Lead Climbing Skills Courses in Pembrokeshire
This week I’ve had Karl and Mike with me, developing their Lead Climbing Skills. They are on a learn to lead climb week with me. They started the week having done a small amount of outdoor climbing, but eager to learn, and the weather couldn’t have been better for us! Every day we had clear blue skies and good tides, and with the guys keen to climb as much rock as possible we had some pretty long days!
We started at Porth Clais, where we started with the building blocks of lead climbing skills, anchor selection and belay creation… We top-roped as many of the routes as we could, giving the guys plenty of opportunity to start cementing in their heads the fundamentals of safety. We took a walk over to Porth y Fynnon and did a few routes there, before finishing with a trip up Velvet Wall. A top first day, very productive and the chaps climbed heaps of routes!
Lead Climbing at Caerfai
On day 2 we started at Initiation Slabs, re-capping the skills from the day before, climbing some lovely routes on top-rope whilst we waited for the tides to drop enough to allow us to get to Pen y Cyfrwy. Here the guys did their first lead climbs, on routes well within their ability so they could concentrate purely on the process of leading and gear placement, without having to worry about the climbing itself… After a couple of leads each and some more fun top-ropes, the guys both managed to get up an E4! Great day developing their lead climbing skills and having a crack at a hard route!
By now the guys lead climbing skills were starting to sink in, so we headed to Caerfai, where they could knock off route after route! After some easier leads, both Mike and Karl led up to hs 4b, a superb achievement after just 2 days of lead climbing! A trip to Caerfai isn’t complete without climbing Amorican, and the guys both agreed that the route is truly superb! We had a little extra entertainment in the day by having to help a stuck climber back up the cliff. The pair were very grateful and even wrote a nice review on Facebook for us! It was through no fault of theirs that they were in that predicament, and hopefully their experience hasn’t put them off!
Mike and Karl at the base of Carreg y Barcud..
I decided the guys needed a bigger challenge, so on Thursday we went to Carreg y Bardud. Probably the biggest, most impressive sweep of sandstone in North Pembrokeshire, it has some truly classic climbs there. They were suitably impressed by the place, and I was pretty excited to see a Badger running around at the top of the crag..! They were by now putting their new lead climbing skills to good use, and again led plenty of the routes at Barcud. They also top-roped some harder lines, including Sinecure at E1 and Hypocrite at E3. Well done guys!
Karl belaying Mike up First Corner, after leading it…
It was sad that we had come to our final day, as the guys had been such good company, climbed amazingly well, and Pembrokeshire and it’s weather had been on top form! With a choice of destinations, we chose to re-visit Porth Clais, and put all the new lead climbing skills to good use and test the guys on the lead on the routes that they had top-roped back on day 1. We had it all today, hanging belays, the guys pushing their comfort zones now the process of leading and gear placement was becoming second nature, they could have a go at some harder leads. With the crag to ourselves the guys climbed all the lines they could, culminating in their first vs lead! Top effort for their first weeks proper outdoor climbing…
Putting all the lead climbing skills into practise, leading a HS at Porth Clais..
Its been a super fun week, and I have been really impressed and proud of both Mike and Karl, the effort they have put in and information they have absorbed. Now they have the lead climbing skills to go out on their own and have some adventures!
All the lead climbing skills coming together! Hanging belay and trusting the gear!