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Intro: Multi-sport rock climbing days allow groups of campers to experience authentic climbing at an outdoor location. A Climbing Specialist Instructor will guide you and your multi-sport group upon arrival to the crag, at which they will have already set up climbs and/or rappels for your group. With a team of 1 Climb Specialist instructor + 2 Multi-sport instructors, this day of activities allows for small group work with your team.
Special Considerations and Policies: Climb Specialist instructors will be responsible for setting climbs, making executive safety decisions, and supervising all multi-sport assistant climbing instructors. Instructors must pass the climbing checklist and belay test (typically during training week) before belaying campers while climbing.
Parents often perceive rock climbing to be Avid’s riskiest core sport. According to our annually tabulated safety metrics, rock climbing is actually one of our activities with the least number of incidents. Speaking with confidence and clarity prior to climbing day AND sharing specific camper achievements after the activity can help inform parents’ of the realities of the sport.
Policies:
Top-rope activities will have emergency rescue gear available that is not used in the systems such as a rappel/belay device, extra locking carabiners, and material that can be used for a prusik type of knot.
Staff check all tie-ins and belay devices.
Minimum two climbing instructors always present; one climbing instructor for each six climbers or two climbing instructors for thirteen children
Select a safe zone away from rock fall.
“Challenge By Choice!” no children will ever be forced to climb. Campers can be encouraged to participate in ways that do not force them to climb, like taking photos and assuming other no-climbing support roles (rope wrangler, motivator, back-up belayer, etc.)
All critical links will either have two opposite and opposed carabiners or a locking carabiner. A critical link is any connection point that if it failed, the entire system would fail.
The point through which the top rope runs will consist of either two locking carabiners reversed and opposed, OR three non-locking carabiners opposed and reversed.
If participants are allowed to belay other participants, an instructor back up belay will be set up.
If bouldering, Instructors will teach participants how to spot, and practice spotting before bouldering. Participants will not boulder above shoulder height of their spotter and will only boulder on problems specifically identified by Instructors. Helmets must be worn while bouldering.
All climbing hardware dropped from 10 feet or higher on to a hard surface will be noted on the Equipment Report Form and retired.
EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
If you see lightning or hear thunder, move participants to the safest area possible. If you are in a lightning danger area, wait for 30 minutes to begin climbing again after last seeing lightning or hearing thunder. Safe areas can include vehicles, enclosed buildings, valleys, or forested areas. Should escaping to safe terrain be impossible, move to a ‘lightning drill’ in which participants sit on their packs, hugging their knees with their arms, distributing the group as much as possible.
Should an injury occur, treat as indicated by your level of medical training and call your camp director.
Should a participant freeze while ascending or descending:
Attempt to talk them down or up.
If this fails, use another belay line to ascend next to the participant. Clip into their harness with a runner and have belayers provide a slow descent.
If you are trained and confident in a belay line Gri-gri solo ascent or a prusik belay line solo ascent, you may use these methods.
If participants are to be rappelling in terrain that could potentially result in the need for an up-haul if clothing or hair becomes entangled, use a Releasable Rappel and a Munter Hitch with a Mule Knot. If you are not trained and confident with these techniques, do not attempt a rappel in this type of terrain. Should a participant become entangled, tie off their belay line with a Mule Knot, then lower the rappel line. Once the system is freed, re-secure the rappel line and release the belay line Mule Knot and belay the participant to the ground.
Environmental Briefing Considerations:
Environmental Hazards: Sharp rocks, falling rocks, cold, rain, lightning, steep or loose approach trails/base areas
Human Hazards: not paying attention, not tied properly (harness or rope), out of bounds
Clothing and Footwear:
Each climber should have protective clothing depending on circumstances (rain, snow, wind, cold, sun, insects), proper fitting close toed shoes and socks, and a comfortable pack. Climbing shoes are not required.
Overview: Climbing day in a multi-sport week allows many campers to try a new sport for the very first time, overcome significant fears, and experience a strong sense of empowerment. For instructors, climbing day is a practice in front-loading expectations, actively coaching and providing encouragement, and sharing in campers’ excitement.
Leave No Trace Applications:
Respect wildlife
Observe all nature closures (hawk nesting, etc)
Preserve habitats you may find (nests, etc.)
Respect other visitors
Plan ahead: gear, raingear, clothes, food and water, and bathroom
Stay on durable surfaces
Climbing applications include:
limit impact to base of climb, stay only on rocks and packed trail
Do not damage trees, shrubs, etc. for building anchors
Use established approach trails whenever possible
Share the crag with other users when possible/practical
Additional durable surface application: limit/clean chalk marks on climbs
Packing List: Please note that this is in addition to the items listed under “Instructor’s Backpack’ on page 17
Harnesses - properly fitted for each camper and instructor
Helmets - properly fitted for each camper and instructor
Water jug for refilling water bottles on site
Tarp for shade (optional and site dependant)
Shoes (climbing intensives only)
Bouldering pad
Check with Climb Specialist Instructor that all technical gear is loaded and what you need to carry. This may include dynamic rope, static lines, belay devices, lockers/non-lockers, prussic, sling, etc.
Equipment Check (before and after each use)
Harnesses: condition, wear, and damage
Helmets: condition, buckles, and shell
Ropes: condition, irregularities, damage, etc.
Hardware: standard rack
Static lines
Skills for day 1:
Campers challenge their comfort zones and try one new thing
Campers can identify climbing safety gear
Campers can properly fit climbing harnesses and helmets
(Age dependent) Campers learn to belay with back-up belay
Campers continue to challenge their comfort zones and try one new thing
(Age dependant) Campers learn to belay or continue to practice belaying with back-up belay
Campers learn and apply basic climbing techniques, body positioning
Campers learn and identify various types of climbing holds
Campers learn and practice footwork techniques
Rules for climbing day:
Helmets must be worn and secured when in the “Helmet Zone.”
Remove jewelry and secure loose clothing/long hair
Remove loose items from pockets
Stay on route and below the anchor
Double-check harness before climbing, every time
Double-check knot before climbing
Follow all safety procedures
Stay within the boundaries outlined by instructors
Campers waiting to climb are supervised by staff 100% of the time
A Day in the Life of Multi-Sport Rock Climbing:
9:00am Climb Specialist Instructor is at the crag setting up climbs.
One instructor is leading a group game with all of the kids.
One instructor is checking campers in with the sign in sheet.
9:05am Introduction to the day
Personal gear check: sunscreen, lunch, water, layers
Assessment of which campers have climbed before
9:10am Harness and Helmet fitting
With camper helper, demonstrate how to fit harness and helmet
Have campers practice at base camp. Each camper is responsible for keeping their helmet/harness with them.
9:15am Bathroom break, load in van
9:30am Drive to Climb site
10:00am Environmental Briefing, approach to crag. Hike to crag
10:15am Snack and bathroom break. Sanitize hands before snack
10:30am Demonstrate proper climbing commands, safety checks, climbing and lowering (see below for greater detail)
10:45am Divide into small groups and give each camper in small group a role
Belayer (staff member)
Back-up belayer
Rope Wrangler
Climber
Motivator
11:00am Climb in three small groups. Each group is supervised/led by an instructor
11:30am Teach a new skill to the entire group and then practice. Options include
Figure 8 knot
(Age dependant): Belay technique
Climbing body positioning
12:00pm Lunch! Wash hands, incorporate LNT, divide trash/recycle/compost for returning to camp
JEDI Lunch discussion topic: Giving mountains back their indigenous names
-How do mountains get their names? Who can name some well-known mountains in:
Colorado: Long’s Peak, Pike’s Peak, Mt. Evans, etc.
United States: Denali (used to be known as Mt. McKinley), Mt. Rainier,
World: Mt. Everest
Where do these names come from?
Many of the names of well-known mountains are named after people (mostly men), and many of these names were given within the past 100 years or so. Also, many of these names were given by people who did not actually live in the area where these mountains are located.
What do you think about that?
What were these mountains called before they were “Mt. (Last Name of a Western Person)? The indigenous people of the area where these mountains are located have their own names for these places, which had been known for many many generations.
One example:
In Alaska, the tallest mountain in the US (and in N. America) is called Denali by the Koyukon people who are the indigenous people of that region of Alaska. They called the mountain Deenaalee which means “the high one.” The name Mt. McKinley was given by a miner from Seattle in 1896 who was mining for gold in a river near the mountain. He named the mountain after the new U.S. president (this was long before Alaska even became a state in 1959).
People in Alaska continued to use the name Denali, and in 1975 the state of Alaska officially changed the name back to Denali.
Why do you think it was important to the Alaskan people to change the official name back to Denali, the indigenous name of the mountain?
12:30pm Divide into three small groups. Rotate to a new climb. Assign roles. Climb!
1:15pm Rotate to a new climb. Assign roles. Climb!
2:00pm Begin preparing for the end of day.
2:15pm Hike back to trailhead and van
2:25pm Drive back to base camp
2:45pm End of day rituals and debrief with campers. Optional Debrief prompts for Rock Climbing day:
How I felt supported today...
How I supported others today...
How I supported myself today...
What I’m looking forward to...
3:00pm Camper sign out and parent conversations
Climbing Techniques and Skill Activities:
Camper Roles:
Backup belay: both hands loosely on rope, standing behind belayer, close attention paid to climber’s progress
Rope Wrangler: coils rope after a climb, ensures rope is free and clear while climber is on the wall, manages tail of rope as climber progresses
Climber: on the wall, climbing. Practicing climbing commands and techniques
Motivator: points out different holds to climber, offers words of encouragement, supports the climber’s accomplishments
Equipment education:
Harnesses: 3 loops, 3 buckles, fit snug
Helmets: why we use them to climb, how to fit.
Shoes: rubber grips, points of shoe, foot position
Ropes: teach figure eight knot, static vs. dynamic, importance of keeping clean
Belay system: function, safety, how to use
Lowering: explain body position while on wall. Explain how to lower as belayer
Climbing techniques and moves
Footwork: smearing, edging, matching
Hand matching, mantling, hand jams (hand, fist, finger)
Rappelling: orientation of rope through device, go and stop, on belay at all times
Challenges
Climb blindfolded
Introduction to gear and anchor building
Non-verbal motivator and coach
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