Intro to Sport

Start Your Climbing Career Off Right With The ACC.

Intro to Sport

Start Your Climbing Career Off Right With The ACC.

Learn Safety Fundamentals.

Practice On Real Rock.

Get to Know Local Crags.

Is This Camp For You?

Entry Level

This camp is designed for those with little or no previous outdoor climbing or mountaineering experience and will help you get started and build your confidence. You should be familiar with the sport and have some experience climbing indoors, as well as must have a good level of fitness and be able to carry up to a 16 – 18kg (35 – 40lb) pack for several hours. This is not a course on climbing technique (although feel free to ask the guides for help) but rather a course on rope systems, safety and building confidence.
Registration Status

Open

Details

Before registering, please review our Trip Waivers and Liability, and Cancellation Policies.

Camps are subject to minimum enrollment in order to run.

Need help?

Trip Description

Are you an indoor climber wanting to transition to outdoors, but you’re intimidated by the risks?

Our Intro to Sport Climbing course will help build your confidence and skills to eventually climb trad multi-pitches outside. The sport course focuses on rope management, clipping, taking gear off the wall (“cleaning”) and leading techniques to keep you safe while boosting up your confidence.

No matter your background, our Intro to Sport Climbing course will teach you the required skills. Many experienced climbers will tell you that when it comes to safety, it is important to get into the right habits from day one. Get professional orientation to the spectacular rock climbing on offer in the Bow Valley and kick your lead-climbing career off right this summer with the ACC!

Thank you to TABVAR for helping to maintain sport climbing in the Bow Valley.

Guides

Guide Selection Pending

Guides for this trip are still being confirmed.

This camp will ensure a maximum 6:1 participant to guide ratio to ensure you get sufficient one-on-one coaching. Our guides know the Bow Valley inside out and will be able to recommend future routes and crags to further your skills. The ACC hires guides certified by the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG). Visit the ACMG website to learn more about what they do!

Objectives

Your “classroom” could be anywhere from the front range crags in Kananaskis all the way through to the “back of the lake” crags at Lake Louise. The climbing areas will be determined by your guide(s) based on a number of factors i.e. weather, distance, group size and dynamics. Our experienced guide will take you through basic to advanced techniques that will give you the knowledge and confidence to head out on your own sport climbing. Climb 5.5? Climb 5.13? Doesn’t matter, this course will focus on skills development rather than grade of climb.

Day-by-Day Adventure Itinerary

Saturday:
  • Meet in parking at 8:00 am (MST). Location will be emailed to you one week before the course start date. Here, the group will do introductions , review the plan for the day, go over equipment, the head up to the crag of the day!
  • At the crag, the guide will first review hazards, safety, and basic climbing skills.
  • Day 1 will focus on setting up and cleaning sport climbs, progressing from top rope to lead climbing, and rappelling.
Sunday
  • Meet in parking at 8:00 am (MST). Location will be decided and communicated on day 1.
  • Once up at the crag, the group will first review lessons from previous day before continue to build confidence practice lead climbing and belaying techniques.

Food, Accommodation and Rentals

Food

To keep the cost of this course as low as possible for participants, food will not be provided as part of the course. So please bring along your peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (or favored alternative), a packed lunch and some snacks for both days.

Accommodation

If you are traveling from out of town we recommend staying in Canmore. There are various hostels and hotels to choose from including our very own clubhouse with hostel style accommodation. Located on a high bench overlooking the Three Sisters, Ha Ling and Mount Rundle, our purpose built hostel is the perfect place to relax while completing your course. For full details on the Canmore Clubhouse accommodation click here

Rentals

If you don't have everything on the gear list and aren't ready to invest in your own, there are many awesome local businesses that rent out all of the equipment you will need. Be sure to reserve your rentals ahead of time to make sure everything you need is available for you when you need it. Coming from the Bow Valley? Check out GearUp in Canmore. ACC members get 10% off all gear rentals! Coming from Calgary? We recommend renting your gear from MEC, the University of Calgary Outdoors Center, or the Norseman. Coming from the Revelstoke? Give Revelstoke Powder Rentals a try.

Included

  • 2 days instruction by ACMG certified alpine guides.
  • Group gear such as ropes and first aid kit.

Not Included

  • Transportation to and from the field location.
  • Accommodation.
  • Snacks and lunches.
  • Personal gear (see gear list)

Location

Adventure Hazards

Terrain

What are the Risks?

Cornices and crevasses. Trees, tree wells, and tree stumps. Cliffs, creeks,  rocks and boulders. Holes and depressions below the snow surface. Variable and difficult snow conditions. Snowcat roads and road ranks. Fences and other man-made structures. Impact or collision with other persons, vehicles or objects. Encounters with domestic or wild animals. Loss of balance or control. Becoming lost or separated from the group. Slips, trips, and falls. 

Hazard Mitigation

Mitigated by Trained and experienced Guide.

The use of Radios. 

General Hazards

What are the Risks?

Slips trips and falls indoor or outdoor. Equipment failure. Infectious disease contracted through viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi which may be transmitted through direct or indirect contact. Negligence of other persons, including other guests. Negligent first aid. Negligence of the guide Including failure to take reasonable steps to safeguard or protect you from, or warn you of risk, dangers, hazards, on participating in ACC activities

Hazard Mitigation

Developed safety plans and procedures with decades of experience managing risk. 

Rockfall and Icefall

What are the Risks?

Rockfall and icefall can be caused by natural forces or by people travelling through the terrain (e.g. climbing/scrambling/hiking) 

Hazard Mitigation

Mitigated with certified and experienced guides, Helmets 

Falls and Belaying

What are the Risks?

Mountaineering and ice climbing present the risk of falling from the wall causing the climber to collide with the wall or ground which can lead to injury or death. The risk of a belay failure is also present which can contribute to a ground fall.

Hazard Mitigation

Reviewing best practices with the guide.

Equipment checks

Communication and Rescue

What are the Risks?

Communication can be difficult and in the event of an accident, rescue and treatment may not be available. Adverse weather may also delay the arrival of treatment and transport out of the field. If an Injury occurs in challenging terrain movement to an evacuation point may be slow.

Hazard Mitigation

First Aid / Rescue Training.

Satellite Communications

We sell Tugo® Travel Insurance suitable for both ACC Adventures and personal trips

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