AMC has outstanding outdoor rock climbing and ice climbing programs…read more
I first started climbing in the gym with friends in Sydney, Australia. "When the route is so clearly marked in the nice, warm gym," I thought, "why would I ever want to climb outdoors?" Luckily, I worked with climbing legend Will Crowther who put up some of the first routes in New Hampshire and he and his wife Nancy convinced me I wanted to do the AMC outdoor climbing class. Nancy even took me shoe and harness shopping so I could be safe, yet comfortable all day.
The rock climbing course is wonderfully comprehensive, covering what one needs to know, as well as good "worst case scenario" techniques. The instruction happens on four mandatory weekends and often one optional weekend, depending where Easter falls.
The first weekend covers climbing basics with rope, harness, and belay safety. In addition to the practice, practice, practice of tying the knots, belaying, and communicating, climbers can also learn the old fashioned ways of climbing safely in case one loses their harness or belay device. These bowline-on-a-coil and body-belay techniques are then useful if one goes on to the ice climbing course.
The second weekend covers getting down the rock with three different techniques for rappelling, including body-rappel, in case you lose your belay device.
The third weekend covers getting up a rope, if you're stuck.
The fourth weekend is a chance to test all the previous three weekends of knowledge, including practicing catching a simulated leader fall. This last weekend is also a way for the experienced climbers to see how well the newbies have learned the ropes, i.e., are they ready for New Seconds Weekend climbing at The Gunks.
And then for those who love being outdoors in the winter as well, AMC has a comprehensive ice climbing program. Again, instruction covers multiple weekends so one can practice self-arrest (stopping one sliding down the mountain), setting up snow anchors, climbing with two, one, or zero ice picks (use the feet and balance), and get out on a real climb with a leader.
AMC - outstanding in the field? Out CLIMBING in the mountains. :-)