Advanced Rock/Beginning Trad

AR Beginning Trad Application Now Available! AR Application

Course Goals and changes for 2012

The mission for Mazamas Advanced Rock Course is:

“We Teach Trad.”

Our Promise:
To provide high quality instruction in the development of technical and judgment skills that will enable graduates to be fully capable using traditional technique on single, multipitch, and alpine rock climbs.

Advanced Rock Focus Areas:

• Fundamental Skills:
o   Placing protection, building anchors, belaying and rappelling.
• Leading Single Pitch Trad:
o   Movement skills including crack climbing, lead protection and rope management
• Multipitch and Alpine Climbing:
o   Introduction to Self Rescue, Aid Climbing, Alpine gear, Route finding. 

You Also Get:

• A series of 10+ lectures given by knowledgeable speakers with hands on demos or exercises where appropriate
• 7+ weekend field sessions coordinated by skilled, experienced climbers
• Opportunities to meet new and experienced rock climbers
• An invitation to 2-4 rock climbing outings during the summer (no climb card required)
• A chance to learn about local climbing areas
• Involvement in a supportive group that will nurture learning new skills and challenging yourself through climbing
• FUN!! and lots of it

Leadership Team:

Terry Campbell, Jeff Hawkins, Ryan McGibbon, Ray Belt, Spencer Leek, Tom Kline, and Jess Beauchemin

Application Requirements:

• Submit a completed application form between Dec 15, 2011 and January 31, 2012. We are requesting that you please act soon and submit your application by January 15 if at all possible.
• Applications will be evaluated based on climbing levels, organizational involvement, experience level, and team fit. Applicants that pass the initial evaluation will be invited to demonstrate basic competencies which will be used in determining final acceptance.
• Mazama membership and involvement is not required.  But, will be weighed in the selection process.
• Proficient in the basic skills of belaying, rappelling, knot tying, clipping pro, and rock climbing technique.
• Must have taken ICS sport class, beginner lead class at local climb gyms, have a lead card, or be willing to take prior to first class.
• ALL applicants must pass a Basic climbing competency test prior to final consideration for acceptance in the class.

Bring:  harness, belay biner, belay device, 4 extra biners, 1 locking biner, 2 slings/runners, personal pro with locking biner, a smile, patience.  Skills tested may include:

o   Climbing: Climb without a take or fall a minimum 5.7 route. 

o   Belaying: anchoring, climbing commands, belaying from above/top belay, and belaying with either hand

o   Rappelling: convert a top rope anchor into a rappel

o   Tying Knots: figure-8, water knot, clove hitch, bowline, double fisherman’s knot, girth hitch, munter and prusik knot.

• Applicants must be 18 years old or older by the date of the first field session.
• Must have or obtain prior to class basic climbing gear: harness, rock shoes, helmet, and personal safety, multiple biners, prussiks, belay device.  Additional gear is encouraged after gaining experience and sharing with the coordinators.  Expect to spend a few hundred at a minimum.
• A competency demonstration at the Horsethief is required prior to continuing with field sessions that will involve lead belaying and climbing.

The class is very time intensive, with homework required outside of class time.  Although there are two weekends to help with BCEP, A/R students should be aware of the large time commitment (it is not the same schedule as in years past).  Students are highly discouraged from taking on the time commitment of a full BCEP assistant.

Registration

• Cost for the course is $325 Mazama members and $410 for non-members.
• Class size is limited to around 20.
• We will request payment after you are accepted. Payment must be made prior to the first night of class.
• NOTE: As is the case with all Mazamas classes, all lectures are free and open, whether or not you are enrolled in the class.  However, our focus will be on paying participants including in-class exercises, hand outs, etc.  All students of this class will be encouraged to give back by helping with: BCEP rock, Summer rock review, ICS rock sessions, assist a leader with a 5th class rock pitch on a climb, or be an A/R coordinator in 2013 and beyond.

If you have questions, contact leaders at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) For the class application, click on the link at the top of this page.

2012 Advanced Rock/Beginning Trad Schedule subject to change

Starting Times:
Lectures - Are held at the Mazama Mountaineering Center (MMC), beginning at 7:00 pm
Field Sessions - Saturday sessions begin at 9:00 am. Sunday sessions begin at 8:00 am

• Wed - December 15 Application available online
• Mon - January 31 Application deadline
• Thurs/Tues - February 2 or 7 Skills Test at MMC, Please note that not all applicants will be asked to take the skills test.
• Mon - February 13 Acceptance emails sent
• Tues - February 21; 6:30 PMM Coordinator Potluck (Hawkins House)
• Thurs - March 1 Kick off - Intro Open House (Lucky Lab - SE 9th & Hawthorne)*
• Sat - March 10 Lecture: Gear Placement Lecture (MMC) and Field Session (Broughton Bluff)*
• Tues - March 13 Lecture: Belay and Rappelling Trad Climbs(MMC)*
• Tues - March 20 Lecture: Anchors 101(MMC)*
• Sat - March 24 Field Session: Anchors (Broughton Bluff??)*
• Tues - March 27 Lecture: Lead Climbing 101(MMC)*
• Sat/Sun - March 31, April 1, 2012 Field Session: Gear, Anchors, Belay, Rappel and Competency Demo (Horsethief)*
• Tues - April 3 Lecture: Anchors 201 (MMC)*
• Tues - April 10 Lecture: Rock Rescue I (MMC)*
• Thurs - April 12 Lecture: Rock Rescue II (MMC)*
• Sat - April 14 Field Session: Rock Rescue (MMC)*
• Sun - April 15 Field Session: Rock Rescue - OPTIONAL (Salmon River Slabs)*
• Tues - April 17 Lecture: Rock Warrior’s Way by Arno Ilgner (MMC)
• Sat/Sun -April 21-22 Field Session: Smith Rock Weekend I - Lead Climbing Arno Ilgner (1/2 day sessions with Arno)*
• Tues - April 24 Lecture: Alpin Climbing & Crack Climbing (MMC)*
• Sat/Sun - April 28-29 Field Session: Smith Rock Weekend II - Lead Climbing*
• Tues - May 1 Lecture: Big Wall Movie night & Class evaluation Handout(MMC)*
• Sat/Sun -May 5-6 Field Session: Option - Vantage Weekend
• Tues - May 15 Lecture: Student Led Topics (MMC)*
• Sat/Sun - May 19-20 Field Session: Smith Rock Weekend III - Lead Climbing*
• Tues - May 22 Course Party/Rope Turn-in! All Welcome!(MMC)*
• June 20 - 24 City of Rocks, ID (to be confirmed)
• October 3 - 7Red Rocks, NV (to be confirmed)

*Attendance required.

Required Text . . .

• A. Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, 8th Edition, published by The Mountaineers Books. (The 8th Edition is available now at the MMC)
• B. Advanced Rock Climbing by John Long and Craig Luebben, Falcon Books, 1997 (available at the MMC)

A few recommended books . . .

• Traditional Lead Climbing by Heidi Pesterfield, Wilderness Press, 2007. This is a required text for the course (available at a discount to all Mazama students at the Mazama Mountaineering Center
• The Rock Warrior’s Way: Mental Training for Climbers by Arno Ilgner, Desiderata Institute, 2006
• Rock Climbing Anchors: A Comprehensive Guide by Craig Luebben, The Mountaineers Books, 2006
• Climbing Anchors, 2nd Edition by John Long and Bob Gaines, Falcon Books, 2006 HIGHLY Recommended
• Climbing Self-Rescue: Improvising Solutions for Serious Situations by Andy Tyson and Molly Loomis, The Mountaineers Books, 2006 HIGHLY Recommended

More questions . . .

If you have any other class related questions, please feel free to contact the main office.