Clinic Descriptions

Adaptive Climbing Clinic

Instructors: Kyle Harding

If you’re looking to get in some climbing but your physical disabilities or limitations make it difficult to participate in other clinics, this is the place for you! The instructor team is stacked with supportive, experienced instructors ready to offer personalized assistance. Join DLCG Senior Instructor and Adaptive Physical Education teacher Kyle Harding and team for a day of top-rope climbing, rappelling, and camaraderie on Devils Lake’s East Bluff.

Clinic participants will complete a questionnaire upon registration to help determine the assistance they need to have a comfortable day climbing outside, and Kyle will coordinate a plan for success.

Additional support provided includes: assistance accessing the climbing area through a drive-up access permit and vehicle shuttle, specialized harnesses that provide support for all mobility levels, other specialized equipment that allows for a more comfortable climbing experience, and personalized additional support as needed.

Prerequisites: None

Equipment Needed: Personal mobility equipment, closed-toed hiking shoes (if applicable), lunch/calories, hydration, and appropriate climbing clothing. Please bring personal climbing equipment (harness, helmet, climbing shoes, belay device) if you have it.

Intro to Outdoor Climbing @ Devil’s Lake

Instructors: TBD

Are you new to outdoor climbing? Do you want to better understand how a climbing day “works” and be able to contribute to an outdoor climbing team? Let us show you the ropes!

Join a welcoming group for a day of top-rope cragging and rappelling, and gain the skills needed to pull your weight on an outdoor climbing team. You’ll walk away having a better sense of the planning and skills required to climb on your own outdoors, and familiarity and skills to help you move beyond “rookie” to “asset” in any climbing group. Our curriculum will include:

• the basics of outdoor climbing systems

• how to identify and manage risks

• what and how to pack for a crag day

• how to read and interpret a guide book

• how to navigate typical climbing terrain

• the basic components of traditional anchor systems

• how to rappel

• how to coil a rope that won’t fall apart when you pass it to your partner

We will tailor the specific curriculum on the experience and goals of the group, but this course will allow for some climbing time in addition to skills practice. After this course, you’ll have the confidence to seek new invitations and hold your own at the crag! 

**Note: Devil’s Lake is not a sport climbing area. We will not be discussing lead climbing or cleaning anchors in this clinic.**

Prerequisites: No prior experience necessary

Skill levels: All skill levels are welcome, but this clinic best serves those new to climbing outdoors.

Equipment Needed: Personal climbing equipment including shoes, harness, helmet, close-toed hiking/walking shoes, appropriate climbing clothing. Please also bring closed-toed hiking shoes, lunch/calories, hydration, lunch/water, appropriate hiking & climbing shoes and clothing. Whatever’s needed to stay comfortable and cared for at the crag.

sINGLE-dIGIT Open TOP-ROPE Climbing

Instructors: TBD

Join us for a fun, casual day of guided top-rope climbing. Instructors will set up a variety of easier and moderate routes for participants to climb. Participants will learn to belay, if needed, and spend the day climbing and building community with a supportive group of climbers.

Open Top-Rope is similar to showing up at a climbing gym to climb… the ropes are up and all you need to do is connect with a belay partner, tie in and start climbing. In the Single-Digit clinic, instructors will set routes whose grades compare with single-digit indoor grades (5.9 and under). If you’d like to learn more about the process of climbing outside, check out Intro to Outdoor Climbing (see clinic description).

Prerequisites: None

Skill Level: Any level, but more appropriate for newer climbers or those who enjoy single-digit climbing grades at the gym (5.9 and below)

Equipment Needed: Personal climbing equipment including shoes, harness, helmet, personal anchor and belay/rappel equipment, closed-toed hiking shoes, lunch/calories, hydration, and appropriate climbing clothing. 

Double-dIGIT Open TOP-ROPE Climbing

Instructors: TBD

Join us for a fun, casual day of guided top-rope climbing. Instructors will set up a variety of moderate and advanced routes for participants to climb. Participants will learn to belay, if needed, and spend the day climbing and building community with a supportive group of climbers.

Open Top-Rope is similar to showing up at a climbing gym to climb… the ropes are up and all you need to do is connect with a belay partner, tie in and start climbing. In the Double-Digit clinic, instructors will set routes whose grades compare with double-digit indoor grades (5.9+ and above). If you’d like to learn more about the process of climbing outside, check out Intro to Outdoor Climbing (see clinic description).

Prerequisites: None

Skill Level: Any level, but more appropriate for climbers who enjoy double-digit climbing grades at the gym (5.9+ and above)

Equipment Needed: Personal climbing equipment including shoes, harness, helmet, personal anchor and belay/rappel equipment, closed-toed hiking shoes, lunch/calories, hydration, and appropriate climbing clothing. 

Climbing Movement

Instructors: TBD

Feeling flat-footed at the gym or crag? Stuck at a plateau you’d like to leave behind? Join this technique-focused climbing clinic where you’ll level up with short lectures, instructor demonstrations, and real-time feedback aimed to improve your movement skills.

We will help you refine your existing abilities, identify and correct problematic practices, and offer advice for your personal climbing technique. Concepts will include power, flow, footwork, center of gravity, body tension, and static and dynamic movement. Just one day of focused practice can help you climb harder and more gracefully!

Prerequisites: None

Skill Level: All skill levels

Equipment Needed: Personal climbing equipment including shoes, harness, helmet, personal anchor and belay/rappel equipment, closed-toed hiking shoes, lunch/calories, hydration, and appropriate climbing clothing.

Introduction to Climbing Anchors

Instructors: TBD

Anchor building is a fundamental skill for every outdoor climber. If you’ve never slung a tree or you don’t know a BHK from an HMS, join us for an introductory anchors course. You will learn safe, secure systems for building anchors, foundational knots, equipment, rigging and how to use natural protection (trees & boulders). Those familiar with building anchors may enjoy gaining familiarity with new, modern approaches to systems and rigging techniques. All students will have opportunities to set multiple anchors and receive peer and instructor feedback. Plan on lots of anchor practice, but little actual climbing.

Prerequisites: None

Skill Level: Beginner

Equipment Needed: Personal climbing equipment including shoes, harness, helmet, personal anchor and belay/rappel equipment, closed-toed hiking shoes, lunch/calories, hydration, and appropriate climbing clothing. If you have your own rigging material (75 - 100’ static line, 6 - 8 carabiners, 1-2 48” slings) we encourage you to bring it as instructors will have limited amounts to share and you’ll have the opportunity for hands-on training with it.

Introduction to Traditional Lead Climbing

Instructors: Tbd

The biggest reason to learn trad is the vast opportunities the skill opens to climb both in your backyard and around the globe. In this clinic, we’ll teach real world skills to climb real world trad, but we’ll focus on grades that help you learn to place sound protection, manage a rope line, and route-find.

We teach all lead climbing curricula on "mock-lead," meaning the leader is always connected to a top-rope system in addition to a lead rope. Meanwhile, your instructor ascends next to you on a fixed line, enabling in-the-moment feedback, consultation and reassurance.

This course will review traditional gear placement and anchor systems, and build fundamental lead climbing skills. We will emphasize placing solid gear on lead and artfully belaying a lead climber.

Prerequisites: Some initial climbing and belaying experience is important. It’s hard to learn to lead anything without some basic top-roping experience.

Skill Level: Beginners and sport climbers will get the most out of this clinic. More experienced traditional lead climbers might enjoy a refresher and feedback from the instructor, but this clinic focuses on introducing trad climbing to a newer audience. 

Equipment Needed: Personal climbing equipment including shoes, harness, helmet, personal anchor and belay/rappel equipment, closed-toed hiking shoes, lunch/calories, hydration, and appropriate climbing clothing. Please bring a rack of hardware/protection if you have one, as instructors will have a limited amount of gear to share.

**Note: This course does not include or focus on sport lead climbing.**