Intro to Trad Climbing & Multipitch Course
Learn To Lead Multipitch Trad Routes With Confidence
Trad climbing and multipitch rock climbing requires a different skill set than simply climbing challenging sport routes. This two-day course teaches the technical systems, gear placements, anchor construction, and climbing techniques needed to transition from single-pitch climbing into longer, traditionally protected routes.
Based in Grand Junction, our Intro To Trad & Multipitch Rock Climbing Course combines hands-on instruction with real-world multipitch climbing. You'll learn how to place and evaluate traditional protection, build efficient anchors, manage multipitch transitions, belay a follower, and lead pitches while receiving personalized coaching from an AMGA certified guide.
Intermediate rock climbing course with hands-on learning and climbing application. Routes range in difficulty from 5.7 to 5.11, depending on climbers’ abilities.
Previous outdoor rock climbing experience is required. Climbers do not need previous trad climbing or lead climbing experience, the course is specifically designed to teach those skills.
If you're newer to outdoor climbing, our Gym to Crag course is a better starting point. If you're already comfortable climbing outdoors but want to improve crack technique before learning trad systems, consider our Crack Climbing Course.
2 full days (8 hours each) of learning and rock climbing. See open enrollment dates below or choose custom dates
The course takes place in Grand Junction, Colorado with an option for a custom course in Boulder, Colorado.
What You'll Learn in the Trad Climbing & Multipitch Course
Over two full days of instruction, you'll learn the climbing systems and techniques needed to climb longer routes efficiently and independently. Instruction is hands-on, with your guide adapting the course to your experience and goals.
Trad protection: Learn how to select, place, assess, and remove traditional climbing protection. We'll discuss placement quality, gear selection, and protection strategy.
Trad anchors: Learn how to build efficient and strong anchors using traditional protection and appropriate anchor materials. We'll discuss anchor organization, equalization, direction of pull, and how anchor choices affect the rest of a multipitch transition.
Multipitch belay systems: Learn how to efficiently belay a follower from above, transition between pitches, organize the belay station, and communicate with your partner.
Leading trad routes: Develop the skills required to lead a traditionally protected pitch, including placing protection while climbing, managing rope and gear, building anchors, and making sound decisions about protection.
Multipitch efficiency: Learn how to move through a multipitch route efficiently by minimizing transitions, organizing equipment, managing ropes, and communicating clearly with your partner.
Rappelling & descending: Learn systems for technical descents from multipitch routes, including rappelling, rope management, and basic descent considerations.
Basic rescue systems: We'll introduce basic climbing partner rescue concepts and discuss how to respond to common problems that can arise on multipitch routes.
Plan Your Rock Climbing Course
2-Day Trad Climbing & Multipitch Course Itinerary
Day 1: Trad Protection, Anchors & Multipitch Systems
Your guide will begin by discussing your experience, goals, and the skills you want to develop. The first day takes place on the granite walls in Unaweep Canyon, where we can focus on instruction in an accessible climbing environment.
After warming up on moderate routes, we'll introduce traditional protection, gear placements, anchor construction, and multipitch systems. You'll practice placing and evaluating gear, building anchors, managing ropes, and transitioning between pitches while receiving direct feedback from your guide.
Day 2: Apply Your Skills on a Multipitch Route
Day two moves from individual skills into practical application. After reviewing the systems from day one, you'll climb a multipitch route and practice the skills required to manage a longer climb with your partner.
Depending on your experience and goals, you may practice leading pitches, building anchors, belaying a follower, managing multipitch transitions, and navigating a technical descent.
The exact route and itinerary will be adjusted around weather, conditions, and your experience.
From Sport Climbing to Trad & Multipitch Climbing
Climbing a multipitch route requires much more than being able to climb the individual pitches. You need to manage protection, anchors, ropes, belay systems, transitions, route finding, communication, and descent systems while continuing to make good decisions throughout the climb.
Our goal isn't simply to teach you a collection of techniques. We want you to understand why the systems work and how to apply them efficiently in different situations. With focused instruction and repeated practice, you'll begin developing the judgment and systems knowledge needed to climb longer routes with greater independence.
Where Can Trad Climbing Take You?
Learning to place gear and manage multipitch systems opens the door to some of the most rewarding climbing in the West. After developing these skills, climbers can progress toward classic multipitch routes in Moab, the Black Canyon, Eldorado Canyon, Yosemite, and eventually larger alpine objectives.
The goal of this course is not simply to complete two days of instruction. It's to give you the foundation to continue developing as a trad and multipitch climber.