ROCK CLIMBING ANCHOR BUILDING AND RESCUE WORKSHOP
WHY TAKE OUR WORKSHOPS?
We're all about sharing information, teaching skills and growing the climbing community safely. Some people like an activity to be lead or guided, we offer that too. But these workshops are about empowering you with knowledge. We teach you the skills you need to get out there and climb harder while also improving your safety and the safety of those around you. Our workshops are structured in a way where information compounds, constantly building on what you just learned or learned in a previous workshop. We understand that you're thirsty for knowledge and we give you everything we have to quench your thirst.
WHO IS THIS WORKSHOP TAILORED TO?
In short, it's tailored you!
This workshop is designed to teach both basic and advanced skills to climbers of all backgrounds. When I started climbing 23 years ago, I was dragged out to the crag with older siblings and their friends. They got their knowledge from friends, siblings, mentors, and strangers at the crag. This seemed to be fine because I didn't know any better, and little was expected of me. It wasn't until I began properly training through the American Mountain Guide's Association (AMGA) that I saw all the mistakes we'd been making (We'd been very lucky without even knowing it!). Some of the anchors and climbs we set up were sketchy to say the least, but not on purpose. It was because we learned from friends of friends, and a lot of information was lost every time it was transmitted to a new participant (Have you ever played the game "telephone"?).
As I started guiding, I saw more sketchy set ups being used by both novice and experienced climbers. I realized there was a big disconnect between the proper (professional) training and the transfer of information among friends. With the increase of climbing gyms and overall growth in popularity of the sport, there are a number of climbers crossing the threshold into the outdoor realm unprepared. Without proper training, there's an ever-increasing chance for untrained climbers to injure (or worse) themselves or others.
I'm not saying that everything you learned is wrong. In fact, you may have had a wonderful mentor who told you all the right things and provided you with many tools. This workshop is designed to provide background and reinforce concepts and theories (physics!) to ensure you are applying the correct methods at the appropriate times.
If you're a new climber, this is an excellent way to learn proper skills from an AMGA instructor in an environment where hazards and risks are mitigated by a professional. The beginner climber should expect this to be A LOT of information, seemingly overwhelming at times, but bare with it and let it soak in...it'll be there when you need it.
If you're an advanced climber, you won't regret taking this workshop. We've had professional guides sit in on this workshop and walk away with new skills and better methods of teaching/guiding.
Those who fall somewhere between a new climber and a professional guide will be very happy with the foundational knowledge and flow of the workshop. We'll fill in the gaps for you and strengthen your skills so that you can move on to advanced techniques and workshops.
WHAT WE DO DIFFERENT
We don't simply teach you how to build a few anchors—we teach you the fundamentals of anchor building. You've heard the adage about gifting someone a fish versus teaching them how to fish, and that's what we're talking about.
We break the whole thing down by going through the gear, knots, hitches, strengths and weaknesses of anchor materials, angles that help share the weight of a fall versus those that don't, and then we teach you the anchors.
After you understand how to build good anchors, we move into a 4-part rescue scenario. The skills taught during the rescue scenario build on the information you learned about anchors, and we teach you how to escape a belay, take over a belay, ascend a fixed line (to an injured partner), and how to do a counter-balance lower with your injured partner.
We will give you a foundation of knowledge that you can build upon to keep yourself and your friends climbing safely for years to come.
THIS IS A PRE-REQUISITE WORKSHOP
This is a pre-requisite workshop for all of our advanced workshops. This information is so fundamentally important that we won't let you attend any of our advanced workshops until you attend this workshop and understand this information. This is the stuff that everything else is based upon.
OUR EXPECTATIONS FROM YOU
If you are humble enough to know your limitations, smart enough to not tag along to the local crag with untested climbers, and generally thirsty for knowledge, this is the workshop for you!
We provide all the tools and equipment you need to become a proficient, competent and confident anchor builder in trad, sport and top-rope environments. Our only requirement is that you come prepared to THINK. We'll teach you proper knots, anchor techniques, site selection, and belaying techniques in both top- and bottom-managed sites. We'll geek out on the physics of anchors, angles, and kilonewtons (kN). We'll teach you self-rescue and partner-rescue techniques. We'll discuss safety at the crag, ethics of climbing outdoors, and how to identify unsafe situations to protect yourself and your climbing partners.
