Questions? Contact the 2012 Climbing School Director Rick Light at (505) 412-3976, or lamclimbingschool@gmail.com
The 2012 Climbing School runs from March 27th through May 5th. First optional specialty course happens the week before school, see Detailed Schedule . The class fills quickly with only 25 seats, so early registration is recommended. This includes 6 Tuesday nights, one Wednesdays night, and 5 Saturdays; some 36-40 hours of instruction. The Los Alamos Mountaineers Climbing School is a great way to learn about technical rock climbing and mountaineering. The school should offer a good experience to:
At the end of the class, the students should have a broad overview of important aspects of rock climbing. There will also be some discussion of the extension of rock climbing skills into mountaineering. Students will be able to identify safe and unsafe climbing practices and understand the principles of technical climbing. The overall goal is to orient students to climbing and techniques, so they can gain further experience as they like. We also expect that everyone will have fun! Photos of a typical climbing school can be viewed by clicking, here. The main thrust of the class is to give students a safety awareness and technical framework needed to begin the long process of learning this complex and difficult sport. The most dangerous period for a climber is often the first year of participation in the sport, when many attempt to learn from friends with barely more experience than they have. By learning from experienced instructors using a tested and refined course syllabus, your learning period will be far shorter, and your experience much safer. The class will start with the basics of knots and ropes, and go into what is needed to know to climb and belay safely. From here, we will cover a broad range of topics through indoor lectures and outdoor experience. These topics include setting topropes, how to properly use rock climbing gear, safety issues, ascending and descending fixed ropes, and climbing multi-pitch routes. The outdoor classes will start with heavily supervised top-roped climbing. Further outdoor sessions will include experience with rappelling and ascending, and belaying the leader. The final class, the "graduation climb", is an opportunity for students to do a "real" multi-pitch climb following an experienced leader. The emphasis is on safety and fun. Schedule and Information Lectures: 6:30 to 9:00 pm, Tuesday evenings March 27, April 3, 17, and 24. Classroom is the Main Auditorium at the Crossroads Bible Church, 97 East Road, Los Alamos. The lecture on April 10th will be at the alternate classroom, the Main Hall of the Church of Christ, 2323 Diamond Drive, Los Alamos. These classes start promptly on time. Please arrive early. Indoor Practice Session: Thursday, April 5, 6:30 to 9pm, Los Alamos YMCA. Outdoor Practice Sessions: Saturdays, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, April 7, 14, 21, 28, and Tuesday evening 5:00pm until dark, May 3rd. Graduation Climb: Location TBD, Saturday May 5, (and/or Sunday May 6, depending on weather and numbers), All day! NOTE that this is 6 consecutive Tuesday evenings, 1 Thursday evening, plus 4 Saturday mornings and 1 full Saturday (or Sunday). PLEASE CONSIDER whether your schedule will allow such an intensive itinerary BEFORE you register for the course! We ask that students make a commitment to attend every session; there is little duplication of material from one session to the next, and the techniques taught should be considered the absolute minimum foundation for climbing safely. To graduate and participate in the graduation climb, students must attend at least five of the seven outdoor practice sessions, and at least four of the five indoor lectures. Important: See the Detailed Schedule for specific class topics and optional specialty courses that Climbing School students may attend for free. These courses add additional depth to course topics, especially for those who are new to climbing. Although these are free to Climbing School students, you still need to preregister with the Climbing School Director in order to attend them. Students are responsible for verifying that they are in adequate physical condition for the course and will be required to sign a liability waiver. Students must be at least 16 years old. Those under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Exemptions to the age requirement may be made on a case by case basis as decided by the climbing school director and approved by the LAM board. Signup, Membership, and Fees Applicants should submit an application form and waiver with payment. The application form with mailing information is available by clicking here for Acrobat, or here for Word. Registrations will not be accepted outside of this time period. Registration for this course will be accepted by mail, or in-person. However, there will be a 25-student enrollment cap. Applicants will be considered on a first come, first serve basis using the receipt date of your check as the order of acceptance. Applicants who are denied admission because of the 25-student cap will receive a full refund. Applicants may withdraw their application, with a full refund, prior to the beginning of the course. Once the course begins, no further tuition refunds will be made. Questions about the school should be directed to our Climbing School Director; see contact information at top of page.
Cost
includes textbooks and classroom materials.
Required Gear Besides instruction, classroom, and textbook, LAM provides all needed gear except:
LAM does have a selection of climbing helmets that students may borrow for the duration of the course. It is recommended that you obtain your own helmet if you plan to continue climbing. Climbing gear is readily available REI stores and on-line, and from other Web retailers. An advantage of purchasing locally is that the shopkeepers will know what you need if you don't! We will review the required gear at the first lecture.
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