Chris Johnson Mountain Guiding
About
If you've been curious about taking your climbing outside, this course is for you! You'll be introduced to the fundamentals of outdoor climbing, including lead climbing, lead belaying, anchor building and cleaning, and clipping.
You'll have a full day to cover these topics, have time for hands-on practice, and then put your skills to work under supervision so you feel confident in your abilities when you venture out on your own.
About
The Outdoor Fundamentals Development Series is designed to take people with gym climbing experience and teach them the fundamentals of single-pitch outdoor climbing so they feel confident climbing outside on their own. This program focuses on safety, competence, and technical skills, as well as climbing movement coaching, building community, and fostering new climbing partnerships.
This multi-week structure allows for plenty of time for deep-dive discussions, a focus on climbing outdoors on real rock, and introducing you to great beginner climbing areas in the Front Range like Clear Creek Canyon, Boulder Canyon, and North Table Mountain.
If you're looking to learn how to climb single-pitch climbs outside, develop better climbing movement, and learn in a fun group environment, come learn with us!
Pricing
* Prices reflect the number of people booking together.
Sample Itinerary
Day 1 — Rock Climbing Fundamentals
Differences and hazards of climbing outdoors, sport climbing gear deep dive, top-rope belaying and climbing, knots, outdoor etiquette, how to plan a day out.
Day 2 — Top-Rope Fundamentals
Building top-rope anchors, setting up and cleaning anchors accessed from above, skills practice, and time for climbing.
Day 3 — Lead Climbing, Part 1
Basics of lead climbing, lead belaying, clipping practice, building and cleaning anchors on lead. Ground and wall practice.
Day 4 — Lead Climbing, Part 2 & Rappelling
Review of lead concepts, mock leading, fall practice, rappelling basics, third-hand backups, and supervised practice.
Day 5 — Putting It All Together
Practicing all learned skills in a real-world scenario, revisiting any areas with questions.
Gear List
We can provide all the climbing gear you'll need, but we highly encourage you to plan to purchase some of your own. If you have your own gear, here's what we recommend bringing:
Climbing Gear
Personal Gear
About
The Advanced Climbing Development Series is designed to teach intermediate to advanced climbers more advanced skills to help them feel confident tackling more technically difficult objectives. This program focuses on safety, competence, and technical skills, as well as examining complex problems and how to use your set of skills to solve them.
Over the program, the group will cover trad climbing gear placements and anchors, multipitch climbing techniques, multiple rappel situations, rock rescue basics, as well as tips on bailing and efficiency.
Previous lead climbing experience is required. Students should feel comfortable climbing 5.9 sport climbs on lead. If you're looking to start climbing bigger objectives and want to feel prepared when things don't go as planned, come learn with us!
Sample Itinerary
Day 1 — Multipitch Fundamentals
Belaying from above, communication, high-risk positions, multipitch transitions, and descending.
Day 2 — Trad Climbing, Part 1
Trad gear, gear organization, placing passive and active protection, building gear anchors, mock leading.
Day 3 — Trad Climbing, Part 2
Multipitch trad, additional anchor styles, anchor placement considerations, descent options.
Day 4 — Rock Rescue, Part 1
Escaping the belay, belay takeover, ascending a rope, climber pickoff, lowering, passing a knot on rappel.
Day 5 — Rock Rescue, Part 2 & Efficiency
Complex rescue scenarios, multipitch planning, efficiency techniques, and how to bail safely.
Gear List
We can provide all the climbing gear you'll need, but we highly encourage you to plan to purchase some of your own. If you have your own gear, here's what we recommend bringing:
Climbing Gear
Personal Gear
About
Venture off the beaten path with trad climbing! This full-day course will introduce the fundamentals of traditional climbing, including gear familiarization, placement considerations, anchor building, and feedback on placements.
Students will have time to ask questions, practice skills under supervision, and leave with the building blocks to open up a whole new world of climbing!
About
Let's get high! This full-day course will introduce the fundamental skills and technical systems used in multi-pitch sport climbing. This workshop will cover anchor building, belaying from above with a variety of devices, transitions, descents, and bailing.
If you've been curious about what's up there, come learn with us!
About
Do you know what to do if your partner gets hurt while climbing? Could you get them down to the ground safely? Be the partner you'd want to climb with!
In these workshops, we'll cover single-pitch rescue skills and scenarios or multipitch rescue skills and scenarios. You'll learn key knots, technical systems, and how to use materials you already have to get out of some sticky situations.
The single-pitch workshop is a half day. The multipitch workshop is a full day that includes single-pitch skills as a foundation before moving into multipitch scenarios.
Pricing