Weekend Rock Clinics

Course Locations

We are fortunate to have several excellent rock climbing venues close to our Seattle headquarters.

• North Bend – Located 30 minutes outside of Seattle. This large dense rock climbing area is home to over 400 routes of high quality metamorphosed volcanic rock .  The climbing at the “Exits” is heavily feature with hand holds, crimps, jugs, slide pulls, and plenty of foot holds.  Situated at the foothills of the Cascades,  climbers can expect phenomenal views between pitches.
• Mt Erie – Located 1 hour north of Seattle. Mt Erie is one of the most gorgeous cliffs to climb at in the state.  The crags on Mount Erie are scattered on the south slope of a mini-mountain overlooking the Puget Sound.  Panoramic views take in the waters around Deception Pass, the San Juan Islands, the Olympics, and several of the Cascade volcanoes.
• Leavenworth – Located 2.5 hours northeast of Seattle. Perhaps the densest climbing area in Washington State, with a wide range of sport and traditional climbing from single pitches to over 800ft tall cliffs.  The bulk of the climbing is found in the two canyons west of the town of Leavenworth in Icicle Creek and Tumwater Canyon.  The rock in Leavenworth is a metamorphic granite that is highly featured with crimps, jugs, and cracks for your hands and feet to use.
• Vantage – Located about 2 hours and 15 minutes southeast of Seattle. The climbing area is known as the Frenchmen Coulee and has over 600 routes on flowing basalt columns. This stunning crag is perched over the Columbia River basin.  The rock tends to fracture in “dinner plates,” creating juggy incut holds on sporty routes. While it is a bit of drive from Seattle, the views and sunny weather are well worth it!   There is also free dispersed camping adjacent to the crag and lodging options nearby.

Learn to Lead

Our 2-day Learn to Lead Course is an excellent next step for graduates of our Intro to Outdoor Rock Climbing course or for experienced gym climbers who are looking to transition into leading outside. In this course, climbers learn to lead through mock leading, in which we simulate lead climbing while having climbers backed up through a top rope. Climbers will depart the course with the requisite skills and practical understanding necessary to lead climb independently. We will also introduce placement of traditional rock gear (cams, nuts) and the process of building equalized and SERENE gear anchors

Key Components

• Transition from gym to outdoor climbing
• Prepares climbers for independent crag days
• Skill development in movement, footwork, and efficiency

Course Objectives

• Select and properly use appropriate outdoor climbing equipment
• Perform safe and effective lead belaying
• Build and evaluate gear anchors
• Assess bolts and other fixed anchors
• Clean top-rope anchors correctly and efficiently
• Execute safe retreat techniques

2-Day Multipitch Climbing Clinic

If you’ve ever dreamed of channeling your inner Tommy Caldwell and scaling big Yosemite walls, this clinic will get you started in the right direction (up). This 2-day course builds on the skills covered in our Learn to Lead course and takes them into the multipitch realm.  This course is ideal for a climber who has been leading single-pitch climbs outside and wants the knowledge and skills to competently and efficiently tackle bigger objectives.

Key Components

• Prepares climbers to lead and follow multi-pitch climbs
• Skill development in movement, footwork, and efficiency

Course Objectives

• Select, pack, and rack climbing equipment for multi-pitch routes
• Read guidebooks and topos and apply effective route-finding strategies
• Communicate clearly and efficiently while climbing
• Evaluate anchor options in multi-pitch terrain
• Manage belay stations safely and efficiently
• Apply effective rope management techniques on route
• Use best practices for belaying the second climber
• Execute safe and efficient descents
• Identify common hazards in multi-pitch environments and apply risk-mitigation strategies

2-Day Intro to Trad Climbing

Our 2-day Intro to Trad Climbing course is the ideal next step for graduates of our Learn to Lead and Multipitch Climbing courses, or for experienced sport climbers ready to transition to leading on gear. Traditional climbing introduces a new skill set—placing removable protection such as cams and nuts to create secure, efficient systems on route. In this course, you’ll learn how to place and evaluate trad gear, read routes with protection in mind, build gear anchors, and rack efficiently. By the end, you’ll be prepared to confidently follow trad climbs and begin leading on gear as you continue developing your climbing practice.

Key Components

• Prepares climbers to lead and follow trad routes
• Skill development in movement, footwork, and efficiency

Course Objectives

• Select appropriate equipment for traditional climbing
• Apply sound gear placement principles
• Follow single-pitch traditional climbs
• Practice mock leading on single-pitch trad routes
• Rack gear effectively as both leader and follower
• Communicate clearly and efficiently between climber and belayer
• Assess terrain and route features
• Identify routes and line choices
• Apply Leave No Trace principles and climbing ethics

1-Day Rock Rescue Clinic

What would you do if you were several pitches up a climb and the climb leader was injured by rockfall?  Despite our best intentions, accidents do happen in the mountains and self-sufficiency is critical when professional rescue may be hours if not days away in more remote terrain.  Our 1-day Rock Rescue course is essential training for any rock / alpine climber who doesn’t want to leave their fate up to chance in the event of an emergency.   This course is designed to give you the essential baseline rescue skills and techniques every climber should master before ever entering into committing climbing terrain.

Course Objectives

• Escape the belay safely and efficiently
• Lower a fallen climber using secure backup systems
• Build and apply basic hauling systems
• Perform tandem and counterbalance rappels
• Ascend a rope using standard techniques
• Apply improvised belay methods when needed
• Practice sound decision-making in vertical terrain
• Plan and manage rescue itineraries

The Alpine Ascents Way

Our rock programs are led by world-class guides—professional climbers, educators, and industry leaders whose names are tied to historic ascents around the world. They join Alpine Ascents not only for their technical expertise but because they share our core values: thoughtful judgment, mentorship, and a deep commitment to helping each climber grow.

Every guide on this course is an enthusiastic, passionate climber who loves to teach and build confidence. All instructors are AMGA-trained, with a minimum of the AMGA Single Pitch Instructor certification, and many are fully certified AMGA Rock Guides. Their extensive experience at our course venues allows them to choose the most suitable crags for the group and create an optimal learning progression.

Instruction is inclusive, supportive, and community-focused. We strive to create a safe, welcoming environment where all climbers feel encouraged, respected, and empowered to learn.