A late afternoon in the Peaks was the setting for my first lead climb, I was excited and nervous. I'd been thinking for a few months that I was ready but not felt that the time was right. Well now it was! On my 25th birthday, I was to set foot on the next step in my climbing journey.
Lawrencefield, a small but well- liked grit quarry was to be the location. After warming up seconding my brother on a few of the harder routes on Gingerbread Slab, I decided it was time. I got my rack sorted and made my way to the bottom of Snail Crack, a V Diff that seemed like a good place to start. "Nothing to hard," was the phrase my brother had used when I told him I wanted to do my first lead. John, my twin, has been climbing a lot longer than me. He joined the climbing club at university and is much more experienced. He was also the reason that, on this day, I was going to do my first lead. I wanted him there. Not only to support me, but also to show him that I was catching him up, though it's a long way to go before I'm leading E1/2's like him. My heart racing, I set my foot on the first part of the climb. Looking up, my brother's face was above me, a smile offering support. Chris was my belay and as I made my way up the wall to my first gear placement he shouted "Anytime now would be good!" Chris, a great friend for years, is very good at stating the obvious. I placed a nut in the crack above my head, to my left and clipped in. A rush of relief came over me. I had just placed my very first piece of gear. The next few metres were nice and easy. I took my time, not rushing, making sure that every move I made felt safe and strong. Again from below, the ever faithful Chris stated the obvious. In went my second piece of gear. On I climbed. The climb was going well. Chris had given up giving needless instructions by the time I had placed my third and forth pieces of gear. Now the end was in sight. John's smiling face was now within reach. In went my last piece of gear and then I was there, at the top, sat next to my twin brother, for the first time feeling like I was on the same part of my climbing journey as him. My heart was racing, my head swimming, I felt great. I had made this leap; I was now a lead climber. 
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