Whether you’re a beginner or have been climbing for 30 years, you can always learn something to make you a better climber.
Upcoming courses
I’m offering three levels of traditional climbing courses that provide a solid foundation for the aspiring trad climber. The curriculum covers everything from first placements to multipitch efficiency, and includes direct instruction, hands-on practice/drills, and constructive feedback through every step.
- Trad 1: Gear placements, anchor craft, and basic station management skills.
- Trad 2: Single pitch traditional lead climbing, advanced anchoring.
- Trad 3: Multipitch station management, transitions, leading, and descents.
Courses are best taken in sequence, though you may jump in at any level if you meet the prerequisites.
As in previous seasons, I am also offering Self-Rescue for Multipitch Climbing. This course covers the essential skills needed to mitigate or manage accidents in multipitch terrain.
See the schedule of classes here: https://rocksandropes.com/thebloc/classes/, please click on “Outdoor Workshops/Clinics” from the selections on the left.
Why take climbing courses?
For the beginning climber, learning the right techniques can save hours of frustration, help avoid dangerous situations, and reduce the chances of getting hurt.
Learning to make placements, lead, build anchors, belay, route find, and manage time, rope, and transitions are all important aspects of climbing. Teaching these skills requires a completely sound knowledge base, a logical approach to teaching, and a massive amount of experience. Very few recreational climbers possess these qualifications. A certified guide, however, has undergone rigorous training and examination to demonstrate competence in both climbing and instruction.
Even for people who have been climbing for years, there is always something to learn. I have been climbing since 1997 and have watched thousands of people climb. A few of them have been excellent – great movement skills, a wide array of technical skills, and a good sense of when to apply them. Most, however, have weaknesses that are slowing them down, limiting what they can climb, placing them at increased risk, or just making their climbing less enjoyable.
Honestly consider the questions below:
- Can you build a multi-directional, equalized anchor?
- Do you know what “extension” in an anchor is, and the reason it’s a concern?
- Do you know what the effective ranges of your cams are?
- Do you know when it is appropriate to extend a draw on a piece of gear?
- Do you know how much force is generated in a typical lead fall? How much force is generated in a toprope fall?
- Do you know there’s a much better option to tying in with a daisy chain?
- Are you able to belay two people at the same time while keeping the station organized?
- Do you know when it is better to belay off the anchor vs from your harness?
- Do you know when it is better to belay with an autolocking device vs a plaquette device vs a plate device?
- Can you escape a loaded belay?
- Do you know how to quickly and easily extend the master point of your anchor?
- Do you know when to use hip belays vs terrain feature belays?
- While belaying a second to an anchor, could you set up a rappel and have yourself on rappel before your second arrived?
- Do you know how to back up rappels and lowers?
- If your partner were injured on a multipitch climb, could you smoothly and efficiently get him down, even if he is unable to assist?
- If you had to lower someone 350 feet with two joined ropes, could you do it smoothly and confidently? How about if your partner was unable to assist you by unweighting the rope?
- If your partner was injured on lead beyond the halfway point of the rope, would you know how to get them him down?
- Using a mechanical advantage, could you raise a second up a pitch if the circumstances demanded it?
- Do you know the advantages and disadvantages of tandem, simultaneous, and counterbalanced rappels?
- Can you manage your rope at belay stances? How about two ropes? At hanging belays? When swapping leads vs not swapping leads?
- Have you practiced these skills in the last month? In the last 6 months?
You might be asking if you really need to learn all of this. My answer: the more you know, and the greater your experiences, the more fun you can have. In climbing, greater skill leads to greater adventures.
Check out a list of certified providers in your area at www.amga.com
Reviews
Have you taken a class with me? If so feel free to leave a review below.
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I recently completed the Multi-Pitch Self Rescue course and it was one of the most valuable climbing courses I have ever taken. The instruction was clear, hands-on, and built real confidence in systems that could truly save a life. Every climber who spends time on multi-pitch terrain should be armed with this knowledge. When things go wrong in the mountains, your preparation matters. As the saying goes, “Luck Favors the Prepared.” This course gives you the tools, mindset, and repetition needed to handle real situations when they matter most. Highly recommended for anyone serious about climbing safely and responsibly.
Thanks Nico! It was great to have you in the class and I am so happy to see everything you have accomplished!
This course really blew my mind. Very informative with a lot of hands on practice/instruction. Geir delivers the class in a very fun manner while still emphasizing the importance and seriousness of the content. This is very much a course any serious climber should take!
Thank you Skyler! It was great having you in the class!
Hands down the most comprehensive climbing course I’ve experienced. From sport to trad, every lesson was dialed in perfect pacing, seamless skill progression, and instruction that kept me fully engaged. I walked away with sharper technique, stronger confidence, and even more passion for climbing. This is a must-do course for any climber!
Thanks Nico for your thoughtful review!
Just wrapped up the Trad 2 Course, what an incredible experience! Geir’s expert instruction and decades of hard-earned wisdom take your climbing to the next level. Every course he runs is packed with gold-standard techniques, pro tips, and pure inspiration. Highly recommended!
Thanks Nico!
Completed my Trad 3 multipitch course and I’m still buzzing. I went from zero trad knowledge to confidently placing gear, building anchors, and leading a full multipitch route. Grateful for the progress and for the mentorship Geir brings, so much knowledge poured into these courses and the development behind them.
Thanks Nico! It was great working with you!
I had expected this class to be helpful and informative, but it really blew me away. Geir does such a great job of managing the flow and the material of the class, I felt constantly engaged and excited. The demos feed seamlessly into the hands-on portions and I really felt like I was getting a feel for the knots and how to think through the various scenarios that might arise. Plus, it's so clear that Geir has spent years thinking about these techniques and refining them specifically with recreational climbers in mind. I'd strongly recommend this course to other climbers venturing into multi-pitch terrain, regardless of the grade you're climbing or the expertise you think you have. Now I need to take these skills home and practice!
Thanks Michael!
I recently took a trad climbing course with Geir, and I can't recommend it highly enough. From start to finish, the experience was engaging, informative, and incredibly valuable. Geir is not only deeply knowledgeable about climbing, but also a gifted teacher—clear, patient, and passionate about sharing his expertise.
I learned far more than I expected. Geir broke down complex techniques in a way that made them easy to understand and apply, and his emphasis on safety, good judgment, and efficiency really helped build my confidence. Whether it was gear placement, anchor building, or route strategy, every aspect was covered with a depth that only comes from years of real experience.
Learning trad and other climbing techniques from a professional like Geir is something I now believe is absolutely essential. There's a huge difference between picking up tips from friends or videos and getting hands-on instruction from someone who truly knows the craft. If you're serious about becoming a safe and competent trad climber, investing in a course like this is one of the best things you can do for yourself.
Thanks Chris! It was great having you in the class!
This was an excellent class for a sport climber transitioning into the traditional climbing world. Geir is a world class instructor who is knowledgeable, patient, and always willing to answer even the most far-fetched hypothetical questions. His strong focus on safety and education made me feel comfortable in a new environment and left me feeling confident and ready to start practicing my gear placements. I can’t recommend Geir’s course enough!
Thanks Christian! It was great to work with you!
These techniques are inherently somewhat complex, but Geir presented them in a way that was easy to understand and entertaining. His sense of humor was helpful in keeping everyone engaged and energized. I can't recommend Geir's course enough. Take it. You'll be glad you did.
Thank you Jerry! It was great to have you in the class!
The instruction was very well organized from the fundamental knots to using those knots for baseline setup to different maneuvers off that baseline. The material is dense for a day and geir is very knowledgable on any questions, including other non related climbing topics.
Thanks Bo! It was great to have you in the class!