Intro to Rock Climbing

Learn the thrill of rock climbing with an emphasis on safety and skills that will allow you to enjoy the sport with confidence. The prominent climbing areas of North Bend are located a mere 30 miles from Seattle. 

$380.00
Difficulty rating and Skill requirements

Difficulty Rating System Explained

Good physical fitness

  • Category: Rock
  • Type: Instructional
  • Ratio: 4:1,8:2

* Required Fields

Rappelling thought the right way
Learn how to rock climb - with certified guides - a mere 30 miles from Seattle! The climbing areas of Little Si and Exit 38 provide the perfect training ground to take you from a novice climber to lead climbing. Rock Climbing is thrilling for everybody even while just learning. Rock climbing is a safe sport, if you learn it from the right source. We believe that our certified guides are the source that will teach you the right way, the first time. They will teach you the technical aspects of the sport, so that you enter the climbing community knowledgable and prepared. This technical knowledge will also teach you about yourself. Everything you learn here will be applicable in your future mountain travels. We will cover basic movement on rock, top rope set-ups, anchor systems, sport climbing techniques and an introduction to lead climbing. If the weather allows we'll be climbing in our North Bend backyard. If not, we'll travel over the mountains to Vantage and get some sun!
We will meet each morning at Pro Ski and Mountain Service and Pro Guiding Service headquarters in North Bend, WA. We will then venture out to Little Si or exit 38 where there are some great introductory routes. We will start around 8:00am and finish up around 4:00pm each day. 
Course Curriculum:
1.  Introduction to Gear
• Gear selection
• Care of gear
• Correctly fitting rock shoes
• Correctly fitting climbing harness
• Explanation of rope types used in climbing
• Fall factors explained
2.  Route Selection
• Explanation of the Y.D.S. (climbing grades)
• How to use guide books
3.  Knots
• How to tie in
• Munter hitch
• Other basic knots related to sport climbing
4.  Belaying
• Correct stance and position of the belayer
• Belaying devices
• Techniques for belaying a leader
• Static vs. dynamic belay
• Use of the Munter hitch for belay
• When to tie belayer into end of rope 
5.  Rope Management
• How to coil the rope
• Stacking the rope
• Use of rope bag or tarp
6.  Anchors
• How to determine a safe anchor
• How to equalize anchors
• Anchor extension
7.  Setting up Top Rope Anchors
• When to use existing gear
• Safe approach of top rope anchors
• When to set up your own top rope anchor
8.  Movement Skills
• Body, hand, and foot placement
• Learning to climb with your feet
• Static vs. dynamic movement
• Sequencing
• More advanced techniques for face climbing
9. Rappelling
• Practice of single rope rappels
• Use of  rappel devices
• Use of backup on rappel
• Rappelling on the Munter hitch
10.  Leading
• How to place the quick draw correctly on the bolt hanger
• Clipping the rope correctly to the quick draw
• Setting up a mock lead
• Leading sport climbs
 
 
 
Sign up for a course or a trip and receive a 10% discount on purchases and a 20% discount on gear rental. Go to Pro Ski and Mountain Service
Pro Ski and Mountain Service is our retail specialty store. It has been located in North Bend, WA since 1999.
The past trips and courses have had a large influence on what we sell. Many of our Pro Guiding customers come on trips and courses with gear they purchased from our store. Not only do we want our clients to have the right gear for the job; we also receive direct feedback from them while they are using it in the field. Trust us - if the gear does not work - we won't sell it.
 
 
CLOTHING 
o T Shirt - midweight or lightweight
o Windshirt, Soft Shell, Fleece, Jacket - only one of these is necessary
o Comfortable Pants to Climb In - soft shell or nylon pants
o Shorts - if weather permits; longer shorts are better
o Warm Hat
o Sun Hat - baseball type or visor
PERSONAL GEAR
o Pack - 25 to 30 liter
o Hiking Shoes - approach or running shoes work well 
o Rock Shoes - comfortable for all day climbing
o Chalk Bag
o Chalk
o Water Bottles - 1 or 2 liters
o Sun Glasses
o Sack Lunch
o Snacks for the day
o Sunscreen - SPF 25+, waterproof
o Lip Balm - SPF 15+
TECHNICAL GEAR
o Climbing Helmet - UIAA approved only
o Climbing Harness
o Locking Biners (2) - (1) large HMS Style and (1) Regular Locker
o Belay Device
OPTIONAL ITEMS *We highly recommend these items, but do not require them to participate
o Belay Jacket - down or synthetic  
o Rain Jacket – weather dependant  
o Daisy Chain - nylon or spectra
o Camera  - we’re always looking for some shots for the PGS website!
o Note Pad and Pencil - Rite-in-the-Rain brand waterproof notebook works well
GROUP GEAR PROVIDED BY PGS
o Technical Group Gear (ropes, slings, quick draws)
o Group 1st Aid Kit
 
 
 
 

I've never climbed before, would this be a good place to start? This is a great place to start! We will teach you the basics from knots to belaying and get a fair number of climbs under your belt during the 3-day course.


Should I tip my guide? And how much should I tip them? Although tipping is not a requirement it is considered standard practice in the guiding industry and is appreciated by our guides. We generally recommend roughly 10%-15% of your course or trip cost or flat price tip that you are comfortable with.