The Trad Leader Partner Program

GAIN CONFIDENCE IN THE MULTI-PITCH CLIMBING WORLD!

Our Mentorship Program will immerse you in the world of multi-pitch traditional climbing, learning the same way we did. As a craft, we consistently practice the skills learned, or there's no growth. You're now on that same path; learning the skills to feel confident in your abilities.

The focus of each day is meant to build upon the last, starting with fall practice on your gear, and rescue skills and culminating in various multi-pitch “test” objectives of your own with your teammate and guide.

This adventure takes place in Colorado and may be extended into other states. TBD with your guide.

Pre-Course Call:

Our team extends the offer to schedule a group call before your course. They will discuss crag options for the day, review gear needs, and share a general time plan for the climbing day. This is also a great way to ask any questions.

Morning:

Meet at the trailhead given to you by your guide, share in some group hellos, and share a morning meeting,

The team will make any small adjustments to the kit and then take a stroll to the crag.

An integral part of climbing is familiarity with the area and its history. Our team shares some stories and educates as we approach.

Day 1: Learn to Lead Trad:

Conversations and Practicals around; Risk Management, Route Selection, Guidebook Comprehension, Gear Organization, Climbing Signals and Communication, Placing Gear and Building Anchors, Lead Strategy, Mock Leads, and Critiques.

The focus of this day is on building strong traditional climbing foundations that will set your climbing up for long-term success. Instruction will be limited to a single-pitch setting on this first day.

Day 2: Learn to Lead Trad (continued):

Practicals around;

+Mock Leads and Critiques (single pitch) Live Leads and falling practice.

Instruction and Practicals around;

+The Multi-Pitch System: Multi-Pitch Belay Station Management, Special / Funky Lead Scenarios.

With a solid foundation in hand, the focus of this day will be to add to the complexities of multi-pitch climbing. The goal will be to set up a working understanding of the systems, from belaying on a high anchor to expanding possibilities of not-so-textbook situations.

Topics covered are:

+how to mitigate risk off the anchor in hard climbing terrain,

+how to get better visuals on our partners at the anchor,

+what if we can’t climb through a section of difficult terrain.

+Belaying from the top

+Multi-Pitch Transitions including descents.

Day 3: Rock Rescue:

Instruction and Practicals around;

+The concept of baseline

+Ascending and descending a rope

+Build raising and lowering systems

+Belay device manipulation

+Rappel rescue, including counter-balance and tandem rappelling techniques and multi-pitch descent transitions in those systems.

These are the rescue skills climbers need to know in order to self-rescue on bigger walls. Having a solid understanding of these skills gives you and the team confidence that not only can you climb safely, but when things don’t go quite right, your party can manage what was dealt to the team in an efficient and secure way.

Day 4: Short Rope & Pitching and Small Multi-Pitch Climbing Objectives:

Discover the art of the shortened rope and how to apply techniques to protect the team in tricky, exposed terrain often found on approaches and descents in larger terrain. Half Day

Depending on the progression of students leading abilities, this day will either focus on live leading objectives, where routes will be chosen by our guides that fit in a framework of the students’ climbing abilities.

Or, continued mock leading practice in the multi-pitch environment on smaller climbing objectives.

Common Routes Include:

West Crack 5.3

The East Slab of Whale’s Tail

The East Slabs of Redgarden

Breezy

The Bomb

Day 5: Multi-Pitch Climbing Objectives:

Take all of your new skills for a spin on a longer multi-pitch rock route! Students will be given a climbing objective the day before and expected to come up with a plan to get to the route, climb, and then descend securely with their guide in tow!

It will be your turn to explore, swap leads with a partner, and go for an objective with many unknowns to overcome. We purposefully omit the typical routes people climb on this day to keep the mystery going!

Routes selected in the 3-6 pitches range.

Day 6: Intro to "Aid Climbing"

Confidence is gained when you can get yourself out of any scenario. Aid climbing skills are valuable to the trad leader, and you'll figure out why!

Day 7: Multi-Pitch Climbing Objectives:

Time to get uncomfortable! Students will be given a climbing objective the day before and expected to come up with a plan to get to the route, climb, and then descend securely with their guide in tow!

It will be your turn to explore, swap leads with a partner, and go for an objective with many unknowns to overcome. We purposefully omit the typical routes people climb on this day to keep the mystery going!

Routes selected in the 3-6 pitches range and will be considered hard "test pieces" for you as the leader.

Day 8: Review and Evaluations

This day can be anything you and your guide feel is appropriate, from reviewing skills, to going big. We will leave room for a program debrief and make sure you're set-up for success.

End Of Day DebriefS:

Each day, at the cars, we focus our attention on the day; sharing the Rose, the Bud, and the Thorn to ruminate more deeply on the experience. You will receive feedback in person on your day and then will receive some written feedback in the evening for your next objective.

It is often customary ( but not mandatory) to have a meal back in the town to celebrate the great days spent in the mountains!