Lead Climbing at Devils Doorway, 4.28.2013

Setting up top anchors beneath Devils Doorway
Setting up top anchors beneath Devils Doorway
Jeremy on mock lead whil Nick ascends a static line next to him
Jeremy on mock lead whil Nick ascends a static line next to him

I love the way climbing progresses you through a series of skill levels, each one building upon the last. Jeremy and Shannon took an Anchors II course with me in the September, and after a a fall filled with climbing weekends, they were back this spring for a Lead Climbing course. So we started by going right back to our Anchor courses skills: building placing gear, thinking about anchor geometry, and refining our top-rope anchors. It was a fun opportunity to see where these two were with their anchor skills after a long winter, and we had fun reviewing, adjusting, and making things just-so.

Like lead climbing itself, a Lead Clinic takes a lot more gear than a Top-Rope climbing trip. All our lead climbing courses use a "mock-lead" setup, meaning the leader is on a lead rope with a lead belayer, but I am also backing them up with a top-rope belay. On top of that, I'm jugging a static line next to them, providing critique and answering questions along the way - and trying to stay out of the way. So that means we need two top anchors and three ropes per climb. Once it's all set up, it's not too complicated; the most critical piece is making sure the ropes are aligned properly before we leave the ground, otherwise it can become a messy web 30 feet up.

Looking forward to more Lead classes in 2013. We don't have Lead Climbing as a course option yet on the site, but if you're interested please ask and we'll put a course together for you.

Nick Wilkes

Nick Wilkes founded Devils Lake Climbing Guides in 2012. He enjoys rock climbing, instruction, his relationships with his amazing clients and staff, and the ever-humbling process of owning and running his own business.

https://www.devilslakeclimbingguides.com/about/team/nick-wilkes
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