Women’s Colorado Climbing Camps

Gym to Crag Weekend – Colorado Front Range

A two-day climbing weekend designed for gym climbers and outdoor top-rope climbers who are ready to make the transition to real rock. This course bridges the gap between indoor movement and outdoor climbing systems, giving you the skills, confidence, and understanding needed to climb independently outside on sport routes and managed top-rope terrain.

This program is ideal for climbers who feel comfortable in a gym setting but want to learn how to apply those skills in a natural environment—whether that means climbing sport routes for the first time, learning how outdoor anchors work, or beginning the progression toward lead climbing on bolts.

With access to some of the best Front Range climbing areas including Boulder Canyon, Clear Creek Canyon, and Eldorado Canyon State Park, your guide will choose the best location each day based on conditions, objectives, and group ability.

What You’ll Learn

This course is focused on building real-world outdoor climbing competence, including:

• Transitioning from gym movement to outdoor rock movement
• Outdoor belaying systems and safety protocols
• Top-rope setup and anchor fundamentals
• Introduction to sport lead climbing systems
• Clip-stationing and rope management
• Reading outdoor routes and finding holds
• Managing risk in a natural environment
• Building confidence climbing outside independently

Optional Friday Evening Kickoff (1–2 Hours)

Kick off the weekend with a relaxed meet-and-greet and ground school session at the Black Diamond Store Boulder on Pearl Street in Boulder.

This session includes:

• Introductions with your guide and group
• Overview of weekend objectives
• Basic outdoor systems and safety concepts
• Gear check and preparation
• Black Diamond gear discount opportunity

This is a great way to get oriented before heading into the field.

Weekend Itinerary

Day 1 – Foundations & Outdoor Systems

• Meet your guide in Boulder or Golden
• Gear check and course overview
• Approach to climbing area
• Introduction to outdoor systems and safety
• Top-rope climbing and movement coaching
• Belay practice and anchor systems overview
• Intro to sport climbing systems (as appropriate)
• Debrief and prep for Day 2

Day 2 – Progression & Independence

• Review of systems and safety refresh
• Movement refinement on outdoor rock
• Continued top-rope or sport climbing progression
• Introduction to lead climbing concepts (for appropriate groups)
• Efficiency, decision-making, and route management
• Personal feedback and next-step progression plan

Introduction to Traditional Climbing Weekend – Colorado Front Range

Step into the world of traditional climbing with a focused two-day instructional weekend designed for climbers ready to move beyond sport climbing and develop real gear-based skills. This course introduces the systems, decision-making, and techniques required to climb safely and efficiently on traditional protection in a controlled, supportive environment.

Perfect for climbers who have experience leading sport routes or are comfortable climbing outdoors and want to expand into trad climbing, this program builds a strong foundation in both technical systems and real-world application.

With access to some of Colorado’s best learning terrain—including Eldorado Canyon State Park, Boulder Canyon, and Clear Creek Canyon—your guide will select appropriate terrain based on conditions and group experience.

What You’ll Learn

This course focuses on developing core traditional climbing skills, including:

• Fundamentals of traditional climbing systems
• Placing and evaluating protective gear (cams and nuts)
• Building and cleaning trad anchors
• Following and cleaning traditional pitches
• Rope management and efficiency on gear routes
• Climbing movement on varied trad terrain
• Risk management and decision-making in the alpine environment
• Introduction to leading trad climbs (for appropriate participants)

Optional Friday Evening Kickoff (1–2 Hours)

Begin the weekend with a relaxed meet-and-greet and ground school session at the Black Diamond Store Boulder on Pearl Street in Boulder.

This session includes:

• Introduction to your guide and group
• Overview of weekend objectives and terrain
• Basic trad systems and equipment overview
• Gear check and preparation for the weekend
• Black Diamond gear discount opportunity

Weekend Itinerary

Day 1 – Foundations of Trad Climbing

• Meet your guide in Boulder or Golden
• Gear introduction and systems overview
• Approach to selected trad climbing area
• Following and cleaning trad routes
• Anchor systems and safety fundamentals
• Introduction to gear placement theory
• Movement coaching on gear-protected terrain

Day 2 – Systems & Progression

• Review of gear and systems
• Continued following and cleaning trad pitches
• Intro to placing protection under supervision
• Building and managing trad anchors
• Efficiency, rope systems, and risk management
• Introduction to leading trad climbs (as appropriate)
• Debrief and progression plan

Why Take This Course?

Traditional climbing requires a different level of awareness, systems knowledge, and decision-making compared to sport climbing. This weekend is designed to remove confusion, build confidence, and introduce you to trad climbing in a structured, professional environment.

By the end of the course, you’ll understand how trad systems work, how to safely follow and clean gear routes, and what it takes to begin your progression toward leading traditional climbs.

Perfect For Climbers Who:

• Have sport climbing experience and want to expand into trad
• Want to learn gear placement and anchor systems
• Are comfortable climbing outdoors and ready for more complexity
• Are preparing for alpine or multi-pitch objectives
• Want structured instruction in a real-world setting