Skill Builder - Rock Anchors

Our skill builder classes designed to teach, in one evening (or day) of lecture and one day of field practice, some of the essential skills needed to take your climbing to the next level.  (If you’d like to assist in teaching any of these classes, call us at the Mazama Mountaineering Center and we’ll set you up.)

Rock Anchors

Rock Anchors is a single evening lecture, followed by a one day field session.  This class will cover evaluating anchors, building top rope anchors, sport anchors (bolts), rappel anchors, assorted crafty climbing tricks and tips, and have lots of hands-on practice building gear anchors with cams, stoppers, and all that other fun shiny metal stuff!  We will strive to have a 4/1 student/teacher ratio or better, to provide the individual attention required for a detailed class like this.

(Note:  This class is limited to anchor building, and does NOT teach the skills necessary to lead rock climbs. Check out the Mazamas Advanced Rock program for more comprehensive rock climbing instruction.)

Lecture: Thursday June 24, 2010 7:00 - 9:00 pm, Mazama Mountaineering Center (527 SE 43rd Avenue)
Field session: Sunday June 27, 2010, Rocky Butte, 9:00 am to about 4:00 pm
Cancellation/refunds: Cancellation fee is 50% of application fee if canceled 7 days or more prior to the lecture. No refund if canceled within 7 days of lecture.
Cost:  $50 members, $75 non-members
To register: Fill out the Rock Anchors Skill Builder Application Form to reserve your spot.

Lecture details
The lecture will start promptly at 7:00 pm.  We’ll cover anchor principles, crafty rope tricks, evaluating anchors that are already in place, and have a lot of demos with the “woody” anchor practice board.

Field session details
The field session will take place at the top of Rocky Butte in NE Portland. Here is a map to Rocky Butte if you have not been there.  Ropes will be provided.  Please have your personal gear clearly marked so you get it all back.  Please bring the following gear to the field session:

• harness
• lunch
• water
• belay biner
• belay device
• comfy shoes (rock shoes are not needed)
• climbing helmet
• layered clothing appropriate for the day
• all the prussiks / slings / cordelettes you have
• all the biners and rock protection (stoppers, hexes, cams, etc.) you have.  Note that you do NOT need to have a lot of rock protection for this class, as most will be provided by the instructors.

Highly recommended reading, (hint hint)
Get either the Leubben or the Long book, not both.  These books are often for sale at the Mazamas office, call for availability.
Rock Climbing Anchors - A Comprehensive Guide by Craig Leubben, 2007 (recommended text)
Climbing Anchors by John Long and Bob Gaines, be sure you get the second edition, published in 2006
Freedom of the Hills, Belaying chapter

About the Instructor
The Rock Anchor class will be taught by John Godino.  John, a graduate of and instructor with the Mazamas Advanced Rock program and a Mazamas climb leader, can be found on sport routes, alpine rock and big walls.  John will be assisted by other grads of the Mazamas Adv. Rock class.

Feel free to contact the Mazamas if you have any more questions about this class.