We’ll meet at the Synnott Mountain Guides office at Ragged Mountain Equipment in Intervale, New Hampshire at 8am. After getting outfitted with rock shoes, chalk bags, harnesses, belay devices and helmets, we’ll head right out to the cliff. Once there, we’ll introduce you to some fundamental climbing concepts, including how to tie in, how to belay, and how to perform our routine safety checks. Then, we’ll practice smearing, edging and other foot techniques, as well as some basic finger and hand jamming in cracks.
After practicing some of these basic techniques in the morning, we break for a quick lunch, then get right to the climbing. Depending on a number of variables (your prior experience, weather conditions, other parties, etc.), we may either work on a number of different toprope climbs, or head for one of the multi-pitch routes. With so many cliffs to choose from in Mt. Washington Valley, each course is different from the last one, and is tailored to the climbers enrolled on that day.
This course can be taken as one, two, three, or even five days. On multi-day courses, subsequent days will be spent tackling longer and slightly more difficult climbs. You might spend time on a classic route at Cathedral Ledge, such as Upper Refuse (4 pitches, 5.5), Thin Air (4 pitches, 5.6), Funhouse (3 pitches, 5.7), or Bombardment (2 pitches, 5.8). We can also explore some of the long, sweeping routes at Whitehorse Ledge, like Standard Route (6 pitches, 5.7), and Beginners Route (5 pitches, 5.7), both of which offer upwards of 800 feet of climbing. As you progress as a climber we’ll introduce new and more challenging techniques, while always keeping it informative, fun and engaging.
