Single Pitch Trad

In sport climbing areas, the rock has been prepared with fixed metal bolts and rings that are drilled and glued in place permanently. In trad climbing areas there are no such placements. Instead, the rock has natural features such as cracks, holes, gaps and protrusions. These serve as hand and foot holds, and also as places to put temporary protection like cams, nuts, hexes and slings. This is the essence of trad climbing: placing temporary hardware on your way up the rock, and clipping the rope to it to stay attached and safe.

Trad climbing can seem daunting at first, and learning to place gear well is a skill that takes practice. The rope skills needed to manage a session are also more involved than in sport climbing. With the right mentor and a structured course, both become very manageable, and you’ll discover a side of climbing you may not have known existed.

AT A GLANCE

• Skills Requirement: Learn to Lead, or a lead pass from a climbing gym
• Duration: Two days, 9am to 4pm (12 hours of teaching)
• Guide ratio: 1:4
• Locations: Dyurrite/Mt Arapiles or Geboor/Camel’s Hump, Mt Macedon

WHO IT'S FOR

This course suits climbers who have completed Learn to Lead (or have an equivalent lead pass from a climbing gym) and want to start climbing trad outdoors. Many arrive with only indoor experience, and that’s completely normal. There is no minimum climbing grade, because this course is about skills rather than strength. We match the area and the routes to the group, so you’ll climb at a level that suits you.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• Adjusting your belay habits for trad climbing
• Preparing your gear on the ground for safe, efficient climbing
• Choosing the best type of gear for a particular rock feature
• Building multi-point EARNEST anchors with trad gear and your rope
• Finishing the day without leaving any equipment behind
• Spotting the most common trad mistakes, and how to avoid them

HOW IT RUNS

We start by practising gear placements and anchor building until they’re quick and reliable, then take that onto real trad routes, where you’ll place your own gear and build your own anchors with us alongside. We choose the area and the routes to suit the group, and we use the second day to refine what you learned on the first.

WHAT TO BRING

We provide all climbing safety equipment, including helmets, harness and shoes. You bring your own harness/shoes/helmet if you have them, comfortable clothing and footwear for light hiking, and your own lunch and water. If you already own gear such as a belay device, locking carabiner, rope, quickdraws or slings, let us know beforehand and we’ll teach you on your own kit, which is the best way to learn.

SKILLS PROGRESSION

Before this course: Learn to Lead
What’s next: Multi Pitch Trad

FAQs

• Do I need to do Indoor to Outdoor: Sport Climbing first?
  No. Sport and Trad are two separate paths from Learn to Lead, so you can choose either, or do both.
• Will I be leading on this course?
  Yes. Lead climbing is part of the course, and it builds directly on the skills from Learn to Lead.
• Do I need to climb a certain grade?
  No.
• Do I need to own any trad gear?
  No. We provide all of it.
  

Multi Pitch Trad

Taking your single-pitch trad skills onto longer, multi-pitch routes is a natural next step, and once you’ve covered the techniques you’ll find it far more manageable than it first looks. It brings a new scale to the climbing you already know and love, with more to plan, more to communicate and more to manage as a team.

This course also suits climbers who have trad experience but feel a little rusty. If you’d like plenty of multi-pitch climbing under supervision to sharpen your skills, this is a good place to get it.

AT A GLANCE

• Skills Requirement: Single Pitch Trad, or equivalent single pitch trad experience
• Duration: Two days, 9am to 4pm (12 hours of teaching)
• Guide ratio: 1:4
• Location: Dyurrite / Mt Arapiles

WHO IT'S FOR

This course suits trad climbers who are comfortable leading single-pitch routes and want to climb longer ones, as well as experienced climbers who want a supervised refresher. Many climbers feel a bit rusty after time away from trad, and that’s completely normal. We match the area and the grade of the routes to the group. If you’re unsure whether your experience counts as equivalent, email us and we’ll talk it through.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• Planning your day before you start, and preparing for any eventuality
• Clear, concise communication on multi-pitch routes
• Additional anchor systems and belay techniques
• Smooth transitions from top-belay to lead-belay on the wall
• Staying vigilant after you reach the top
• Preparing your equipment for a walking descent, or using two ropes for very long abseils

HOW IT RUNS

Each day starts with planning: we look at the routes, the conditions and the gear before anyone leaves the ground. From there we climb multi-pitch routes on real trad terrain. We choose the area and the grade of the routes to suit the group. Along the way we work on communication, anchors, belay changeovers and staying switched on at the top. We finish each route by preparing for a walking descent, or setting up a long abseil on two ropes.

WHAT TO BRING

We provide all climbing safety equipment, including helmets, harness, shoes and all necessary trad gear.

You are welcome to bring any and all gear you already have, and we'll teach you on your own kit (and fill in any gaps with ours), which is the best way to learn. Don't forget the usual comfortable clothing and footwear for light hiking, and your own lunch and water.

SKILLS PROGRESSION

Before this course: Single Pitch Trad
What’s next: Essential Self Rescue

FAQs

• I’ve done Learn to Lead but not Single Pitch Trad. Can I start here?
  No. Single Pitch Trad comes first. We also run a special Single + Multi Pitch 4-day course from time to time that covers both, so keep an eye on upcoming dates.
• I’ve trad climbed before but I’m rusty. Is this for me?
  Yes, as long as you’ve led single-pitch trad before.
• Do I need to own any gear?
  No, we provide all safety and trad gear.