Intro to Trad Climbing
Intro to Trad Climbing
$249
PER PERSON
4:1
RATIO
Independence in this skill, guaranteed.
upcoming dates
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
SEE DATES & BOOK ↓
$249
PER PERSON
4:1
RATIO
Independence in this skill, guaranteed
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Climbers!
Posted on Google 
Misty Lawrence
5 August 2026
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I had taken an intro to trad clinic through another company fairly recently, so I was apprehensive about taking another intro to trad course, but I was still hesitant to lead trad after the first course and a friend recommended Erik so I decided to go for it. I’m super stoked I did! The class was small, only 3 of us, so the course felt very tailor fit to our needs. Erik has a fantastic positive vibe, he’s incredibly supportive, and his instruction was very clear and easy to understand. After a bit of informative ground school much of the course was spent on the wall learning gear placement with his close guidance. By the end of the course all 3 of us led 5.6 and 5.7 routes. I have so much more confidence leading trad now, I highly recommend Vertical Pursuits!!!
Posted on Google
oliver symonds
2 August 2026
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We scheduled an intro to trad course to learn the basics and get familiar with the techniques. Even before the day of the course, Kevin and Erik were super helpful with recommendations and ensuring the day would be dialed in for us. On the day of the course, Erik was an excellent guide covering the basics and quickly getting us on the wall. My son was excitedly putting up trad leads well before the end of the day. It was great having a high level of instruction and mentorship, while feeling less like a guide and more like a coach. We'll be back for sure.
Posted on Google
Harvey Clarke
20 July 2026
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Erik is a fantastic guide - he made trad climbing and multipitch super accessible for a full group of 4 climbers at once. Highly recommend these guys!
Posted on Google
Shari VanT
14 July 2026
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. One of the best, safest, and most fun guides I have climbed with! Highly recommend Vertical Pursuit’s!
Posted on Google
Michael Silvester
25 June 2026
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Erik is an outstanding teacher, guide, and all around great guy! I spent the day with him and one other student at School Rock on Donner Summit taking the Intro to Multipitch course and it was stellar! He has a great teaching style—knowledgeable, patient, and easy to learn from. He broke down complex systems into simple, understandable steps and made sure we felt comfortable asking questions along the way. What really stood out was how invested he was in helping us learn and build confidence. His experience and expertise were obvious, but he never made anything feel intimidating. By the end of the day, I felt much more confident with multi-pitch climbing systems and techniques. If you’re looking for a guide who is professional, approachable, has done laps on El Cap (including The Nose!) and genuinely passionate about teaching, I highly recommend Erik and Vertical Pursuits.
Posted on Google
Olivia Simon
10 June 2026
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I had a fantastic experience learning from Kevin at the Intro to Sport Climbing class. He is an amazing teacher - super kind and never made me feel dumb for asking really basic questions. The format of the class is awesome. You get time on the ground to learn skills and then get to apply them on the wall. Everything feels super safe and thoughtful. I learned a ton and think it's an insane value for the price. It's a whole day of instruction with no more than 4 people in the course, but my course only had 2 so that meant even more time on the wall and extra mentoring. Also, the communication with the Vertical Pursuits team was top notch. Kevin was kind enough to chat with me on the phone before I took the class to answer my questions and make sure the class would be a good fit. He was great about communicating location and timing the day of. And, he followed up after class with an email of everything we talked about + videos and resources for review. If you're on the fence, take the course! It's a great opportunity to learn from real pros and up your knowledge safely!
Posted on Google
Ethan F
31 March 2026
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Kevin brought me and a buddy out to sport climb for the first time, and it was a great time. He's a great mentor who's friendly, knowledgeable, and willing to answer all your stupid questions. He went above and beyond to be helpful, and offered resources even after our day of climbing. Highly recommend!
Posted on Google
Tim Blair
30 March 2026
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Kevin was an awesome teacher and guide. Classes feel more personal because of the limited number of people. We took the trad class, learned how to place gear effectively, then put it to the test the same day. I felt incredibly safe and confident in my and Kevin’s abilities. Thank you for a great climbing day!
Posted on Google
Phoenix Morrow
30 March 2026
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Awesome time learning the basics of Trad climbing with Kevin. The small group helped me and my partner feel like we were able to ask all the questions we needed, and we were able to receive constructive feedback. The guides are very knowledgeable. Highly recommend.
Posted on Google
Melisa Hickman
19 March 2026
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Vertical Pursuits is AWESOME!! I had a trad lesson with Kevin at Sugarloaf. Kevin was extremely safe, thorough, and encouraging. We had just the right balance of ground school and climbing. Before my day with Kevin I was afraid to try anything harder than a 5.7 crack and he helped me to bust right through that fear with his calm, reassuring guidance. I had the best day with him and I feel totally ready to push through my plateau.
