Learn to Sport Climb
Become an independent outdoor sport climber on our course in the Yorkshire Dales.
Our Learn to Sport Climb Course focuses on safe climbing on bolted routes. You’ll gain the skills and confidence to enjoy sport climbing independently. All with expert coaching from experienced Lake District Mountain Guides.
BEGINNER FRIENDLY COURSE
Ideal for indoor climbers ready for real rock.
You’ll learn all the essential sport climbing skills to climb safely and independently outdoors.
DISCOVER THE DALES
The Yorkshire Dales is home to great limestone crags with quick walk-ins, beautiful scenery, and great routes at all grades. It’s the perfect place to learn and enjoy outdoor climbing.
CLIMB AND LEARN
This course is packed with useful instruction. You’ll learn loads alongside climbing plenty of classic routes, perfect for those wanting to progress but also do some fun climbing.
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This two-day Learn to Sport Climb Course is perfect for climbers looking to move from indoor walls to real rock. Based in the Yorkshire Dales, the course focuses on building confidence and skills on bolted routes in a relaxed, supportive environment.
You’ll learn everything you need to climb safely and efficiently outdoors, from basic rope systems to multi-pitch sport climbing techniques. With expert instruction and plenty of time on rock, you’ll gain solid skills while enjoying great climbing in a stunning setting.
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The course is based around Settle, we will practice on crags within a 30 minute drive of this base.
Day One - We’ll start the day by looking at essential sport climbing techniques. We’ll begin by practising essential climbing knots, ensuring you’re confident and consistent with each one. You’ll then learn how to set up top and bottom rope systems and we will look at safe belaying. We will then progress to leading sport routes, and stripping the quickdraws safely. The focus is on developing good habits, smooth clipping, and confident movement on bolted routes. As you climb the instructor will be next to you on a separate rope, giving you feedback, tips and ensuring everything goes smoothly and safely. There will be lots of repetition throughout the day to consolidate the learning.
Day Two - On the second day, we’ll introduce the skills needed for multi-pitch sport climbing. You’ll learn how to equalise sport anchors, how to belay up your partner from the top of a pitch, and we will look at managing belay stances efficiently to avoid rope tangles and faff. We’ll finish the day with plenty of climbing, practising smooth transitions and building confidence on longer routes.
By the end of the course, you’ll have the knowledge and experience to enjoy sport climbing independently—ready to explore more crags and develop your skills further.
This is a rough outline for the course, we may have to move things around and adapt the course due to weather or we may tailor it more to you and your existing skills.
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How to lead sport climbs safely and confidently
Setting up safe top-rope and bottom-rope systems
Building secure, equalised anchors on multi-pitch routes
Lead and top-rope belaying techniques
Smooth, efficient clipping and rope management
How to safely strip quickdraws and descend from routes
Personalised movement coaching for better climbing
Developing strategies for harder sport climbs
Venue recommendations for practising sport climbing
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The course will be based around Settle in the Yorkshire Dales. It costs £300 per person for 2 days of Instruction. If you need any recommendations for accomodation feel free to reach out.
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This course is ideal for anyone who wants to learn outdoor sport climbing, some indoor experience prior to the course would be great. A good level of general fitness will help, but no prior outdoor experience is required.
If you’re unsure which course best suits you, get in touch and we’ll help guide you to the correct course or we will create a bespoke instructional experience tailored to your goals.
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Exceptional instruction and coaching
All ropes and technical equipment
Helmet and harness
Local transport from and to accomodaton near Settle
Personalised coaching and instruction throughout
Course photos
Contact before and after the course with our guides for any questions you have
What’s not included?
Climbing shoes
Personal clothing
Food and drink
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Arrive fit and ready to learn will help you get the most out of your time on the rock. Some recent indoor climbing or bouldering practice will help you feel comfortable and confident climbing.
A great resource to read before the course is Rock Climbing by Libby Peter. It covers many of the techniques we’ll explore together and will help you get more from your learning days outdoors.
Discover Sport Climbing in the Yorkshire Dales
DATES AND AVAILABILITY
START
PRICE
SPACES
28th March
£300
2 PLACES LEFT
£300
25th April
2 PLACES LEFT
£300
29th May
2 PLACES LEFT
£300
29th August
2 PLACES LEFT
Are you looking for alternative course dates?
Get in touch and to express an interest if the course dates shown don't work for you.
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We provide all the essential climbing equipment, including harnesses, helmets, ropes, and technical gear. The only thing you’ll need to bring are your own climbing shoes or boots, along with suitable clothing, food, and drink.
We’re usually out in the mountains for around eight hours each day, so make sure to pack a good lunch, some snacks, and at least a litre of water.
If you’d like advice on what clothing to bring, feel free to get in touch or check out our kit lists.
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We can usually run our courses even in wet or windy conditions, as there are plenty of sheltered venues throughout the Dales. If the forecast looks cold and wet, make sure to bring extra layers and good waterproofs.
Wet weather means we get colder faster and use more energy, so it’s worth packing a bit more food than you would for a normal day out. If the weather becomes unsuitable, we’ll reschedule your course for another date or offer a full refund.
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If you need to cancel more than 4 weeks before the course, you’ll receive a full refund. Cancellations between 2 and 4 weeks incur a 50% refund, minus a £10 admin fee. Unfortunately, cancellations less than 2 weeks before the course are non-refundable.
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We usually meet at a local car park or cafe in the morning. This gives us a chance to introduce ourselves, discuss the plan for the day, and get to know you so we can tailor the course to your goals and experience.
If an early start is needed, we’ll arrange a quick call a day or two beforehand to confirm the details.
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Lake District Mountain Guides is led by James Boothroyd, who delivers the majority of our courses. You can learn more about James and the rest of the team here.
We also work with a trusted group of professional freelance instructors — all fully qualified, experienced, and insured. Your guide will get in touch before the course to introduce themselves, outline the plan, and answer any questions you may have.
