25th March 2012 - Teaching to Lead

Placing a nut in a good crack

A bomber bit of gear

Anna on the lead, placing passive protection

Looking out over Glen Nevis, stunning

Today Anna and I opted to enjoy the wamest March day since 1988 (apparently) with a jaunt into Glen Nevis to go over some lead climbing techniques and anchor building with Anna at Poll Dubh in order to increase her confidence and get leading more routes this year. We went on up to Upper Pinnacle Buttress where we could comfortably, and safely, go over placing gear and considerations when building an anchor before Anna got the rope involved and got set up properly. Once she was happy, and had ironed out any issues, she dropped a rope down so that I could climb up, allowing her to refresh her belaying techniques, and see the anchor in action.

We had a spot of lunch, enjoying the heat and finding it difficult to motivate ourselves to do anything else! Just as we did motivate ourselves, Mike and his family came by, and we let them skip on the route ahead of us (giving us some more 'nap-time'!!!). Once they had finished (the kids making the climb look like a trip down to Morrisons..) Anna skipped on and led confidently up the crack line, placing solid gear and setting up a bomber anchor before bringing me up. At the top we discussed her gear placements and the 'head game' involved in leading, before setting up a quick abseil to retrieve a bit of gear (yup, it was that good!) and to give her a wee shot of abseiling as we may be doing quite a bit of this in the coming months...

All in all a productive day in glorious sunshine, rounded off with a stroll by the Nevis where the water was invitingly cool! Hopefully Anna will lead a route or two this week in the good weather, giving her the confidence to start pushing the grade and seconding up harder routes. Physically and technically she has no issues what so ever...

The Gutter on Pine Wall follows the obvious crack line up two pitches to the obvious Pine tree, then beyond it.

As a wee post script, a few days after we had practiced the above, Anna comfortably led the Gutter in Poll Dubh one evening after work. This was her first multi-pitch and she led all three pitches comfortably. Her gear placements were solid and her anchors were bomber, even finishing in half light! So well done Anna! Her only let down of the night was leaving her jacket at the foot of the crag with the house keys in it....unamused is not the word I would use to describe my thoughts on this subject...