Rock Climbing Courses
intro to outdoor climbing
This is an entry level course to guide new climbers into the outdoor world of climbing. The primary focus of this course is to mentor climbers looking to transition from the gym to the real rocks and usher first time climbers into the sport.
Skills taught in this course:
– Safe Belaying
– Leave No Trace
– Climbing Technique
– Commands
– Crag Safety
– Outdoor Climbing Safety & Awareness
Whether you’re a first timer or not, come join us for a climb!
Multi pitch day
This trip is designed to take you high into the vertical environment. Multi pitch climbing is all about clocking hundreds of feet of climbing in a day. With one of our experienced guides, you can spend the day on the rock face climbing and hanging out. We run 1:1 guided climbs and also 1:2 if you’d like to bring a friend.
Skills taught on this trip:
– Multi Pitch Climbing Commands
– Belay Management
– Self Care In A Vertical Environment
– Lead Belaying
– Personal Anchor Systems
This trip is for any skill level of climber, but it is more advanced and committing than our intro day.
Entry Level Multi Pitch
Grade III – Grade IV Multi Pitch on Calaveras Dome
See link for details ^
outdoor sport climbing
This is an entry level lead climbing course that provides a pathway for indoor sport climbers to take themselves outdoors safely and competently. This course is designed to take gym leaders and show them the skills to achieve a high level of safety and competency as an outdoor sport leader.
It is recommended, but not necessary that you are already familiar with indoor lead climbing.
Skills taught in this course:
– Clipping Techniques
– Rope Management and Foot Positioning
– Lead Belaying
– Top Rope Anchor Building
– Cleaning & Lowering Off
– Rappelling
– Pitfalls and Safe Practices Outside
– Stick Clipping
Anchor Building
This course is designed to teach students how to build anchors of all types with different types of protection and material. This is a great entry level and intermediate course designed to focus anchor building and applications of different anchor set ups. We will cover building your own anchor with trad gear, natural protection and fixed gear.
Skills taught in this course:
– Anchor Building Fundamentals
– Creating a Redundant System
– Extending a Master Point
– SERENE/EARNST
– Pre Equalized vs Self Equalized Anchor
– Multi Directional Gear Placements
This course is perfect for climbers looking become confident in setting their own top rope anchors and for climbers looking to get a full breakdown of everything anchors!
2 Day intro to trad climbing
This is a 2 day course focusing on trad climbing and gear placements. This course is designed to teach students how to place their own gear and build anchors with their own protection. The objective of this course is to get students comfortable climbing on their own gear in a single pitch setting. This course is taught as a 4:1 ratio. Exception to this can be made, but smaller groups are better for this style of course.
It is highly recommended that you are already familiar with sport leading inside or outside before taking this course. This course is geared for trad climbing gear placements and leading over gear. It is assumed you are already familiar with basic lead climbing fundamentals
Skills taught in this course:
– Passive Gear Placements
– Active Gear Placements
– Gear Extensions
– Basic Anchor Building
– Racking
Multi pitch course
The multi pitch course is designed to teach aspiring multi pitch trad climbers the fundamentals of multi pitch climbing. The purpose of this course is demonstrate safe practices when climbing long routes and create a toolbox for climbers to dig into when problem solving on route. Rope management, self care, communication, technical systems and safely navigating descents are crucial components of success in the mountains. Let Vertical Pursuits give you high end instruction to solidify your skills.
This is an advanced course. It is highly recommended that you’re already comfortable leading on traditional gear or sport climbing before taking this course
Skills taught in this course:
– Belay Management
– Multi Pitch Strategies
– Commands & Communication
– Multiple Rappel Descents
– Rope Management
– Choosing Your Kit and Racking
2 Day Self rescue course
This is a 2 day course focusing on rescue techniques to prepare you to get your injured climber or yourself off a route. These skills are crucial for anyone spending time in the mountains in technical terrain. Being able to get yourself or a partner out of a potentially life threatening situation with your own technical systems and knowledge is crucial for any climber venturing out of single pitch terrain.
It is recommended that you already are familiar with basic Multi Pitch and anchor systems before taking this course
Skills taught in this course:
– Haul Systems: 2:1 drop loop, 3:1, 5:1
– Leader Pick Off
– Releasable systems
– Belay tie off
– Counter balance lower
– Tandem Rappel
– Anchor Management with patient
– Rescue Resources
3 day intro to big wall climbing
This is a 3 day course focusing on techniques to climb multi day big walls. The purpose of this course is to teach climbers big wall tactics and provide a toolbox for aspiring wall climbers. This course combines multi pitch systems with wall specific skills such as hauling, following on ascenders and aid climbing. If you’re looking to climb your first big wall, let Vertical Pursuits coach you in the dark arts of wall climbing!
It is highly recommended that you already are an experienced and confident multi pitch trad climber. This course is geared for multi day big wall climbing systems. It is assumed you are already confident with multi pitch trad climbing prior to the course.
Skills taught in this course:
– Strategy
– Packing a Haul Bag
– Hauling
– Belay Management
– Racking
– Aid Climbing
– Following on Ascenders
– Rappelling with a Haul Bag
– Self Care
– Avoiding Common Pitfalls
Mentorships/Custom Days
This is option is designed to allow you to build your specific day of instruction and guiding or build a long term mentorship to achieve your goals in climbing. The purpose of this is to allow each climber to choose their exact goals for skill building or customize a day of climbing. Whether you’re looking to have a tailored day for a birthday party or event or want a qualified instructor to mentor you for the next year to achieve the biggest climbs of your life, Vertical Pursuits is here!
Get In Touch! We’re here to take you to the next level!
Skills taught in this course:
– Anything you want!
F.A.Q.
If these don’t answer your question, feel free to send us an email!
Absolutely! The entire purpose of Vertical Pursuits is to create a positive environment for climbers of all types to learn and experience the vertical world. The intro to outdoor climbing is the ideal day for a brand new climber!
Vertical Pursuits is a climbing company based in Sacramento, CA, but provides courses and climbing trips to anyone in California. We’re primarily running trips in Northern California, but have the ability to operate anywhere in the State provided that we can acquire permits or authorization to the area in question.
Yes, we rent climbing shoes, harness, helmet, and belay device. We also supply you with a top notch climbing instructor
Reach out! We’re happy to accommodate any kind of climbing trip for any type of skill level. We can create events from birthday parties, corporate leadership building and everything in between!
Vertical Pursuits is a brand new guide company that was started just recently in Sacramento, CA. Our owner and founder has been guiding and developing climbing programs for the past 8 years and finally decided to bring his knowledge and expertise to his home town of Sacramento!
It’s normal to be afraid of heights! If humans didn’t have a natural fear of heights, we would’ve walked ourselves off of cliffs long ago. Owning up to the natural fear allows us to use it as a tool to conquer our emotions and succeed in a challenging environment.
George Mallory, while being interviewed about why he wanted to climb Mt. Everest, made a reply that has been quoted to this day, “because it’s there.” The pursuit of challenging one’s self is an ancient concept pre-dating the modern day act of “rock climbing.” We live in a time where comforts and life is as easy as ever. To pull ourselves back to our roots and to push ourselves in nature is an integral part of the human experience! The blatant fear of the unknown is what success is born from.