This course is designed to give you the skills, confidence, and experience to lead traditional climbs. You’ll learn everything from placing gear and building anchors to managing multi-pitch routes efficiently and safely.

Each day builds on your progress, helping you develop good habits and sound judgment. By the end of the course, you’ll have a strong foundation in trad climbing and the confidence to plan and lead your own routes.

Day one - We’ll start with the fundamentals of traditional climbing, looking at how to rack up and place gear effectively. You’ll learn how to identify good and bad placements and understand the decisions that come from assessing them. There’ll be plenty of hands-on practice placing protection and building solid, reliable belays by combining and equalising gear. We’ll then move on to seconding routes, removing gear safely, and learning how to do it efficiently without dropping anything, all while continuing to assess and understand gear placements.

Day Two - Building on the basics, we’ll get you on the sharp end for some mock leads, with an instructor belaying you on a top rope to keep things safe. You will practice lead belaying and belaying from the top of the crag. We’ll then talk through leading tactics for single-pitch climbs and look at effective strategies for progressing through the grades and improving your skills. If all is going well, you’ll then lead an easy first route with an instructor on the rope beside you, offering coaching and feedback to help you build confidence.

Day Three - The focus shifts to multi-pitch climbing. You’ll learn how to manage stances, organise ropes, and make smooth belay transitions while climbing longer routes. We’ll also cover clear communication and route finding skills.

Day Four - The final day brings everything together. You’ll take more responsibility for leading and managing multi-pitch climbs, with your instructor there to coach and support as needed. We will also develop fundamental rescue skills so you can get yourself out of sticky situations. We’ll finish the course by reviewing key skills and discussing how to keep progressing as an independent trad climber.

By the end of the course, you’ll have completed a range of trad climbs in the Lake District, developing practical experience that prepares you for your independent climbing adventures.

This is a rough outline for the course, it is subject to change depending on the weather and your experience/goals.

• How to place and assess traditional protection including cams, nuts, and hexes

• Identifying solid placements and understanding rock quality

• Building safe and efficient anchors for single and multi-pitch climbs

• Trad-specific belaying and rope management techniques

• How to lead trad routes confidently on real rock

• Seconding and cleaning gear safely and efficiently

• Route strategy, decision-making, and multi-pitch transitions

• Efficient racking systems and equipment organisation

• What to carry for a safe and successful day out

• Emergency and self-rescue techniques

This course is perfect for beginners or indoor climbers ready to take their first steps into outdoor trad climbing. No prior trad experience is needed, just a sense of adventure and basic climbing ability.

If you’ve climbed indoors or seconded routes before, this course will build on those foundations with expert instruction to help you become a confident trad leader.

This course costs £600 for 4 days of instruction. The course is based in the Borrowdale Valley near Keswick. Get in touch if you need any advice on accommodation or where to base yourself.

• Expert coaching and guiding with a qualified and insured Instructor

• All technical equipment: ropes, helmets, harnesses, and trad gear

• 4 full days of trad climbing instruction and guided coaching. (8 hour days)

• Course photos on request

• Advice and support before and after the course

• Transport to and from your local accomodation

  What’s not included?

• Climbing shoes

• Personal clothing

• Food and drink

Arriving fit and ready to climb will help you get the most from your Lake District Learn to Trad Climb Course. Some recent indoor climbing and a bit of movement practice will go a long way.

For background reading, Rock Climbing by Libby Peter is an excellent resource. You can also check out the Glenmore Lodge and Plas y Brenin YouTube channels for clear, practical explanations of trad climbing techniques.