2024 Climbing School

Registration now open for 2024 Los Alamos Mountaineers Climbing School

Dear Mountaineers,

We are thrilled to announce that the Los Alamos Mountaineers, in conjunction with Mountain Skills Rock Climbing Adventures of Taos, will be offering a climbing school following last year’s successful revival of the school. Mountain Skills, supported by Mountaineers volunteers, will teach rock climbing with a safety-first attitude, including movement on rock, belaying, rappelling, cleaning protective gear, and removing anchors, with extensive on-rock practice. The course book will be “How To Rock Climb” by John Long and Bob Gaines. The course objective is that successful students should develop the skills needed to participate in top roping, follow a leader in a multi-pitch trad climb, and be able to climb or descend moderate technical obstacles in unplanned backcountry situations using improvised gear (e.g. rope and carabiners). No previous rock-climbing experience is required.

Outdoor sessions will be held at Northern New Mexico climbing areas, principally Tres Piedras; the Mountaineers encourage and will help organize carpooling. The outdoor sessions will encompass a full day (6 hours) on the Saturdays of April 6, 13, 20, and May 4, with a backup date to make up any weather cancellation on May 11. Participants will sign a Los Alamos Mountaineers waiver at the first session, and additional waivers as requested by Mountain Skills.

Participants should bring their own lunches to the outdoor sessions. Mountain Skills will provide equipment (helmets, harnesses, climbing shoes) based on the information provided by participants in their registration form.

The cost for the school will be $650; a slot in the school will be secured when (1) participants sign up online here,  (2) payment is received by the Mountaineers, and (3) participants sign up for Mountaineer membership, if not members already. Payment may be made by check, made out to “Los Alamos Mountaineers”, mailed to LAM c/o Cecile Hemez at 1060-B 49th Street, Los Alamos, NM, 87544. The school will take place if we register at least 7 participants and will fill at 25 participants.  Payment will be refunded only if the slot can be filled by a suitable replacement. Participants will be responsible for obtaining their own copy of the course book. Registration will close on March 15.

Participants should be at least 18 years old, except that 16- or 17-year-olds can take part if a parent or guardian is present at all outdoor activities, either as a fellow student or an observer. All participants should be members of the Los Alamos Mountaineers; joining the Mountaineers is easy, and can be done at https://www.lamountaineers.org/drupal7/Member_Benefits.html.

The climbing school was a highlight of the Mountaineers year for decades, and we are excited to be offering it again. Friendships made at the climbing school lasted for years, and participants went on to become Mountaineers participants and leaders. We trust that this experience with the climbing school will open the door to adventures for decades to come.

We'd love to have you - please sign up here (Google Doc) and submit your check. If the money is a problem for you, we have a limited number of scholarships for community-minded individuals.  The scholarship application is here, completed applications should be mailed to  taylortrugman@gmail.com

Sincerely, Toni Taylor for the Mountaineers Board.  Questions can be emailed to taylortrugman@gmail.com.

Preliminary schedule:

• Outdoor Day 1: Climbing movement, introduction to belaying. 

• Outdoor Day 2: Belaying and climbing fun, simple anchors.

• Outdoor Day 3: Introduction to trad equipment, removing gear, seconding, climbing fun.

• Outdoor Day 4: Cleaning of sport anchors, more climbing.