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Trip Category · Learn to Lead
Learn to Lead — Your Gym-to-Crag Transition Course
Gym to rock. Lead, project, and perform outdoors. Sport Climbing Basics is our foundational lead climbing course — clipping technique, mock lead falls, and belaying a leader indoors, followed by a mentored first day leading real routes outdoors. Built for confident top-ropers who are ready to stop asking someone else to clip the bolts.
View Course Dates- 3
- Course Hubs
- 500+
- Climbers Taught to Lead
- 6
- Days, 100% Outdoors
- 94%
- Lead Outdoors Solo After
Upcoming Courses
Every Learn to Lead course, by date
Sorted chronologically from next start date onward.
Oct 31 - Nov 7
Novice course
EUR 950 · 8 seats
View tripNov 21 - Nov 28
Novice course
EUR 950 · 8 seats
View tripFeb 13 - Feb 20
Novice course
EUR 990 · 8 seats
View tripApr 10 - Apr 17
Novice course
EUR 1050 · 8 seats
View tripJun 12 - Jun 19
Novice course
EUR 1050 · 8 seats
View tripJul 17 - Jul 24
Novice course
EUR 1050 · 8 seats
View tripOct 16 - Oct 23
Novice course
EUR 1050 · 8 seats
View tripNov 6 - Nov 13
Novice course
EUR 990 · 8 seats
View tripWho We Are
Instructors who remember their first lead fall
Every one of our lead instructors can tell you exactly where they took their first real lead fall, and exactly how long it took them to trust the rope again. That memory is the whole course. We built Sport Climbing Basics because "just go for it" is not instruction, and because the gap between top-roping confidently and leading confidently is a specific, teachable set of skills — not something you're meant to figure out by getting scared at the crag.
Every course is led by a qualified rock climbing instructor trained specifically in lead progression coaching, not just a strong climber handed a group. They run the clipping drills, spot the mock falls, and stand at the base of your first real outdoor lead so the only thing you have to think about is climbing.
We cap every course at six students per instructor. Small enough that everyone gets real time on the wall, big enough that you're not the only one whose hands are shaking before the first fall drill.
What We Do
Three stages of learning to lead
Sport Climbing Basics is our whole category — a structured progression from gym drills to your first independent outdoor lead, not a single afternoon of tips.
- 01
- Gym Lead FundamentalsClipping technique, rope management, and belaying a leader — drilled indoors on easy, controlled terrain until it's automatic.
- 02
- Mock Lead & Fall PracticeProgressive, controlled falls with an instructor spotting every one — the part that actually builds the trust top-roping never asks of you.
- 03
- Mentored Outdoor Lead DayYour first real leads outdoors, on routes chosen for the transition, with an instructor at the base the whole day.
Signature Course · Weekly Cohorts
Sport Climbing Basics: The Learn to Lead Course
Our founding course, and the reason most of our instructors got into teaching in the first place. Two evenings in the gym cover clipping technique, rope management, and progressive mock falls until they stop feeling like a leap of faith. Day three moves outdoors to a beginner-friendly limestone crag for a full day of mentored, independent leading — real bolts, real exposure, an instructor at the base the whole time.
- 3 days
- Total
- Prague
- Czech Republic
- Weekly
- Cohorts, year-round
- Max 6
- Students
Frequently Asked
Before you book Sport Climbing Basics
- Do I need any experience to join?
You should be a confident top-roper — comfortable climbing 5b/5.9 or above on top rope and completely happy being belayed. No lead climbing experience is required or expected; that's exactly what the course teaches.
- Is gear included?
All group climbing gear, quickdraws, and rental shoes/harness for the gym sessions are included. For the outdoor day you'll need your own harness, shoes, and helmet — we can point you toward rental options at the crag hub if needed.
- What if I'm scared of falling?
That's the entire reason the mock lead and fall practice session exists. Falls are introduced in small, controlled increments with an instructor spotting every one, so by the time you're outdoors it's a rehearsed skill, not a leap of faith.
- What happens after the course?
You leave able to lead easy-to-moderate routes independently with a belay partner. Many climbers move straight into our Sport Climbing Holidays or Trad & Multi-Pitch courses to keep building from there.
Take your first real lead
Talk to an instructor about which start date fits your schedule.