Learn To Lead Climb
For those who want to push their climbing abilities and goals even higher, learning to lead climb is a great way to access even more of the vertical world. Explore the fundamentals of lead climbing with the professional guides at Apex Mountain School. Our guides will teach you how to place and clip your own gear, as well as introduce you to the “sharp end” in assisted lead climbing scenarios with backup belays. A private guide and all technical climbing gear (rock climbing shoes, ropes, helmets, harnesses, etc.) are included.
Possible Topics
- Leading sport routes
- Gear selection
- Gear placement
- Dynamics of lead climbing systems
- Maximizing rests for gear placement and clipping
- Gear and rope management
- Caring for your gear
Learn to lead climb clinics are designed for those with previous top rope climbing experience. If you want to practice more top rope rock climbing check out our beginner course or our climbing course.
Booking / More Info
Ready to sign up? We look forward guiding you on a Learn to Lead Climb trip. Register with the accompanying calendar, call (970) 949-9111 or use our contact page to request more info.
LEARN TO LEAD – QUICK INFO
Learn to lead with this introductory climbing course.
DATES
Available daily
DURATION
4 hours
8:00am-12:00pm
12:30pm-4:30pm
4:45pm-8:45pm
COST
Per person, per day. Max ratio 1:5
- $153 – 5+ people
- $160 – 4 people
- $178 – 3 people
- $198 – 2 people
Contact us for groups larger than 50 people.
LOCATION
Vail, CO
DIFFICULTY
Easy – Difficult
WHAT TO BRING
- Waterproof shell
- Tennis shoes or trail shoes (no open-toed shoes) for approach
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- 32oz. water per person
- Snacks
- No short shorts
YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO CONSIDER
- Synthetic clothing
- Ice cold fluids
- Lip balm
- Camera
APEX MOUNTAIN SCHOOL PROVIDES
- Climbing Shoes
- Harnesses (42”/44” max)
- Helmets
- Ropes, Belay Devices, Anchors
- Professional guide and instruction
During times of Covid-19 concern please bring:
Face mask, Hand Sanitizer, Rubber Gloves (if desired)
Make a Learn to Lead Reservation Now:
Andrew Kirchhoff
July 1, 2022.
My teen sons and I had an amazing time rappelling with Bob in Vail! Apex provided everything we needed and accommodated our last minute booking. Thank you Apex!!
PARTYBOMBS
June 29, 2022.
Myself and my family had a awesome time repelling. Thanks to Bob we had fun while staying safe. I would recommend for anyone seeking a thrilling experience.
Colin Kirchhoff
June 29, 2022.
Bob was a fantastic guide! Despite never repelling before, Bob never failed to make us feel safe and confident enough to have fun. 10/10 experience. Thank you so much!
Beth Ann Rosica
June 28, 2022.
We had an amazing day climbing with Bob! We had 4 kids between 13 and 15, and Bob coached all of them to the top! He was patient and encouraging and kept everyone safe! I highly recommend Apex for a climbing experience! The kids are hooked on climbing and loved the adventure!
Jack Saussy
June 27, 2022.
My family had a great day climbing with Bob. He was very knowledgeable about the routes and equipment and turned our half day of climbing into a lesson. I plan to get my own shoes and join a gym at home because of this great experience, I highly recommend Apex Mountain School!
Jamie Schmid
February 7, 2022.
We had such a blast ice climbing with our guide Jesse! He was so helpful and motivating and never made us feel like we were terrible at climbing even though it was our first time haha and he was so patient with all my picture taking and getting great shots! Would 1,000% recommend!
Joe Mahoney
January 18, 2022.
Took my AIARE 1 through APEX. It was hard to decide with so many options out there. Look no further, APEX is exactly what you're looking for. I walked away with the exact knowledge I was hoping to get, and more. Josh V was our instructor and is extremely knowledgeable, had great answers to all of our questions and was just great to hang out with in the backcountry. Can't recommend these guys enough.
Shannon M.
December 6, 2021.
Recently took the Level 1 AIARE Course with Apex and had a great experience. All of the instructors were extremely knowledgeable and passionate about snow safety and answered all questions in great detail to ensure the students learned as much as possible in the 3 day course. It was a very hands on experience and we were even able to do lots of field work despite the low snow conditions right now. Will definitely come back for another course, and looking forward to more backcountry travel with all the new info learned!
kurt albertson
November 24, 2021.
Apex Mountain School is a wonderful outdoor educational and guide service! Recently took the level one AIARE and Avalanche Rescue course through Apex. Our instructors Andy and Mike were highly professional, knowledgeable and very engaging instructors that were very passionate about snow safety and teaching others about best practices to enjoy their experiences safely in the backcountry. Would highly recommend anyone regardless of experience to take a course with Apex. Looking forward to continuing my outdoor experiences with Apex in the future via additional educational courses as well as the opportunity for private guided trips. Excellent people and a great experience!!!
Tom Watson
November 23, 2021.
I took the AIARE 1 course with Apex Mountain school and it was truly an amazing experience. Andy was a outstanding instructor, he fostered a culture in the group that encouraged participation, teamwork, learning and fun! The knowledge and tools learned in the course were second to none. We were fortunate to have a small group of 5, and this allowed for a lot of questions, learn by doing, and overall really fun time. I cannot recommend Apex Mountain School enough.
