As climbers, building anchors is one of the most complicated rigging skills we need to know. In our Anchor Building for Rock Climbing Course, you will learn how to place gear, objectively analyze gear placements, equalize anchor points using cordelettes, slings and static ropes, where to locate your master point, and how to safely set up an anchor for your climbing friends without jeopardizing your own safety. Once the material is covered, we will build top rope anchors together and climb on them!
Climbers who are aspiring to independently learn how to climb trad are encouraged to start with this class. This class is a recommended pre-requisite to our Intro to Trad Lead class.
What are the rates for Instructional Anchor Building Rock Climbing Courses?
In efforts to make our instructional courses more accessible and affordable for aspiring outdoor climbers, we have special discounted instructional rates. Climbers are encouraged to bring their own gear to practice with, however, Stone Adventures will provide any needed rock climbing equipment at no extra cost. All courses are 6 hours long, taught by a full time professional rock climbing guide and the curriculum is up-to-date with the standards of the Professional Climbing Guide Institute (PCGI) and American Mountain Guide Association (AMGA). Last but not least, the courses are held outside in beautiful Joshua Tree National Park!
| Instruction Rates | Price per Climber |
|---|---|
| 1 Climber | $365 |
| 2 Climbers | $225 |
| 3+ Climbers | $190 |
What to Expect during a Stone Adventures Anchor Building Rock Climbing Course?
On the day of your trip you will go to the meeting location inside the National Park at the confirmed date and time. This Google Maps link will be in the confirmation email sent at the time of reservation as well as a description of your guide’s car and a short self-introduction video of your guide. After meeting, you will caravan a short distance to the climbing area. You will then be outfitted with rock climbing shoes, harnesses and helmets. Waivers are required to be signed by all of our participants. Children under 18 need to have their waivers signed by a legal guardian. From there, everyone will take their packed bags and start walking to the climbing area. To save time, please come to Joshua Tree National Park with a small backpack prepared with water, snacks, jackets, sunblock and whatever else you need to be comfortable on your trip.
Once at the climbing area, your guide will begin to set up the ropes and anchors and the climbing will begin shortly after! The first route will be a moderate warm up climb. This is an opportunity to become familiar with your guide, trust the gear and learn how to read the rock. Thereafter, your guide will continue to choose routes that best suit your abilities and ambitions. We do not push people past their fear points. Let us help you transition into outdoor climbing today!
What will you learn in our Anchor Building course?
The purpose of the Anchor Building Course is to help climbers break into the world of trad by way of first setting up anchors. At the end of this course, students will have studied and practiced how to build and evaluate rock climbing anchors. With this knowledge, students can return to Joshua Tree, scramble up formations, build their own anchors and safely climb on their own gear. Students are encouraged to bring all their climbing gear to practice with during the course. However, if students do not own any of their own trad equipment yet, everything needed to run the course (rack, ropes, biners, cordelette, static rope, etc.) will be provided for them during the course. The Anchor Building Course is the most content heavy of all the courses. For this reason, we recommend previewing some of the content on our online climbing school. Coming to the course already familiar with the terminology, knowing how to tie most of the knots, and understanding of the ERNEST anchor will all help climbers make the most of their hands on learning experience once they are with their instructor. Once comfortable with building trad anchors, we encourage the students to move onto the Intro to Trad 1 & 2 Courses. Below is the what to expect in our Anchor Building Course. Classes are small and private, so curriculum will be adjusted to best suit the needs of the students.
Curriculum Outline
1. Self-Introductions (Instructor and all participants)
2. Discussion on gear (cams, nuts, extenders, locking and non-locking carabiners, ropes, cordelette) and how to store and care for it
3. Practice tying together cordelettes: Flemish eight, double fisherman’s, overhand, warn against flat figure eight and other knots that can capsize
4. Anchors should be ERNESA: Equalized, Redundant, No Extension, Strong, Angle (ideally 60 degrees or less back from the master point)
5. Gear placement (4 point system): rock quality, crack shape, % cammed, all 4 lobes in good contact with the rock (demonstrate,discuss)
6. Students practice placing gear and evaluate each other’s gear on a 4 point system (review, discuss)
7. Cordelettes (2 & 3 piece equalized systems), build, review and discuss ERNESA, pre-equalized systems, self-equalizing systems,quads, triple quads, etc.
8. Demonstrate how to extend master point with a static rope (still in ground school)
9. Practice the super eight knot
10. Students build a top rope anchor on the ground
11. Students build a real top rope anchor on top of a route
12. Students climb & belay on their own TR anchor
13. Focused Q & A time and/or Students build another anchor
