Spend a day with us and get inspired to make rock climbing a lifelong passion. You’ll stay safe as you learn skills under the guidance of our enthusiastic ACMG-certified instructors. Rock climbing is one of the best sports to get fit, get social, and get outside. Using excellent local crags, our instructors will get you climbing confidently with the proper gear. You'll be set on the right route to becoming a rock climber in no time. Prerequisite: none. Includes: guide and climbing equipment.

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Do you know the basics of outdoor climbing and want to start leading? Or perhaps you’re already leading indoors? In this 1-day course, our highly-qualified instructors will help you perfect your skills and lead climb with confidence. Learn about guidebook interpretation, route selection and grades, placing protection, clipping and ropework, building belays, climbing movement technique, and rappelling. Prerequisite: Intro to Lead Climbing (indoor) or equivalent experience. Includes: guide and technical climbing equipment (excludes personal climbing equipment).

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This 2-day course introduces fundamental skills for trad climbing including equipment options, gear placement, gear anchors, and leading strategies. You'll have the chance to build up to top-roped and supervised leads, and develop the skills to safely lead single-pitch rock climbs of your own. The skills taught in this course carry over into crack, sport, ice, and alpine climbing. Prerequisite: Lead Climbing Intro (outdoor) or equivalent experience. Includes: guide and technical climbing equipment (excludes personal climbing equipment).

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Join our ACMG certified guides for a weekend of climbing alpine rock routes in Kananaskis Country and Banff National Park. This lower guest to guide ratio course is suitable for those with some mountaineering and rock climbing experience who want to learn to expand their skills to manage the alpine rock environment. We will solidify skills with a guided ascent of an alpine rock route in Kananaskis Country or Banff Park such as Mt. Lorette or the Fold on Mt. Kidd.

You will learn:
- Scrambling movement skills
- Managing alpine hazards such as loose rock
- Use of the rope to protect 3rd and 4th class terrain
- Use of rock protection
- Anchor building with natural features and rock protection
- Efficient Multi-pitch climbing systems
- Route finding and basic navigation skills
- Emergency procedures

Our 4-day Alpine Ice and Mixed Climbing course will consolidate your rock scrambling and glacier mountaineering skills and teach you techniques to enter the steep terrain of alpine ice and rock in small climbing groups. We will gather for 4 days of skills development and climbing objectives around the Columbia Icefields Centre.

You will learn:
- Crevasse rescue skills, including advanced skills for self rescue and small rope teams
- Alpine hazard assessment and management (rockfall, avalanche, icefall, etc)
- Rock protection techniques and anchor building
- Ice climbing techniques for steeper alpine ice
- Building snow and ice anchors, ice screw placement
- Efficient multi-pitch climbing techniques on snow, ice and rock
- Introduction to basic short-roping techniques
- Navigation techniques

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One of our ACMG-certified guides would love to guide up on a mountaineering ascent, or teach you your bucket list of mountaineering skills! Ratios are dependent on objectives, with most glacier mountaineering climbs accomodating a 3:1 guest to guide ratio and technical objectives accomodating a 2:1 or 1:1 ratio. Instructional groups and days at single pitch venues can typically accomodate up to six guests per guide.

Please contact us for a complete quote. Rates begin at $675 per day for one guest, with an additional $55 for each additional guest. Guests will also be responsible for Guide expenses, such as mileage, or for transporting the guide to the program venue. Guests will also be responsible for expenses such as hut and camping fees, guides' food, and backcountry passes for overnight trips. Certain very long objectives completed in a single day may have an additional surcharge applied.

Please contact ocprograms@ucalgary.ca for a detailed quote.