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Introduction to Trad Climbing

  • Start date: 09/19/2025

  • Start time: 6:00 PM

  • End date: 09/21/2025

  • End time: 5:00 PM

Description:

This 2 day clinic will introduce the concepts and skills of trad (traditional) climbing to the participants. We will cover the concepts of how protection works (active and passive), placement and cleaning of protection, natural features (threads, trees, etc), trad anchor building, and will include mock leading sessions. We will also cover inspection and maintenance of trad gear.

We will have a session at the Obsidians Lodge on Friday evening (6-8p), followed by a full day at the Columns on Sunday (8a start) where we will get hands on with gear and demos, including mock leading.

The goals of this clinic are to equip participants for single pitch trad leading and following, and establish the foundational concepts for trad that can be later built upon through experience and mentoring. Anyone can learn these skills and access the world of trad climbing!

Photo by: Eddie Pszczolkowski

  • Event Leader: Eddie Pszczolkowski

  • Event Leader Phone: 8475310883

  • Event Leader Email: eddiepszczolkowski@gmail.com

  • Assistant Leader: Hannah Waight

  • Event category: Climbs

  • Area Type:

  • Departure Location:

  • Rating:

  • Roundtrip total drive miles:

  • Season:

  • Permits Required:

  • Event Status: Present

  • Supplies and Equipment Required: Helmet (required), Harness (required), Belay device, Rock shoes, 120cm sling / cordelette (optional). Any trad gear you have (optional). Sunscreen, water, food for the Columns crag day

  • participant prerequisites: Comfortable lead climbing bolted/sport routes up to 5.7,
    Proficient Lead belaying,
    Knowledge of standard climbing knots and hitches

  • Conditions:

  • Total Distance:

  • Member Fees: 50

  • Elevation Gain:

  • Non-Member Fees: 100

  • Committee: Climbs

  • Junior member fees: —

Trip Report

We had an engaged evening at the lodge, with the lecture running a bit long followed by a demo of anchors on the anchor board. We shifted the crag day one day earlier (to the next morning Saturday) due to forecasted rain on Sunday and all folks were able to accommodate that last minute shift. At the columns we had a round of participants placing gear of various types at ground level, and we talked through each placement together as a group on the good points and improvement points of each. We had good questions and discussed cleaning gear, and even battled with a stuck hex.<br />
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We then got onto the main buttress with three top ropes for mock leading after a harness inspection. Participants climbed either the right most or left most crack system and an instructor was on top rope belay in between them giving feedback as they went up and came down. The other instructor on the ground kept an eye on participants belaying to ensure safety. We padded the lip at the top of the instructor line which was a good thing as by the end of the day of swinging side to side the mover\'s blanket had been worn down where the rope bent over the sharp edge. Much better that than the rope! After a few rounds of mock leads and feedback, with periodic discussions on questions asked we got to the ground to demo some gear anchors. We then debriefed as a group, talking through how things went, what folks could do as next steps to further their knowledge and experience, as well as how to safely get out for leading their own lines. We wrapped up after about 8 hours there, with positive reports from participants.<br />
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Things I would change for next time would be to have 30 extra minutes for the lecture portion as things got a bit rushed. The crag day was good, but it got hot in the sun by the early afternoon so perhaps running the course in cooler months or starting a touch earlier could be good.

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