This is the level of NICAS where things move up a gear and your people are introduced to the skills needed to start their lead climbing journey. Lead climbing comes with an increased set of risks and responsibilities, and serves as a gateway into other areas of the climbing world such as competition climbing and outdoor cragging.
Climbers must have completed NICAS Level 3 before they can attend Level 4 sessions.
In Level 4, young climbers will be taught:
The risks associated with lead climbing
How to communicate effectively with a climbing partner
How to prepare for climbing, both mentally and physically
Different types of climbing ropes, their applications, how they are made, how to coil them, and their upkeep
Understanding quickdraws and how to organize them on a harness
How to properly belay a leader using the correct devices
How to safely catch a fall from the lead climber
The right way to clip quickdraws to avoid common mistakes (such as back clipping and Z clipping)
How to clip efficiently
How to clip a lower-off and the procedure for safely lowering