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Climbing Course

Dry Tooling

Dry Tool Course

NOTE: for 2024, this course will only be open to Foothills Climbing Volunteers and Climbers. This is a brand new course and we're actively tweaking/working the course

NOTE NOTE: members of Foothills Climbing that meet the minimum volunteer requirements and are accepted into the course will have their fee waived.


This course introduces concepts to mixed climbing. Over the course of a few months, students will get the opportunity to climb on a variety of surfaces using tools and crampons, potentially  culminating  in a winter mixed climb.

Course objectives

  • Learning about gear for dry tooling
  • Dry tooling techniques, including pick placements, footwork, movement, and strategy
  • Ethics and where to go climbing
  • Optional: Top Rope Soloing

Course  Sessions include

  • Kick off & Dry Tooling at the Seattle Program Center
  • Dry Tooling at the Barne
  • Climbing at Cougar Drytool Crag
  • Climbing at Wayne's World

 Prerequisites

  • Sport Climbing or Leading on Bolts Badge (or equivalent)
  • Rappel Badge

Graduation Requirements

  • Safely demonstrate all skills taught in the course
  • Lead a 5.7/D3+/M3+ or greater route during the course with ice tools and crampons

Your Course Fee Breakdown is as follows

  • Guide/Instructor- $120 for one evening session and two hours of guided instruction by Tom Bierne of the Barn/Art of the Axe
  • $50 for program center use, permitting, and Mountaineers general use

Application

  • Leader Permission is required to enroll in this course. Instructions for applying

  1. Email me using the request leader permission/apply button between June 11-June 25
  2. In your email, including a short summary of the number of hours you've volunteer plus the activity name between October 1, 2023 and June 25, 2024. You can get a quick summary of this by going to "My Volunteer Hours" when you click on your profile
  3. Hang out and keep climbing while I figure out how to prioritize folks
Course Requirements
Course Activity Date Availability Leader
Dry Tooling Lectures/Skill Nights
Seattle Program Center
Tue, Sep 10, 2024
Registration closes Sep 8
4 participants
5 instructors
Private Residence
Tue, Sep 24, 2024
Registration closes Sep 22
4 participants
1 instructor
Dry Tooling - Crag Sessions
Cougar Mountain Crag
Sat, Oct 19, 2024
Registration closes Oct 17
4 participants
5 instructors
Exit 38/Drytool Crag
Sat, Nov 16, 2024
Registration closes Nov 14
4 participants
5 instructors
Roster
Required Equipment

Required equipment

  • Harness
  • Helmet
  • Assisted Brake device
  • Rock shoes
  • Mountaineering Boots
  • Climbing gloves (recommend multiple lightweight gloves for climbing)
  • Belay Gloves
  • Warm Gloves (cuz you know, weather)

Recommended (you will learn about these in class, do not buy anything until after the first lecture)

  • Technical Alpine Tools with appropriate picks
  • Monopoint crampons
  • Eye protection
  • Pitons
  • Leashes
Course Materials

There are no materials for this course.