Introduction to Trad Climbing

Are you ready to move into the world of placing gear? This one day class will start with the basics of placing active and passive protection and learning how to evaluate placements. We’ll then move on to incorporating multiple pieces into an anchor and building anchor systems at the top of the climb in order to bring up a second. The course will include time for each student to practice placing gear while on a lead climb with the backup top rope. We’ll also review lead belaying.

This course is appropriate for climbers who either want to expand their options for building anchors or those who want to eventually tie into the sharp end. A low 3:1 student to instructor ratio assures you will receive plenty of personal attention. Additional technical skills like friction knots and belay escapes will be addressed. This is a big day, and runs from 8am to 7pm.

Learning to lead indoors is a great way to get started! Taking the Intro to Sport Lead course indoors will be great preparation for Intro to Trad Climbing.

Participants should have the following equipment:

• Climbing Shoes.
• Harness with a belay / rappel loop and gear loops.
• Belay Device. A tube type belay device like an ATC at minimum, preferably a Petzl Reverso or Black Diamond ATC Guide.
• 4-5 locking carabiners, two of which should be HMS/Pear shaped lockers
• 4-5 non-locking carabiners
• Two cordalettes made from 20-22 feet sections of either 5.5 to 6mm high strenght tech cord (such as Sterling Pro Cord) or 7mm accessory cord tied into loops.
• Two sections of 6mm accessory cord 4 feet long (for autobloks/prussik).
• 2 high strength 48″ sewn runners (double length runners)
• Nut tool (recommended but optional).