Experience Level: Never-Before

This beginner-friendly class covers the basic skills of climbing for an affordable price. You will work with an instructor for two 2-hour sessions on the skills listed below. This class provides all the essential knowledge to start climbing on the right foot (pun intended)!

Work with instructors to learn:

• Overview of climbing equipment
• Climbing knots
• Belay technique (using the climbing rope)
• Roped climbing tips and techniques

Logistics:

Course includes 2 sessions. Cost includes all necessary climbing equipment and the belay exam (which may be taken at the end of the course or afterward).

Prerequisites: None

Location: Crags Climbing Center

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Experience Level: Never-Before

This course is a collaboration with the UW Q Center community and is open to all. It covers the same material as our other Basic Climbing courses, including how to belay and some tips and tricks on climbing movement and technique. We are committed to fostering a safe and supportive space for the queer community as participants learn the basics of roped climbing while centering the queer student experience.

In this course, we include a special emphasis on our language regarding gendered body parts and movement descriptions. Through the development of this curriculum, we have taken steps forward for all our classes in our mission to make the courses as inclusive, body affirming, and non-assumptive as possible!

Logistics:

Course includes 2 sessions. Cost includes all necessary climbing equipment and the belay exam (which may be taken at the end of the course or afterward).

Prerequisites: None

Location: Crags Climbing Center

Register for the class

Experience Level: Never-Before

This course is open to all and covers the same material as our other Basic Climbing courses, including how to belay and some tips and tricks on climbing movement and technique. We are committed to fostering a safe and supportive space for the Black, Indigenous, and POC (BIPOC) community as participants learn the basics of roped climbing while centering the BIPOC student experience.

Logistics:

Course includes 2 sessions. Cost includes all necessary climbing equipment and the belay exam (which may be taken at the end of the course or afterward).

Prerequisites: None

Location: Crags Climbing Center

Register for the class

Experience Level: Beginner

This is an abbreviated version of our popular Basic Climbing class. In this single class, we cover the most modern belay techniques, how to tie into a climbing rope, and how to fit climbing equipment properly. This course will prepare you for the belay skills exam and is perfect for the time-crunched person or those who need a quick refresher.

Work with instructors to learn:

• Overview of climbing equipment
• Climbing knots
• Belay technique (using the climbing rope)

Logistics:

Course includes 1 session. Cost includes all necessary climbing equipment and the belay exam (which may be taken at the end of the course or afterward).

Prerequisites:

This course is not recommended for those with no previous climbing experience (experience with bouldering is good!).

Location: Crags Climbing Center

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Experience Level: Beginner

This course covers the skills necessary to get started lead climbing in the gym, with a focus on leading technique and practice lead falls. Take your climbing skills to the next level as you gain the confidence and experience to both lead climb and belay. This course meets for a total of 4 hours over two climbing sessions.

Work with instructors to learn:

• Clipping quickdraws
• Lead belaying
• Practice mock leading
• Falling

Logistics:

Course includes 2 sessions. Cost includes all necessary gym lead climbing equipment and the belay exam (which may be taken at the end of the course or afterward). However, it is strongly suggested that participants bring their own harness for this class.

Prerequisites:

Participants must possess a current crags top rope belay pass, and the ability to climb 5.8 comfortably.

Location: Crags Climbing Center

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Experience Level: Intermediate

*Class curriculum has been revised for classes starting Spring 2025, removing the lead climbing instruction and shortening the class to 2 days instead of 3.

This course covers the essential skills necessary for gym lead climbers to transition to sport climbing outside! This course meets for a total of 5 hours over 2 sessions.

Work with instructors to learn:

• Transitioning indoor gym leading skills to outdoor climbs
• Placing and cleaning quickdraws
• Various bolted anchor-building methods
• How to use common various sport anchor styles
• Bolt inspection tips and red flags
• Lowering through open and closed fixed anchors
• Rappelling
• Leave No Trace Ethics specific to the climbing environment
• Real practice building and lowering off sports anchors in a gym environment

Logistics:

Course includes 2 sessions. The cost covers all necessary equipment for sport climbing. However, it is strongly suggested that participants own a harness for this class.

Prerequisites:

Participants must possess a current crags top rope belay pass, and the ability to climb 5.8 comfortably.

Location: Crags Climbing Center

Register for the class

Experience Level: Intermediate

*Class curriculum has been revised for classes starting Summer 2025

This course (summer only) covers the essential skills necessary for gym lead climbers to transition to sport climbing and includes a day of sport climbing outside! Participants meet for one 2-hour indoor class session and one all-day outdoor climbing session at a local crag.

Work with instructors to learn:

• Transitioning indoor gym leading skills to outdoor climbs
• Placing and cleaning quickdraws
• Various bolted anchor-building methods
• How to use common various sport anchor styles
• Bolt inspection tips and red flags
• Lowering through open and closed fixed anchors
• Rappelling
• Leave No Trace Ethics specific to the climbing environment
• Real practice with outdoor lead climbing, building sport anchors, and other sport climbing skills at a local crag.

Logistics:

Course includes 2 sessions. All transportation from UW to the climbing site and climbing equipment required for the class is included in the cost of the class. However, students are encouraged to bring their own climbing gear if possible (shoes, harness, helmet). Students must provide their own food and snacks for the outdoor portion of this class. In the event the scheduled outside portion of this class is cancelled due to inclement weather or other conditions outside our control, students will receive a partial refund or a scheduled indoor session to practice the same skills.

Prerequisites:

Participants must possess a current crags top rope belay pass, and the ability to climb 5.8 comfortably.

Location: Crags Climbing Center

Register for the class

Experience Level: Intermediate

Move beyond bolts and start placing your own gear! This class will help the sport climber expand their skills to begin placing traditional protection and building gear anchors. We will begin with several class periods of instruction in our indoor practice wall before taking what we have learned outside for a day (weather dependent). Based on student progression, there may be an opportunity to mock lead on traditional gear during the outdoor portion of the class.

Work with instructors to learn:

• Advanced knots
• Anchor building (bolt, natural, gear)
• Traditional protection (active & passive)
• Placing protection
• Assessing placements

Logistics:

Course includes 4 sessions. All transportation from UW to the climbing site and climbing equipment required for the class is included in the cost of the class. However, students are encouraged to bring their own climbing gear if possible (shoes, harness, helmet). Students must provide their own food and snacks for the outdoor portion of this class. In the event the scheduled outside portion of this class is cancelled due to inclement weather or other conditions outside our control, students will receive a partial refund.

Prerequisites:

Participants must possess a current crags top rope belay pass, and the ability to climb 5.8 comfortably.

Location: Crags Climbing Center and a local crag (location TBD)

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Experience Level: Intermediate

Climbing multiple rope lengths off the ground, ascending with a trusted partner, and watching a beautiful sunset while rappelling back down to the base is the stuff made of climbing dreams! However, multi-pitch climbing for the first time can also involve logistical and organizational nightmares! Learn the best practices and techniques to climb efficiently and confidently high in the mountains! On the final day, you get to actually multi-pitch climb outside with skilled UWild Climbing Instructors!

Work with instructors to learn:

• Essential knots
• Belaying from above
• Sport multi-pitch anchors
• Belay transitions
• Rappelling strategies

Logistics:

Course includes 4 sessions. All transportation from UW to the climbing site and climbing equipment required for the class is included in the cost of the class. However, students are encouraged to bring their own climbing gear if possible (shoes, harness, helmet).

Students must provide their own food for the outdoor portion of this class, including lunch and snacks.  In the event the scheduled outside portion of this class is cancelled due to inclement weather or other conditions outside our control, students will receive a partial refund.

Prerequisites:

Participants must possess a current crags top rope belay pass, and the ability to climb 5.8 comfortably. Experience with climbing outdoors, especially sport climbing, is strongly recommended.

Location: Crags Climbing Center and a local crag (location TBD)

Register for the class

Experience Level: Intermediate

Climb long enough and you are likely to find yourself in a difficult situation. Your rope is stuck, your leader is injured, you are off-route. What do you do? In this class, we will go over the skills and resources necessary to improvise your way out of trouble. Note that this class is focused on intermediate self-rescue techniques and requires prior climbing experience in order to fully participate in the class.

Work with instructors to learn:

• Advanced knot tying
• Escaping the belay
• Ascending & descending the rope<
• Setting up hauling systems
• Tandem rappels
• Counterbalance rappels
• Putting it all together in rescue scenarios

Logistics:

Course includes 4 sessions. All climbing equipment required for the class is included in the cost of the class. However, students are encouraged to bring their own harness and personal climbing equipment for this class as it is best to practice with your own gear. The instructors will reach out prior to the start of the class to answer any questions about the class, including equipment.

Prerequisites:

Participants must possess a current crags top rope belay pass, and the ability to lead up to 5.9 comfortably. Prior experience with multi-pitch climbing is strongly encouraged.

Location: Crags Climbing Center

Register for the class

Experience Level: Intermediate

​Navigating and camping on glaciated terrain can allow climbers to enjoy the alpine world from the local Cascade volcanoes to greater ranges around the world! This class will start from the basics, covering all of the essential clothing and technical gear needed to start on the right foot. We will cover rope ascension techniques, crevasse travel, and modern crevasse rescue systems. We will put all these techniques into practice in alpine terrain at a local mountain during the outdoor skills day. Note – this class does not involve travel in actual glaciated terrain.

Logistics:

Course includes 4 sessions. All climbing equipment and transportation from UW to the outdoor location (TBD based on conditions) required for the class is included in the cost of the class. Students must provide their own food for the outdoor portion of this class, including lunch and snacks. In the event the scheduled outside portion of this class is cancelled due to inclement weather, significant avalanche risk, or other conditions outside our control, students will receive a partial refund.

Prerequisites:

Participants must possess a current crags top rope belay pass. Some experience with backpacking and travel in winter environments is recommended.

Location: Crags Climbing Center and a local mountain (location TBD)

Register for the class

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