Quick Details
Leave the quickdraws at home for this one! Further your rock skills with AMGA certified single-pitch instructors or AMGA certified rock guides by learning as they educate you on placing traditional protection in cracks, constructing EARNEST gear anchors, and leading cracks.
You will leave feeling empowered to climb cracks at Index, explore vertical terrain above Washington Pass, and adventure into the backcountry of the North Cascades. Start your tick-list because you’ll have a whole new set of skills as a traditional climber!
This course will be held at either Mount Erie, Index, Tieton, or Frenchman Coulee in Washington, or Broughton Bluff and Smith Rock State Park in Oregon. Minnesota programs will be held at Taylors Falls or North Shore.
This single-day, eight-hour course incorporates skills from Outdoor Sport Leading and Traditional Climbing Fundamentals. Please reference those courses to assess your own skills when choosing a course. The course is meant to grow your knowledge base of traditional climbing techniques, allowing you to be more knowledgeable and confident when venturing out in traditional climbing terrain “on the sharp end.”
Your course will begin at 9am. You and your Kaf instructor will spend the morning working with a variety of tools and techniques designed to expand your traditional climbing tool kit as well as hone some of the skills introduced in the Traditional Climbing Fundamentals course.
You will have ample opportunities to experiment with some refined technique designed to make you a more confident trad leader. Guides will cover a variety of topics including tips for placing gear efficiently, belaying from above, and more complex anchor situations, among others.
Your lunch will be on-the-go in order to maximize learning opportunities during this course.
The afternoon will consist of real-world applications. At your instructor’s discretion, you will perform some mock or real leads, after which your instructor will assess your gear placements and provide feedback. Guides will maximize your time on the rock, giving you as much time as possible to apply the day’s lessons in ways that will make you a more confident leader in a traditional climbing setting.
You can expect to be back at your car by 5pm.
Transportation and times will be coordinated by email when the pre-trip announcement is sent to all registrants. The course is scheduled to run from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Once you’ve learned to lead trad routes, take the next step in your rock climbing journey and join Kaf for our Multi-Pitch Climbing course. Or learn how to rescue injured partners on our Rock Rescue Course at Smith Rock. You can also take it into an alpine environment with a guided climb of Mt Shuksan, Forbidden Peak, or the more technical approach to the summit of Mt Hood.
Also, take a look at our International Adventures. Join us on a climbing holiday to Mexico or China — opportunities you won’t want to miss out on!
