced Rock Climbing Camp

If you have been on one of our climbing camps and really enjoyed it and now want to take things to the next level and start leading this course is for you.

If you haven’t been on one of our climbing camps, you should be at NICAS level 4 before attending.

Advanced Climbing Camp – Course overview

Climbing by day, camping by night, it’s part of the climbing lifestyle. Our 5 day advanced rock climbing camp for 15 – 17 year olds provides an immersive introduction to the climbing trip experience in a world-class climbing destination. Both the climbing and camping are under the supervision of an experienced and qualified instructor.

As you can already belay and climb, (and possibly lead indoors) this course develops the skills for leading outside and becoming independent climbers.  All the things your instructors did for you on the rock climbing camp you will now be learning how to do for yourself.  Choosing climbs, creating anchors and setting up the ropes.  Towards the end of the week we drop the ratio and in groups of no more than three you will have the opportunity to lead your own climbs.

After a day of climbing you’ll return to camp at North Lees. Here you’ll learn or refresh the essential skills for camping independently so that you can enjoy more trips in the future.  This includes cooking your own meals on a camping stove. When that’s done we play rope tricks and learn cool climbing tips until the sun goes down…

What will I learn ?

The course revises the essential skills for rock climbing safely and responsibly outdoors, and then develops on these so that you become an independent climber.

Fundamental skills such as movement, technique and tactics like route-reading are refreshed, but now with an emphasis on you leading.  Where can you rest and put the protection in? do I have the right protection for the climb? etc. At the top, we cover (and practice repeatedly) threading bolted anchors and how to create a bomb proof trad anchor efficiently.

In the Peak District we’re lucky to have both limestone and gritstone, so you’ll be able to explore how different rock types affect how you climb and the anchors and belays involved.

Leading your first trad climb is possible for those that want to. With your instructor alongside (literally, but on a separate rope) we will coach this important first step into a lifetime of fun excitement and adventures.

Climbing is all about camaraderie, supporting your peers and working together to solve problems. After a week with your fellow climbers, we’re sure you’ll forge long-lasting friendships, and find climbing partners for future excursions!

Climbing Camp – Course Format

The course timetable will be flexible according to the weather, but it might look like this…

Day 1: Meet at North Lees campsite to establish our basecamp and get the lay of the land. Once we have got to know one another we’ll head out bouldering to practice movement skills before returning for your first night under the stars.

Day 2: Wake up feeling fresh, eat breakfast and head out to the crag. On day 2 we’ll revise your basic safety skills, and look at placing gear and creating anchors so that you can belay someone from the top.

Day 3: We develop our movement skills, gear placements and belaying often by ghost roping to set us up for our first leads.

Day 4: Today we are joined by another instructor and at a ratio of 1:3 start looking at making our first independent leads.  The instructor will be ascending a rope right next to you, to remind you of all the skills you have learnt and probably record the moment for when you are a famous climber!

Day 5: The dreaded final morning. A quick camp tidy and its off for some more climbing and making those last epic leads. We return to North Lees for pickup.