Rock Skills - Intermediate

OVERVIEW
A Rock Skills Intermediate course is designed to provide participants with further skills and knowledge necessary for safe and enjoyable rock climbing. This introductory course typically covers the next steps towards building independence. 
This course is ideal for those looking to build more climbing experience.  There is a big focus on developing your seconding skills and gaining lots of mileage on rock throughout the course with emphasis towards safety, efficiency and further rope work skills. 

COURSE OUTLINE:
Background and Planning
Choosing a suitable venue, how to use guidebooks and mobile devices to find crags and routes, crag etiquette and the work of the mountaineering councils
Climbing Skills
Warming up and injury avoidance, developing your movement skills and widening your repertoire of climbing moves. This includes smearing, stemming, bridging, laybacking etc and understanding how to use handholds more effectively such as crimps, slopers, jugs.
Footwear and Equipment
Rock boot fit, selecting the right equipment for improved performance and how shoe models and brands differ. An introduction to climbing protection such nuts, cams and hexes and the ability to place it effectively. 
Technical Skills
Building anchors, selecting runners, rope management, belaying, holding falls, lowering, seconding a route and personal abseiling.
Environmental Knowledge
The impact of climbers at the crag, ethics, access and environmental considerations.
Hazards and Emergency Procedures
Identifying hazards, managing risk when climbing, abseiling and bouldering, understanding common injuries, how to get help and the role of Mountain Rescue.
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SKILLS COVERED: 
Movement and technique
More advanced footwork, handholds, weight transfer, smearing and momentum
Roped climbing
Wearing a harness, tying in, belaying, lowering and abseiling 
Gear
Developing understanding and placing your own protection; nuts, cams and hexes
Seconding
Lead belaying, following a lead climber, removing the gear whilst climbing and further seconding skills 
Developing skills towards leading:
Building belays, linking anchors and understanding how to belay a second 

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