All VCC club trips and events have been cancelled. Please see the post on the News page of the VCC website for more information.

The next VCC Learn2Lead Course has been organised to run at Mt Arapiles/Djurite from Tuesday 31st March – Sunday 5th April. There are only FOUR places on this course. These course dates overlap with the first week of the Victorian School Holidays.

The VCC offers this course exclusively to members. Take the next step. Learn to lead climb using natural protection, have fun and get home safely:

·       Exclusive to VCC members

·       6 days qualified instruction

·       All equipment, including trad gear, provided

·       Only 4 participants are on the course.

 

 

What you will learn:

·       Lead climbing using natural protection

·       Setting up belay stations and descending from the cliff

·       Multi-pitch considerations

·       Protecting the second.

Note: More details about what you will learn are listed below.

Course pre-requisites:

·       You should be able to safely belay and second a lead climber outdoors

·       You must be a current VCC member.

Total cost: $880 per person, including GST.

Note: Parks Victoria Camping Fees at Mt Arapiles, Food and Transport are not included in this price.

The course is organised by the VCC, and is run over 6 consecutive days by a qualified private provider. Trad climbing gear is provided for participants without their own rack.

Contact Michael O’Reilly, the VCC Trip Co-ordinator, as soon as possible to secure your place. (Email link at the end of this post.) There are only 4 places available on any Learn2Lead Course. Your place on the course will only be confirmed upon payment of a non-refundable and non-transferrable $280 deposit. The balance of the payment needs to be made as soon as 4 participants are confirmed.

Michael can also answer any questions that you may have about the course.

The following skills are explicitly covered during the course:

·       Different equipment types, anchor types, care and basic usage (ropes, protection, bolts, pitons etc).

·       How to place (and clean) natural protection

·       How to appropriately and safely space the protection while leading

·       How to avoid the ‘zipper affect’ when leading

·       How to choose the length of draw or sling to use each piece of gear

·       How to protect the lead climber when climbing above a ledge

·       How to protect the second (eg traverses)

·       Setting up anchors

·       Equalising anchors, using both cordelette or the climbing rope(s)

·       Setting up multidirectional belay anchors on multi-pitch climbs

·       Threading fixed anchors and abseiling after climbing

·       Setting up top-ropes

·       Safe descent from routes.