Intro to Trad Climbing
Intro to Trad Climbing
- June 21st @ Lover's Leap
- $249 per Person
- 4 Students per Instructor
Or call/text us at (916) 299-0711
Unlock access to the most rewarding experiences climbing has to offer!
Begin your trad climbing journey! This course will guide you through the fundamentals of placing gear, building anchors, and leading with confidence on the “sharp end”.
Whether you’re transitioning from sport climbing or are completely new to outdoor climbing, this hands-on experience focuses on skill-building in a supportive environment. With personalized instruction, you’ll gain the knowledge and techniques to safely explore the world of traditional climbing at your own pace.
Who is this course for?
You already lead sport climbs indoors or outdoors and want to make the transition to trad.
You have climbed some trad with a mentor but you want to get some professional instruction.
You’ve taken a trad course before but its been a while or you just want to review the material.
Itinerary
We’ll start off with some discussion about what trad climbing is, how it differs from other forms of climbing, and what we can expect from the day. We’ll discuss some new equipment and terminology before getting some practice with placing trad gear into the rock. After some time with that we’ll move onto the ropes and do some mock trad leads while backed up with a top rope. You’ll get feedback on your placements and perhaps even take some small falls on them. We’ll wrap up with some basic 3 and 4-point traditional anchor-building considerations before calling it a day.
Curriculum
- Trad vs sport considerations
- Trad climbing equipment
- Cam and nut placement basics
- Assessing rock quality
- Where/when to place protection
- Trad anchors
- Incremental falling practice
What's Included?
- Ropes
- Trad Gear (Cams, Nuts, Draws) Bring your own if you have it!
- Anchor Building Material
- Personal Climbing Gear (if requested in advance): Harness, Helmet, Shoes
What to Bring
- Harness, Helmet, Climbing Shoes (let us know if you need to borrow these!)
- Trad rack (not required), alpine + quick draws, locking carabiners, slings/anchor material, belay device, crack gloves.
- Personal food, water, clothing, and backpack for a day outside
Prerequisites
- Lead climbing experience
- Solid lead and top rope belaying skills
- Capable of top roping 5.8 outside
- At least 6 months of climbing experience
*unsure of these prerequisites? Contact Us.
Possible Course Locations
Next Course Details
- June 21st @ Lover's Leap
- $249 per Person
- 4 Students per Instructor
Or call/text us at (916) 299-0711
stoked
Climbers!
EXCELLENT Based on 37 reviews Evan Emolo26 May 2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I hired Erik at Vertical Pursuits for a two private lesson focused on becoming an effective multipitch trad leader on moderate climbs. We covered protection placement, anchor building, and the "storybook," as Erik calls it, for an effective multipitch system. Erik is super genial—his friendliness is matched by his extensive knowledge. I was really happy with how everything turned out. The end of the second day's lesson wrapped up with me leading a 5.6 multipitch. I felt quite confident, given everything Erik taught me, and I had a blast climbing it. He also followed up with a list of gear and recommendations on how I can continue improving on my trad knowledge. I highly recommend Vertical Pursuits for anyone looking to enhance their climbing skills and have an amazing experience! Jacob Schonberg20 May 2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Erik was an incredibly thoughtful, energized, and patient instructor. The vibe of the whole day was friendly and warm and helpful. I feel like one day with Erik made a huge difference in my climbing and I am looking forward to doing another class sometime next year! Azucena Monroy15 May 2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I really enjoyed the self-rescue clinic with Kevin and came away having learned a lot. Kevin is highly knowledgeable and teaches in a way that’s clear, practical, and easy to remember. I would highly recommend Kevin and Vertical Pursuits to climbers of all levels and backgrounds—they do a great job tailoring the experience to meet your needs. Zach Medina6 May 2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. My experience with Erik as a rock climbing instructor far exceeded my expectations. From the start, Erik went above and beyond to make the class happen. Despite unpredictable weather, he worked hard to reschedule when rain was inevitable, finding a date that worked for most of us instead of simply canceling. I took the Intro to Sport Climbing class, and I was impressed by how well Erik balanced teaching the essentials without overwhelming us with unnecessary complexity. His goal was clearly to make us independent climbers, giving us the knowledge and confidence to climb safely on our own. He was extremely safety while keeping the instruction approachable and effective. What stood out the most was the atmosphere Erik created. It felt less like a formal class and more like climbing with supportive friends while still learning valuable skills. Time never felt rushed or constrained. He was fully present and invested in each of us. Erik appeared passionate about climbing, teaching us, and the broader climbing community. I'm a big 'outcomes' person. I've taken other intro to sport classes before meeting Erik, and left those classes more confused than when I came in. After taking Erik's Intro to Sport, I feel like I can independently climb outdoors now. Mission accomplished! I’m already looking forward to taking another class with him. I couldn’t have asked for a better instructor or experience. Highly recommended! Angela Khermouch5 May 2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Took an intro to sport training with Erik and was blown away by how approachable his teaching method is - he really gets to the core of what you need to know out there and is excellent at assessing and building on the skills you already have. 10 out of 10 will climb with Vertical Pursuits again! Sarah Harvey22 April 2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I did a private multi pitch day and a 2 day crack climbing clinic with Kevin in Moab. I had an awesome experience and felt super safe. I got so much out of the whole weekend. Kevin is super knowledgeable and went over and beyond to make sure that we got as much out of the weekend as we could! The crack climbing clinic gave me a lot of solid techniques to work with and try outside. Kevin really tailored the experience to what we wanted to get out of the whole weekend. I would highly recommend any courses or private guiding with Vertical Pursuits. It really is a game changer on building your confidence and leveling up your Climbing. nicholo plaza17 April 2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Had an absolute blast with Vertical Pursuits. We had Erik and Haley as our guides for a trad climbing progression course in ORG. Not only were they super knowledgeable, but just had good vibes all around. They were happy to answer questions, provide a thorough explanation, and demonstrate things in action. 10/10 would recommend! Jeff Pang16 April 2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Had a great time on the wall with Erik and Haley in the Owens River Gorge. They are great teachers and awesome people. I hadn't been outdoor climbing in years, but with their guidance I got to project my first 5.11 and took a whipper or two. 🙂 Aaron31 March 2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I initially signed up for the Trad Beyond the Basics class with Kevin but decided to switch to a private 1-on-1 session instead. Kevin really focused on my specific challenges in trad climbing, helping me build my confidence with placements and falling. His teaching comes from real-world experience, and it was amazing to have the chance to practice and fall on actual routes. I had an excellent experience, and the instruction was super helpful in boosting both my skills and confidence, making me feel ready to tackle harder routes. Big thanks to Kevin! Nick DeRosa17 March 2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. A private day out climbing w/ Kevin @ Vertical Pursuits is exactly what you need. He's detailed, personable, funny, & one hell of a climber/teacher If you're looking for a "guide service", then you're in good hands - but, in reality, Vertical Pursuits is more than just a guide service—they are mentors and teachers who give you the knowledge and skills to climb independently and be successful (& safe)!