VOC trips are organized by members like yourself, not professional guides. The trips go into wilderness areas where assistance is unavailable and unexpected events can occur. You could be seriously injured or die. You are responsible for your own actions. Please use caution.
Introduction to outdoor rock-climbing: anchors + rapelling · Saturday, June 26th, 2021
Warning: This is an old trip - it already happened
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Start: Saturday, Jun. 26th, 6:00 am
Pre-trip meeting: Wednesday, Jun. 23rd, 7:00 pm
Pre-trip meeting location: Zoom
Description:
Disappointed that COVID caused us to miss TWO rounds of Son of Rock AND Rock Party? Dying to get climbing in the great outdoors, but need someone to teach you how to do it safely? Linda Kiritchkov and I love taking people climbing outside, and are excited to teach some of you about anchors so you can go out on your own.
This trip will give you the opportunity to explore outdoor climbing this season by teaching you how to build, set up, and clean anchors, as well as how to rappel. This will allow you to climb outdoors in areas where you can set up top-ropes. You will not learn how to lead climb on this trip. We can provide suggestions on areas to check out for top-rope climbing during the trip.
While we will not officially organize any camping in Squamish, we encourage car groups to consider camping overnight in Squamish and testing out your new skills the next day with your fellow students and new climbing buddies! We can discuss this further at the pre-trip meeting.
While Linda and I will be able to teach a group of up to 8 people, if there a lot of interest in this trip, and we can find some other instructors, we may be able to run a 2nd group (which of course would meet separately, since groups cannot be more than 10 people in the outdoors due to COVID restrictions). If you and a friend are experienced climbers comfortable teaching Rock 2, feel free to shoot me a message and join Linda and I.
*** We are not professional mountain guides, but rather VOC members with climbing experience who want to help get people into the outdoors to climb. We have both learned a variety of climbing skills from other club members and believe learning outdoor skills from more experienced folks is a great way to get better. However, your safety is always your own responsibility. ***
Prerequisites: Rock 1 or equivalent skills. You must be able to safely belay climbers and be comfortable climbing indoors.
Gear:
We will discuss this further in the pre-trip meeting, but you will need the following equipment in order to climb outside for this trip and afterwards. Rentals for harnesses, helmets, and climbing shoes, will be available from the VOC through gear hours organized specifically for this trip. We are running this trip in the hope that you will use your new skills to go outside this summer, so we do recommend that you do purchase this gear if you can.
Required:
- Harness: Make sure it fits you (ask store staff or VOC quartermaster for help).
- Helmet: (Bicycle helmet works too but this is not ideal. It's not so much about hitting your head, it's more about stuff being dropped onto your head, such as stones or gear). We WILL NOT allow you to climb without a helmet.
- Climbing shoes. They should fit snugly but shouldn't be extremely painful. Extreme pain runs counter to type I climbing fun.
- A locking carabiner and a belay device. The VOC does not rent those out due to liability concerns. You can get them at MEC. These can be shared in teams of two as only one will be climbing and one will be belaying. For carabiners, get one with a screw lock and one that isn't too small (D- and Pear shape are best for belaying).
- Personal safety anchor and locking carabiner: PAS OR 120 cm 1 inch nylon sling. DO NOT use a daisy chain (their strength rating is not high enough to withstand a small fall). This gear is important in case we need to put you on a safety line at the top of a climb so you can see the anchor. You will also not be able to rent this piece of equipment.
Recommended (these items, in combinations with those above, mean you’ll have everything you need (besides the rope) to top-rope climb outside). None of these can be rented from the VOC.
- 4 locking carabiners
- Anchor materials: 6 meters of 7/8 mm cordelette OR 120 cm of 1 inch nylon sling
- Prusik (also known as a friction hitch) and a small, non-locking carabiner: a hollowblock such as this: (Sterling Rope 6.8mm Hollow Block | MEC) OR ~42 in. of 5/6 mm cordelette
Location: Squamish – Smoke Bluffs
COVID Safety Reminders:
- Masks mandatory in vehicles
- Bring your own food/water
- No more than 4 people per car
- Our group size will remain at 10 people or less while outside
Posted: 2021-05-30 22:06:23
Last modified: 2021-06-21 13:28:09