This Sport Lead Climbing Course is perfect for climbers who wish to progress from a top-rope environment and get cranking on lead at the crag.
The sport lead course is designed to give you the knowledge and skills to climb a route on-sight, from the ground up, then get back down, safely.
From South East Queensland to South East Asia and everywhere beyond, a countless number of bolted routes are simply begging for you to climb them. Our Sport Lead Climbing course is the key you need to unlock the vertical adventures that await, both at home and abroad.
If you’ve spent a bit of time top roping and you’re looking to take the next step in your climbing career, look no further. Lead climbing is the gold standard of the sport, and acquiring the skills to make an ascent from the ground up will open a new world of opportunity to you. With the techniques you’ll learn during the Sport Lead Climbing course, any bolted route on the planet will be fair game! If your goal is to turn up at the cliff, pick a route and crush it, this is the course for you.
Unfortunately, we can’t guarantee the finger strength for success on each and every route. But what we can guarantee is that our course covers the best practices for safe climbing at any sport crag. Our qualified instructors will teach you everything you need to know – not just how to get up, but how to get down safely too. Climbing is only fun when everyone comes home in one piece.
2026 COURSE DATES
Please note: you only need to book into the first session of the course, which will automatically enrol you in both days of the two day course
- March 21st / 22nd
- May 2nd / May 3rd
- June 27th / 28th
- August 15th / 16th
- September 19th / 20th
- October 17th / 18th
None of the dates work for you? Private bookings can be arranged on request. Contact Us for a quote and to organize a date to suit you.
COURSE CONTENT
The Sport Lead Climbing Course provides in depth training and examination of the following skills:
- Lead climbing technique and body positioning
- Bolted anchor setups using cord/slings
- Belaying a lead climber using a range of devices
- Top belay technique
- Clipping technique
- Bolt Plate technique
- Abseil technique
- Retrievable abseil
- Equipment selection and maintenance
- Communication and climbing commands
- Climbing ethics and Leave No Trace principles
- Guidebook interpretation and route selection
OUR INSTRUCTORS
Our awesome instructors are highly trained and accredited by PACI (Professional Association of Climbing Instructors). Put simply, they are subject matter experts. They’ll provide all the theory material you’ll need to get a firm understanding of the concepts you’ll learn, as well as ample opportunities for practical application. Don’t leave it to guesswork, get trained by the best.
Find out more about our instructors.
WHAT TO BRING
Whilst all necessary gear is provided, we encourage you to bring your own if you have it – your instructor will check it out and let you know if it’s suitable to use. This is a great opportunity to become familiar with the equipment you will be using in your future climbing career!
We recommend every student owns the following gear as a minimum:
Don’t know what gear to buy after the course? Come on down and chat with our gear gurus in the Kelvin Grove store. Make sure you mention that you’re enrolled on the Sport Lead Climbing course and they’ll do you a sweet deal!
As well as the technical equipment, you’ll need a few other things to make the course run smoothly, so make sure you also bring the following:
- Non-restrictive clothing. Check the weather forecast to get an idea of the conditions.
- Enclosed footwear such as hiking boots or runners, sturdy enough to handle a rough trail
- A backpack big enough to carry all the necessary gear
- 2-3 litres of water, hat, insect repellent, sunscreen, sunglasses
- Your own food and snacks, full of energy to keep you happy and psyched!
- A pen and paper
SESSION TIMES AND LOCATIONS
The course runs for 2 days from 7:30am to 4:30pm , with the first day conducted at Kangaroo Point Cliffs and the second at Mt Ngungun in Glasshouse Mountains National Park**
You’ll need a moderate amount of fitness to hike to the summit of Mt Ngungun, an hour walk carrying all the gear you need including ropes, carabiners and personal safety equipment.
**Mount Tibrogaran in the Glasshouse may also be used as a training venue pending conditions
WHY CHOOSE TEAM PINNACLE?
With more than 20 years of experience, Pinnacle Sports is South East Queensland’s leading provider of rock climbing and abseiling training. We work closely with Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) and other management organisations to ensure that our outdoor activities are fully permitted and environmentally sound. We maintain low instructor to participant ratios, meaning a better educational outcome for you. Here at Team Pinnacle, we love all things vertical and we’re dedicated to high quality training so that you can share our passion confidently and safely.
THE FINE PRINT
- Participants must be at least 15 years of age
- Participants must have experience in climbing and be comfortable on approximately Grade 15 on top rope (or a purple route in most climbing gyms in Brisbane)
- Participants must be fit and healthy for climbing at the time of the course
- Participants must be able to speak, and understand the English language. This requirement is stipulated on the grounds of safety at height
- This course is subject to minimum and maximum numbers to run. In the event that the minimum number of participants are not available, the course may be rescheduled. A decision is made the week prior to the activity.
- Spectators are required to attend the safety briefing
- All spectators under the age of 18 are required to be accompanied and supervised by an adult
Please ensure that you are aware of our full terms and conditions including our cancellation policy before booking.
To enquire about additional dates
