👉 Learn to Lead Sport Climbing in Dorset, Portland

Course Summary

This programme is designed to teach you the skills needed to lead climb safely on bolted sport routes. All lines are fully equipped with solid stainless-steel resin bolts and secure lower-off stations, providing a safe and enjoyable environment. To join, you’ll need to already be confident with top-rope belaying and have some prior climbing background, either indoors or outside. The training can also be condensed into a single day if required.

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Course Goals

This is a sport lead climbing course. During the training, you will learn:

• How to clip quickdraws to bolts in the correct way

• How to re-thread the rope through the lower-off anchors

• How to belay a leader effectively

• How to handle falls and practise fall arresting (with a top-rope safety line)

• Key strategies for sport climbing and efficient movement on rock

• How to use a climbing guidebook to pick and plan routes

We will also introduce abseiling and cover basic problem-solving and rescue skills. The recommended length of this course is two days.

By the end, you’ll feel ready to lead single-pitch sport climbs without a backup top rope and will have the opportunity to tackle a variety of exciting routes around Portland or Swanage.

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Course Structure

We usually arrange to meet either in London or directly at the climbing venue. This will be agreed during the booking process, and information about travel and accommodation is provided in advance.

When we arrive at the crag, we’ll get geared up, run through the course outline, and adapt the plan to suit your experience, expectations, the weather, and the chosen location. Each day is focused on making the most of our time climbing—packed with learning and adventure—before heading back for food and rest.

All courses are privately guided, with a maximum ratio of four participants per instructor.

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Locations

We run this course at:

• Portland, Dorst: Portland sits on the southern coast of Dorset, joined to the mainland by the impressive Chesil Beach. Just three hours from London, it offers some of the finest sport climbing in the UK. The dramatic limestone cliffs provide a stunning backdrop and a wide variety of routes for all abilities.

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