Outdoor Rock Intro

Course Agenda

Saturday: 8:00am at the Yamnuska Office & Local Climbing Area

• Welcome, introduction, goals and agenda.
• Issue gear.
• Introduce movement on rock
• Review knots, introduce basic belay systems and belay calls
• Rappelling & lowering.
• Coached movement skill training on 'top-roped' climbs.

Sunday: At Local Climbing Area

• Warm up.
• Review belay systems.
• More climbs. Different movement skills are introduced and with careful coaching you will be surprised at what you will find yourself climbing.
• Introduction to seconding sport and 'trad' climbs. Especially if going on to the 'Plus Day' you will need to be able to remove the gear the instructor places on lead. You will also learn to belay a lead climber.
• Debrief and wrap-up by 5:00pm.

Rock Climbing Locations

We use a variety of locations on this program. These include the Yamnuska "Practice Cliffs", Zygote Buttress near Exshaw, Wasootch Creek in Kananaskis Country, Rundle Rock at Banff or, one of our favorites, " Back of the Lake" at Lake Louise. They are all great beginner rock climbing areas in beautiful mountain locations.

'Plus Days'

Stay for an extra day and put your new skills into practice on a classic Canadian Rockies multi-pitch climb. The instructor to student ratio is 1:2. We divide into compatible teams, choose a suitable 'multi-pitch' route (several rope lengths in height) and spend the whole day climbing it. Climbs include routes on Mt. Yamnuska, Kid Goat Buttress, Tunnel Mountain and Cascade. $255 plus GST. Available every Monday following 'Outdoor Rock Intro'.

Meeting Time and Place

The course begins at the Yamnuska office at 8:00am on the Saturday morning. The Yamnuska office is located at 200, 50 Lincoln Park, Canmore. See this map for location.

Instructors & Group Size

Enthusiastic and extremely talented, your instructors hold climbing certification from the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides. Our instructors are chosen not just for their technical climbing virtuosity but also for their ability to instruct and coach.

Instructor to student ratios range down from 1:6.  On "Plus" days 1:2 is the norm. Minimum group size is 3.

Transportation

To keep prices down participants are responsible for their own transport to Canmore and during the program. Canmore is a 1hour (100km) drive west from Calgary.

If you are flying from afar for the program we suggest that you rent a car for your visit. In addition to getting you to the climbing locations it will allow you to explore our region after program hours. For example you can visit Banff and enjoy the hot pools and sample the numerous restaurants.

Frequent shuttles connect Calgary International Airport and Canmore. Greyhound Bus Lines (1 800 661 8747) serves Canmore from points east and west along the Trans-Canada Highway.

Accommodation & Meals

These are not provided as part of the course. There are lots of options available including campgrounds, hostels, B'n'Bs, motels and hotels. Check accommodation options on our links page for our recommendations. The Alpine Club Clubhouse (403 678 3200) is a good hostel here in Canmore with good facilities and reasonable prices.

For your convenience we can arrange hotel accommodations in Canmore for $160 per night. Double or single occupancy, the cost is the same. This accommodation can be booked with the trip online or by calling us. Subject to availability.

Food is not supplied. You will need lunch and something to drink each day. Bring plenty to drink and a lunch plus energy snacks.

Equipment & Clothing

The course fee includes use of rock shoes and technical gear although you should feel free to bring any gear you already have.

The weather encountered on this program varies greatly, with the courses at the beginning and the end of the season more prone to cold conditions. The list below covers all possibilities. Should sunny warm conditions be forecast some items may be unnecessary. Remember that weather can change fast so even if the day starts out sunny you may still need rain gear in the afternoon. Conditions on the higher climbs on the 'Plus Days' are often colder.

Clothing and Equipment List

• Lunch, snacks and plenty to drink
• Daypack (large enough for spare clothing, your lunch & personal and group climbing gear)
• Sunglasses
• Sun cream
• Rain Gear
• Clothing allowing for easy and complete range of movement
• Warm weather gear (fleece jacket, long johns, warm hat, etc.)
• Rock shoes (available for your use at no extra charge, please let us know in advance if needing to use these)
• Hiking boots or running shoes for the hike to the climbing area.
• Harness, helmet if you have them (we will supply these if necessary)

Please book as early as practical to avoid disappointment. We require full payment on booking.

We ask that you familiarize yourself with our detailed booking instructions and conditions.

Please note that you will be required to sign our waiver before commencing the program. Please view our sample waiver copy.

There are two basic types of insurance that most travellers need to consider: Medical and Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance. We offer our guests coverage for both and highly recommend you purchase it.

Emergency Medical Expenses Insurance:

There is no charge for rescue/evacuation in National Parks so long as you have a valid National Park Entry Pass (available at the park gate). However, it is also wise to ensure that your health plan will cover you in case of illness or accident while here.

Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance:

We recognize many of our guests are busy profesionals and their schedules can change without notice. We strongly recommend the optional 'Cancel for any reason' insurance through our adventure insurance provider. Flight delays and other unplanned events are unfortunately a reality and it may not be possible for us to delay a trip departure for a guest(s).

Yamnuska offers an "Adventure Travel Protection Plan" through Travel Guard insurance. This plan offers comprehensive coverage for all your travel needs including trip cancellation/interruption, emergency medical expenses, and personal effects loss. For more information and to purchase this coverage visit Travel Guard's website.

For the convenience and peace of mind for our guests, we chose Travel Guard as a comprehensive insurance provider. We highly recommend purchasing this insurance and ask that you familiarize yourself with their program and our cancellation policies (available under the Booking Info tab).