Trad | Beyond the Basics
Trad | Beyond the Basics
- February 23
- Sugarloaf
- $249 per Person
- 4 Students per Instructor
Or call/text us at (916) 299-0711
Struggling to progress? Get "been there, done that" advice from a 5.13 trad climber.
Why do so many people sport climb 5.10 but trad climb 5.6? Well, progressing at trad climbing is tough! You could be getting stuck by; not trusting your gear, being afraid to fall, not having crack climbing skills, placing poor gear, having holes in your knowledge, lacking confidence in yourself, or many other things!
A tight ratio on this program will allow your AMGA Certified Guide or Instructor to see where you are at and whats holding you back! You’ll then get to work on those skills with expert guidance
Who is this course for?
- You’ve taken a trad course, have gone trad climbing on your own, and want to get continued instruction.
- You learned to trad climb from a mentor but are having trouble progressing.
- Whenever you climb trad you are terrified and feel like you are soloing.
- You climb 5.[bigger number] on sport but 5.[much smaller number] on gear.
- You’ve been climbing trad for a long time but never challenge yourself in your leads.
Itinerary
We’ll start off with a round table discussion about what we feel is holding us back in our climbing. We’ll do some ground school review of gear placements touching on more advanced considerations than what you may have gotten in the past. We’ll then get on ropes mock leading with a top rope back up and we will take incremental falls on our gear, building trust or discovering mistakes.
We will progress from there differently for each individual. Some folks will be ready to lead some challenging climbs, others will want to practice more mock leads, and others may work on getting comfortable with small falls.
At the end of the day, we’ll group up, share what we learned, and exchange contact info with some new partners!
Curriculum
- What might hold us back
- Changing “the leader shall not fall” mentality
- Intermediate gear placement considerations
- Overall pitch protection strategies
- When it is unsafe/safe to fall
- Incremental fall practice
- Personalized instruction for YOUR challenges
- Crack climbing movement skills
What's Included?
- Ropes
- 8 hours of small group instruction
Any of the following climbing gear if you request it in advance:
- Assisted Braking Belay Devices (GriGri)
- Harness
- Helmet
- Shoes
What to Bring
- Harness, Helmet, Climbing Shoes
- Trad rack, alpine + quick draws, locking carabiners, slings/anchor material, belay device, crack gloves.
- Personal food, water, clothing and backpack for a day outside
*if you don’t have this equipment, just let us know! We got you covered.
Prerequisites
- Personal trad leading experience (if you don’t check out our Intro to Trad course instead!)
- Solid lead and top rope belaying skills
- Capable of top roping 5.8 outside
- At least 1 year of climbing experience
*unsure of these prerequisites? Contact Us!
Possible Course Locations
Next Course Details
- February 23
- Sugarloaf
- $250 per Person
- 4 Students per Instructor
Or call/text us at (916) 299-0711
stoked
Climbers!
EXCELLENT Based on 22 reviews Elias Iristree24 October 2024Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Man oh man, five stars is too low a score! 6/5 I took the Crack Clinic near Moab, and hot damn was it worthwhile. Expectations and hopes were sky high and they were absolutely exceeded. I learned a crap ton, saw incredible sights, and met a super varied and interesting group of folks. Kevin's teaching, knowledge, and stoke were a joy and a privilege to be around. I really couldn't recommend them more!! Fantastic experience A++ The only caveat to be mentioned is that an addiction to crack is no way discouraged. Take that as you will. Adrienne Levoy11 October 2024Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I learned about Erik’s guiding services through the pipeworks gym community and hired him as a guide to take my mom and I on a mother-daughter multi pitch adventure at lovers leap for my mom‘s first multi pitch experience. It was a fantastic day of climbing, we had fun and felt very safe with Erik, as well as learning some new skills. In addition to providing safe belaying and videos and photos to commemorate our trip, Erik taught me some techniques for advancing my skills, gear placement techniques, and just generally provided a fun atmosphere for the day! My mom and I had a blast and I would recommend his services to anyone, beginner through advanced. He’s a very skilled guide and we felt safe in his hands. Brian Kaufman30 September 2024Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I recently completed the two-day Intro to Big Wall course with Vertical Pursuits, and I couldn’t be more impressed. Our instructor, Kevin, went above and beyond by scouting out locations prior to the class to ensure the best possible experience for everyone. The setting was beautiful, and the course was exceptionally well planned and executed. Kevin taught the skills in a clear, understandable way while always prioritizing safety, which made me feel confident throughout the entire experience. If you're looking to learn big wall climbing, I highly recommend Vertical Pursuit. Moses Sedler24 September 2024Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I've attended a one-day intro to multi pitch course bed by Kevin. It was a very informative and enriching day of skill building that Kevin expertly led. Just recently Kevin guided myself and my 14 year old son on a full day single pitch sport climbing experience in the Bowman lake area. Kevin's presence, and knowledge combined for a really fun and rewarding day. I highly recommend Vertical Pursuits courses, and private guided experiences. Nicki H20 September 2024Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I had climbed with both Erik and Kevin on several sessions. They are knowledgeable, experienced and have a lot of enthusiasm. Safety of the climbers is their top priority. Even though I consider myself as somewhat of an experienced climber, I always learn new skills and invaluable lessons. I highly recommend them to anyone regardless of their levels to learn and improve climbing skills. Kristina McNaught4 September 2024Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. The trad climbing course was exactly what I was looking for! Kevin kept it to the essential information, answered our slew of questions, and allowed for ample time to climb. Together we analyzed our gear placements, we practiced falling on them, we built anchors. Best of all, he tailored the class to our needs, so we could spend time on the skills we wanted to practice most. Highly recommend. Zhinan C30 August 2024Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I took the Intro to Sport Climbing course with Kevin and would highly recommend it! I found the clinic very helpful for navigating the gym to crag transition. Kevin is excellent both as an instructor and a climber. I received plenty of individual attention and had many opportunities to practice during the class. Kyle Humason12 July 2024Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Kevin is an excellent instructor and certainly a reliable guide. I was impressed by and thankful for his professionalism, candor, decision making, and tact during our three day course. I would tackle any vertical pursuit he offers! Qiaosi Chen3 July 2024Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I have been climbing outside with Erik and Kevin many times. From Mexico, Jusha Tree, to Tahoe. I learned lot of my outdoor climbing through these experiences, and I am able to go out to climb more and harder on my own. It has been very fun, always learning, changlleing, always great adventures climbing with them. Also making a lot of friends along the on way. Hope to see you next time!! 😄 Adam Woffinden24 June 2024Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Had a great seminar on multi-pitch climbing technique. Kevin did a great job walking through each step and sharing helpful hints once we got hand-on. Highly recommend to anyone wanting to up-level their skills