ROCK CLIMBING SCHOOL

Rock Climbing 101- Introduction to Rock Climbing

If you’ve never rock climbed, or have been climbing indoors at a rock gym, this program is for you. We’ll go over the fundamentals of climbing and focus on giving you the knowledge to become a skilled and confident rock climber. You’ll learn about the relevant equipment, knots and terminology, and then we’ll move right into belaying, body position, footwork and working around the climbing site. The bulk of the day is spent putting these new skills to use on the cliff, with each climber able to get in a few climbs and descents. You will come away knowing what it is like to be a fully engaged and responsible member of a climbing party, and with a good measure of actual climbing time on the rock. READ MORE

Skill Level: Beginner

Length: 8 hours

Prerequisites: No previous climbing experience required

Locations: New Hampshire, New York

Rock Climbing Fast Track (2 days)

Our most popular program! This concentrated program takes beginning climbers through the comprehensive progression of our two main courses: Rock Climbing 101 and Rock Climbing 201. After these two days, you will have the knowledge, skills and variety of experience to think and respond to challenges on the cliff as a true climber. It’s a perfect way to cover a lot of vertical ground, and save some money at the same time! READ MORE

Skill Level: Beginner

Length: 2 days, 8 hours each day

Prerequisites: No previous climbing experience required

Locations: New Hampshire, New York

Rock Climbing 201- Apply Your Rock Climbing Skills

Now that you’ve completed Rock Climbing 101, you’re ready to really put those skills to use on the cliff. We’ll build off your basic climbing knowledge and focus on application: when is it best to use one technique rather than another? Which gear is most appropriate for which situation? Is it best to steer toward the cracks, or stick with the footholds on the face? All these issues can be addressed while getting in some great climbing, and we can add pitches of different character or difficulty as we go, depending upon your needs. READ MORE

Skill Level: Intermediate

Length: 8 hours

Prerequisites: Successful completion of our Rock Climbing 101 course or previous outdoor rock climbing experience

Locations: New Hampshire, New York

Rock Climbing 202- Multi Pitch Rock Climbing

Once you know the basics, one of the best things to do to improve is get some serious mileage on the cliff. Whether you aim for a long multi-pitch climb, or a series of shorter, more problematic routes, we’ll make sure you get lots of climbing in. Still have some technical questions? – that’s no problem – we can address those as we go along. And feel free to take this program as often as you like; we’ll provide a variety of climbs on different terrain to challenge you each time you come back. READ MORE

Skill Level: Intermediate

Length: 8 hours

Prerequisites: Successful completion of our Rock Climbing 201 course or previous outdoor rock climbing experience

Locations: New Hampshire, New York

Glacier Skills & Crevasse Rescue

If you aspire to climb bigger mountains out West or abroad, learning to rope up for and travel over glaciers is essential. You’ll also need to know how to extricate yourself or your partner from a crevasse. Though there are no glaciers in the Northeast, our instructors can teach you all of the latest tricks and techniques for navigating though these hazards. A portion of the day will be spent learning the basics of glacier rigging for different sized rope-teams, as well as equipment options and crevasse rescue systems. We will then set up and practice the demonstrated techniques in the field. We require technical climbing experience before taking this course. READ MORE

Skill Level: Intermediate

Length: 8 hours

Prerequisites: Successful completion of our Rock Climbing 201 course, Mountaineering 201 course, Accelerated Mountaineering course or similar experience

Locations: New Hampshire, New York

Top Rope Set Up

When it is time to start heading out on your own, you’ll want to hit this course first. We’ll take your knowledge and experience on the rock and fine-tune it to address the myriad issues that come with establishing toprope systems. You’ll learn how to assess a site for climbing and anchoring potential, and how to set anchors at the top and bottom of the crag using a variety of methods and materials. We’ll also cover how to deal with the typical issues that can complicate a day of toproping: difficult cliff-top access, troublesome situations at the edge, awkward descent options, and other potential problems. READ MORE

Skill Level: Intermediate

Length: 2 days, 8 hours each day

Prerequisites: Previous outdoor rock climbing experience

Locations: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York

Learn to Lead

Leading a climb from the ground up is an awesome responsibility that is equally rewarding. This intense three-day course will give you the skills and knowledge you’ll need to explore the cliff from the “sharp” end of the rope. We’ll cover a wide variety of topics and introduce a broad selection of scenarios, as leading is a lot more than just going up first and sticking in some gear. You’ll learn about assessing your party in relation to your objectives, route choices and decision-making on the lead, protecting the leader and the seconds, establishing anchors en route, efficient belay-station management, and planning for the descent. Efficiency and error correction play big roles in this course, and the responsibility of the leader lies in not underestimating the commitment being taken on. Before enrolling, participants should be able to follow 5.8 climbs with confidence, have extensive toproping experience, and possess a thorough understanding of technical climbing equipment. READ MORE

Skill Level: Advanced

Length: 3 days, 8 hours each day

Prerequisites: Solidly climb 5.8 or above outdoors, extensive outdoor top roping experience, experience on multi-pitch climbs following a leader, extensive belaying and rappelling experience, solid understanding of climbing equipment and its use

Locations: New Hampshire, New York

Self Rescue

A must for every climber, this course will teach you how to handle all sorts of unanticipated situations on the cliff, using the standard gear you already have on hand. Day one will feature close-to-the-ground practice sessions that will introduce a broad range of tricks and techniques, and day two will present rescue scenarios and problem-solving exercises on the cliff. You’ll learn how to anticipate and ultimately address a wide variety of the unexpected challenges we encounter in the vertical world. READ MORE

Skill Level: Advanced

Length: 2 days, 8 hours each day

Prerequisites: Previous rock climbing experience

Locations: New Hampshire, New York

Introduction to Aid Climbing

Aid climbing puts us in some of the most spectacular positions imaginable. This course introduces the specialized equipment and teaches the fundamental techniques that allow us to venture beyond the limits of free climbing. We’ll cover climbing on aid – using nuts, pitons, hooks and etriers, as well as techniques for ascending the rope, cleaning pitches on aid, and simple hauling systems. Participants should have significant free-climbing experience, including some leading. READ MORE

Skill Level: Advanced

Length: 8 hours

Prerequisites: Previous rock climbing experience

Locations: New Hampshire

AMGA Single Pitch Instructor Course (SPI)

The AMGA Single Pitch Instructor Program is the only nationally and internationally recognized single pitch climbing instructor certification program. In 2009 the AMGA Single Pitch Instructor Program was recognized for meeting the “training standards” of the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) and was granted the prestigious title of “Approved Association.” No other organization in the United States offering training in single pitch terrain can make that claim. Also, the AMGA Single Pitch Instructor Program is recognized by many land managers, insurance companies, other associations and of course the general public. The AMGA Single Pitch Instructor Program has been created to fit in the AMGA Rock Discipline training program, taking off from the AMGA Climbing Wall Instructor Program and greatly improving the instructor’s skill sets and integrating into the next level of training, the AMGA Rock Instructor Course. The SPI Program curriculum has been designed with this in mind and many of the SPI Program Providers work teaching higher level courses for the AMGA and serve on the AMGA’s Technical Committee so they are actively involved in all levels of instructor and guide training in the AMGA.

The program is for current, active rock climbers that have a real desire to teach the rock climbing to novices in a single pitch setting. Candidates should be passionate rock climbers that have their own equipment, regularly climb and have been rock climbing outdoors for at least 12 months. Candidates could be current University Professors that teach climbing, Climbing Instructors, Scout Leaders, Summer Camp Professionals or climbers that wish to achieve additional training, experience and certification to gain employment as a Climbing Instructor in the Outdoor Industry. The SPI will be able to proficiently facilitate and instruct the sport of rock climbing in a single pitch setting.

For the purpose of the SPI Program a single pitch climb is one which is climbed without intermediate belays and presents no difficulties on approach or retreat, such as route finding, scrambling or navigating. READ MORE

Skill Level: Advanced

Length:3 days, 8 hours each day

Prerequisites: Have a genuine interest in rock climbing and instructing novices on single pitch crags.
-Are at least 18 years old at the time of the course.
-Have at least 12 months prior climbing experience.
-Are an active climber with traditional lead climbing experience (leader placing pro).
-Have trad lead climbed a minimum of 15 graded rock climbing routes (any grade).
-Are capable of comfortably climbing 5.8 while on a top rope.

The above pre-requisites are absolute minimums and most candidates have way in excess of the above. Without having at least this amount experience you are unlikely to play a constructive part on the course or be able to make best use of the training. If you are unsure of your skill levels we suggest hiring an AMGA/IFMGA certified guide to evaluate and enhance your skills and experience prior to SPI Program enrollment.

Locations: New Hampshire, New York

AMGA Single Pitch Instructor Assessment (SPI)

The AMGA Single Pitch The SPI Assessment is two days in length (minimum of 16 hours assessment time) and will take place at a single pitch climbing area where there are a selection traditional lead routes in the 5.6 range and top roping routes in the 5.8 range. The assessment will examine all aspects of institutional single pitch climbing that the Single Pitch Instructor may encounter. Day one will look at climbing movement and all aspects of technical systems from anchoring to assistance skills and general climbing competence. On day two the examiner may arrange for volunteer novice clients (non-paying) for the candidates to instruct in a group setting. This is not required but is a great benefit to the assessment process as the examiner can see candidates interact with real novice climbers and the examinees do not have to ‘pretend’ to teach novice climbers who are actually other examines on the assessment.
The examiners job is to bring out the best in the candidate, and give the candidate a comfortable and stress-free assessment. The candidate must show the examiner they have the technical and instructional skills to pass the AMGA Single Pitch Instructor Assessment. The SPI Assessment is broken down into four distinct evaluation sessions; climbing movement, technical skills, teaching ability and group management skills and candidate are evaluated by the AMGA marking system categories as explained below. READ MORE

Skill Level: Advanced

Length:2 days, 8 hours each day

Prerequisites: You have successfully completed an AMGA Single Pitch Instructor Course or AMGA Top Rope Site Manager Course, you have trad lead climbed a minimum of 40 rock climbing routes (a large number of these should be at 5.6 grade and hopefully on a variety of rock types), you are capable of comfortably lead climbing 5.6 traditional routes (leader placing protection), you will demonstrate your leading ability on a variety of routes on the assessment, you are capable of comfortably climbing 5.8 while on a top rope.

Locations: New Hampshire, New York