ROCK CLIMBING EDUCATIONAL COURSES

Cliffhanger Guides Presents:

The Rock Climbing Educational Courses

Prior to the last 10 years of owning and operating Cliffhanger Guides, I have worked for nearly a dozen other guide services. When my wife Sabra and I founded Cliffhanger Guides in 2010 we had 2 core principles: First, our mission statement “The more you give, the more you get”. And second, Cliffhanger would only offer high-end, custom-guided experiences with no mixed groups. 10 years later, with 13 local employees, I can say the philosophy has paid off. We will continue to honor these principles; however, for the first time ever, we will add specific goal-oriented curriculums.

Click on a Class Below For More Information

Gym to Crag

Lead Climbing Trad

Lead Climbing Sport

Multi-Pitch

Big Wall Climbing

Self Rescue

rates

2 PARTICIPANTS

3 days | $695 per person

3 PARTICIPANTS

3 days | $615 per person

4 PARTICIPANTS

3 days | $545 per person

Why 3 days for each Individual Module?

All of our curriculums are structured as 3-day modules, over two back-to-back weekends or 3 midweek days.
We strongly believe this is the absolute minimum time it will take you as the student to feel confident and safe to climb on your own.

They are designed with the weekend warriors in mind- leaving room for a 4th day to go play in Joshua Tree National Park and put into practice your newly acquired skills.

True to our philosophy, these educational workshops are offered as private courses with a minimum of 2 students and a maximum of 4. The cost is on a sliding scale. So, if you gather some friends together you get a better deal, and we can continue to pay our staff a livable wage

Cliffhanger will provide private instruction with one of our Senior or Master Guides, plus up to 8 hours of practical field experience per day, and all equipment (as needed).

Preparing for your course:
Pre-course Youtube videos. (it’s highly recommended you watch these videos and practice these skills before the start of your course, this will set you and your guide up for success).

Our good friends at Edelrid are partnering with us for these courses. They’re generously providing a 25% discount card to anyone who takes a Cliffhanger Guides Educational course. From there you should be on your way to building up a personal rack with the tools you’ll need to play on your own.

3-Day GYM TO CRAG COURSE

Anchor and Top Rope Curriculum:

Intro to climbing gear, gear placement & anchoring principles

Personal gear: Shoes, Harnesses, Helmets, approach shoes
Belay/Rappel Devices: Tube, mechanical assist and non-mechanical assist.
Soft goods: Ropes (static and dynamic) diameter and lengths, Cordelettes (nylon and synthetic), slings (nylon and synthetic)
Hardware: Carabiners, stoppers, cams hex, and Tricam, bolts, etc
Knots and hitches review: Fig 8 series ( follow through, on a bight, super 8, flemish bend), bowline, clove hitch, friction hitches (Prussic, Klemheist, Autoblock), basket hitch, girth hitch
Introduction to gear placement and student practice
Introduction to anchor load distribution and student practice
Introduction to Anchor extension and student practice

Anchor building and climbing

Discuss throwing the rope
Open vs closed systems
Rappel options (with back up)
Descend to ground
Discuss good belay technique, belayer position, and ground anchors
Climb routes

After climbing the routes, go back to top clean anchors,
build another set, repeat process.

Open itinerary, review skills as necessary, build anchors, climb, add tricks as time & skill sets allow

3-Day Trad Climbing Course

Learn to place your own protection and lead with confidence on gear

Trad Foundations

Start your journey into traditional climbing with the fundamentals.

Gym vs. sport vs. trad: what makes gear climbing unique
Introduction to trad gear: cams, nuts, slings, tricams, passive vs. active protection. Guide demonstrations and student practice.
Knots for trad systems: clove hitch, munter, prusik, overhand and figure 8 variations
Anchor principles: SERENE/ERNEST (Strong, Equalized, Redundant, Efficient, No Extension)
Climbing focus: Top-roping classic trad lines with a focus on learn crack climbing technique
Ground school

Gear Placements & Anchors

Today we get hands-on with the craft of trad climbing.

Gear placement clinic: cams, nuts, slings, and natural protection
Evaluating rock quality & direction of pull
Anchor building with multiple pieces of gear
Cleaning trad gear efficiently as a second
Movement coaching: crack climbing basics, jams, and efficient techniques
Climbing focus: mock leads (placing gear while on top-rope) with instructor feedback

Leading on Gear

Time to bring it all together under the guidance of your instructor.

Mock leads progress to supervised real leads (when ready)
Belaying a leader on gear (dynamic catches, soft belay)
Building and managing belay stations for single-pitch climbs
Problem-solving scenarios: walking cams, stuck gear, retreat strategies
End-of-day “independent crag session” where students plan, gear up, and climb with instructor oversight
Course wrap-up: personal feedback and progression plan

👉 Outcome: Graduates leave with the skills to safely lead single-pitch trad routes, place solid protection, and build reliable anchors.

✨ Who It’s For:
Confident indoor or outdoor sport climbers ready to take the next step into gear climbing. Prior experience with top-rope anchor systems recommended.

🌵 Why Learn Trad With Us:
Because trad isn’t just climbing — it’s craft, creativity, and self-reliance. Our guides are seasoned desert crack climbers who will share decades of hard-earned wisdom to keep you safe and inspired.

3-Day Sport Climbing Course

Learn to climb bolted routes with confidence, safety, and style

Foundations of Sport Climbing

Your adventure begins with the building blocks of safe outdoor climbing. We’ll cover:

Differences between gym and outdoor sport cragging.
Essential knots and rope management for outdoor use.
Outdoor belay techniques, including catching real falls!
Gear orientation: harnesses, helmets, quickdraws, ropes, and anchor material.

Climbing Focus: Top-rope climbing on bolted routes, with plenty of coaching on movement, efficiency, and rock-reading skills.

Anchors & Lead Climbing Progression

Today, we dive into the heart of sport climbing: anchors and leading. You’ll learn:

How to identify and evaluate bolted anchors.
Building safe, redundant anchors using quickdraws and slings.
Cleaning anchors, threading the chains, and lowering safely.
Lead climbing fundamentals: clipping bolts, rope management, fall zones, and efficient movement.
Belaying a lead climber — catching falls, feeding rope smoothly, and staying attentive.

Climbing Focus: Mock leads on top-rope for safe practice, plus anchor cleaning and rappelling.

Putting It All Together

Now it’s time to climb like a sport climber. Under the guidance of your instructor, you’ll practice a full crag day — from start to finish. We’ll cover:

Route selection, guidebook/online resource use, and crag etiquette.
Partner systems: planning, safety checks, and clear communication.
Students lead climbs (when ready) with instructor oversight.
Anchor cleaning and descent strategies.
Problem-solving scenarios: stuck ropes, tricky clips, or retreat strategies.

Climbing Focus: Supervised leads, anchor systems, and celebrating with climbs you’ve set up and led yourself.

3-Day Multi-Pitch Climbing Course

Step beyond single-pitch climbs and discover the flow of big routes

Multi-Pitch Foundations

We start by building the systems you’ll need for climbing routes with multiple pitches.

What makes multi-pitch different: exposure, commitment, and efficiency
Knots & hitches for multi-pitch systems (clove hitch, munter, overhand, prusik)
Belay station management: stance, anchors, and rope organization
Communication strategies: rope tugs, radios, and voice commands
Climbing focus: single-pitch climbs with mock belay transitions at the anchor

Systems & Transitions

Today is all about smooth, safe changeovers.

Anchor building for multi-pitch efficiency
Belaying from above (direct & indirect methods)
Leader and follower responsibilities at each stance
Rope management: minimizing tangles, stacking for the next lead
Rappelling skills for multi-pitch descents: extended rappel devices, friction backups, knot passing
Climbing focus: link pitches together on easy terrain to practice real transitions

Day 3 – The Multi-Pitch Experience

Now it’s time to put it all together on a real route.

Route selection & strategy: reading topos, estimating time, and choosing gear
Full mock multi-pitch climb with instructor oversight
Students practice swinging leads (if ready) or following efficiently
Managing exposure: staying calm and focused when the ground drops away
Descent practice: multiple rappels, rope retrieval, and common problem solving
Course wrap-up: personal feedback, next steps, and how to keep progressing toward bigger objectives

👉 Outcome: You’ll walk away with the knowledge, systems, and confidence to climb moderate multi-pitch routes safely with a partner.

✨ Who It’s For:
Climbers with experience in outdoor top-roping and anchor systems who want to take the next step into bigger objectives. Some experience following trad or sport climbs is recommended.

🌟 Why Learn Multi-Pitch With Us:
Because multi-pitch climbing isn’t just about rope systems — it’s about flow, partnership, and the magic of moving higher into the vertical world. Our guides will teach you the systems, efficiency tricks, and headspace that transform a day at the crag into a true climbing adventure.