Australian School of Mountaineering

Introductory Rockclimbing

Get a taste of rockclimbing before committing yourself to a full climbing course!

Our introductory course will let you experience the fun and excitement of vertical rock by giving you the maximum amount of climbing activity interspersed with some important instruction to help you along the way.

Afterwards you'll be able to return to complete day two of our Rock I programme to bring you up to a full Beginners Rockclimbing level! The climbing will range from easy to challenging with ample opportunity for you to try a range of varied climbing styles from faces to jamb cracks. There will also be a class in abseiling for those who have never experienced that activity.

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Rock I (Introductory Rock Climbing, 2 days)

Considered by many to be the finest novice rockclimbing course available anywhere!

In recent years the adventure sport of rockclimbing has become the fastest growing outdoor activity of all and our two-day beginners course is the best way for you to discover why!

We were all meant to be climbers. Nature equipped us at birth with this essential skill. Unfortunately in our rush to grow into more sophisticated and civilised beings this ability is quickly lost! The Rock I Course will help you re-discover the freedom and basic pleasures of climbing a rock.

The weekend begins with a short audio visual and instruction in the fundamentals of abseiling and basic rockclimbing including:

• The art of safe movement on rock
• efficient use of holds
• rope handling
• tying knots
• belay anchors and belaying techniques.

On this course you’ll also learn to select and use the latest in modern abseiling and rockclimbing equipment. Throughout the day your instructors will accompany you on a special selection of graduated climbs.

The second day of the course is devoted solely to the simple joys of climbing, with your instructor aiming to take you on as many varied climbs as possible. The object will be to learn and develop your skills and techniques as you climb! This is the ideal course for the beginner or indoor climbing gym user who wants to make the transition to real rock.

After this course you will be able to competently climb with experienced leaders on short moderately graded rock climbs.

"Besides being a great day of climbing, I thought the selection of climbs was great, the instructors excellent, and the day was extremely well organised …"

Perry Potter, Rock I Course participant

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Rock II (Intermediate Rock Climbing, 2 days)

Once you've mastered the basics, this course will take you one step higher!

This course further expands your technical skills and increases the experience gained on our basic course. In two days we prepare you to climb at a higher standard on more technical multi-pitch climbs. Along the way you will also get the opportunity to do some of the finest, classic Blue Mountains rockclimbs!

Participants have the opportunity to learn different and more advanced free climbing techniques including:

• crack climbing, lay-backing and slab climbing
• seconding technique on multi-pitch ascents
• protection systems
• advanced rope management and use
• route selection and hazard assessment.

Rock I or similar experience is a prerequisite for this course. Watch your grades climb!

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Rock III (Comprehensive Rock Climbing, 4 days)

The most complete rockclimbing course you will ever attend!

The Rock III Comprehensive Course is the perfect extended instructional program, which is suitable for participants with little or no previous climbing experience. Rock III is also great training for participants who wish to convert from indoor climbing walls to real rock.

We visit some of the best climbing venues in the Blue Mountains offering you the finest climbing instruction and completing some great classic rock climbs along the way. Each day we sample some of the finest climbs on offer in the Blue Mountains. We combine and extend the contents of our Rock I and Rock II Courses to bring you four days of concentrated climbing activity and instruction. This course provides the relative newcomer with a comprehensive rock climbing background. If you are serious about becoming a dedicated rock climber then Rock III is for you!

"Thanks again for a wonderful experience, for giving your time and for sharing your knowledge … "

Phip Stewart, Rock III Course participant

"The highest level of professionalism I have come across in the eight years I have been involved in adventure sports! … "

Richard Hall, Rock III Course participant

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Sport Climbing (2 days)

Sport climbing is undoubtedly the most popular form of climbing the world over. The thrill and challenge of lead climbing, with the security of pre-placed bolts, allows the climber to push themself both physically and mentally.  

If you regularly climb outdoors as a second or on top-rope at least to grade 16 confidently, and would like to take the next step, our sport climbing course will teach the essentials for leading bolted sport routes.

Our two-day course includes:

• runner placement and clipping methods
• cleaning a route
• threading/cleaning an anchor
• stances for clipping/conserving energy
• safety considerations (rope positioning, leader falls)
• belaying methods for lead climbing
• route selection and assessment

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Learn to Lead (2 days)

Climbing at the “sharp end” is the ultimate vertical experience!

As a budding climber the time will arrive when you feel you are ready to cast off the top ropes and learn to become a lead climber. The decisions you now make could be the most important ones of your whole climbing career! The ASM Lead Climbing Course introduces you to both sport and trad climbing, and is an excellent introduction to the specialised art of lead climbing. This course will get you well on your way to becoming an all-round, self-sufficient climber.

Our two-day lead-climbing course will teach the aspiring lead climber the skills required for safe, efficient lead climbing.

The subjects covered on this course include:

• detailed selection and use of equipment
• racking systems
• protection systems
• advanced rope management
• runner placement
• route selection and assessment
• mental and physical preparation for effective lead climbing.

Course participants will learn while they climb and they can look forward to leading a number of selected classic climbs under the close supervision of their instructors.

Intending participants should have previous rockclimbing and abseiling experience and be able to second/top rope to at least grade 16.

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Indoor and Outdoor Climbing Conversion

Take the challenge - from indoor gym climbing to real rock!

This course is not a beginner's rockclimbing course but is a training program designed to respect and enhance your existing climbing experience and skill!

The Indoor/Outdoor Course will cover such techniques as:

• rope handling
• safe belaying and abseiling skills
• Climbing techniques
• climbing route selection and appraisal.

There's also a lesson in crack climbing techniques. All the instruction takes place on the rock and you learn while you climb! Our instructing team is highly experienced and well travelled so you can look forward to seeing and sampling the latest in both local and overseas climbing trends. During the course you will also climb some classic Blue Mountains rock routes and go away confident in the knowledge that you will be able to follow your lead climber on real rock. This course will teach you more in a day than you will learn on your own in a month!

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Aid Climbing & Big Wall (2 days)

If you've learnt to climb "free" and you aspire to take on the world's big walls then this course is for you!

Aid climbing and living on big walls is a highly technical aspect of modern rockclimbing and involves the use of a vast array of specialised equipment and techniques not commonly used in more conventional climbing situations. Our instructors have a great deal of big wall experience having climbed on many famous big wall routes both at home and abroad. Their big wall adventures have included notable ascents in such places as Yosemite, The Alps and also many of the famous Blue Mountains big wall routes such as the mighty "Dog Face". While this type of experience is hard won and valuable, our instructors are always ready and keen to share this knowledge with you! On this course we cover all the essential subjects required for aid and big wall climbing. These include - the use of equipment: - pitons, nuts, skyhooks, etriers, belay seats, and mechanical ascenders for direct aid ascents. The techniques; placing points of aid, using double ropes, hanging belays, sack hauling, hanging bivouacs, are all taught and then put into practice on short aid climbs.

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Climber Self Rescue

So you own a mega rack, you've mastered slabs and cracks and you've got your leading honed? Then now is the time to learn some really important climbing skills!

Climbing is great fun when it works like it should! But what happens when it goes wrong? Are you ready? Are you prepared? You've got yourself into trouble, now can you get yourself out? Could you improvise a system to raise an exhausted climbing partner? How about escaping from the belay? Do you know the safest options for retrieving a stuck rope? Can you rescue an unconscious lead climber? You owe it to yourself and your climbing friends to learn these rescue skills!

The ASM Climber's Self-Rescue Course is designed to provide you and your climbing partners with the vital skills required to initiate a Self Rescue in virtually any climbing related scenario. This course is suitable for all climbers, whether you're into sport, adventure, or top-roping, every recreational climber will benefit from this training! Let ASM help you to become a more self-reliant climber.

The subjects covered in the course will include:

• Rope & Rack - Your Improvised Self-Rescue Kit
• Useful Knots for Self Rescue
• Advanced Anchor Workshop - What Holds it all Together
• Advanced Prussiking - The Latest Skills for Climbers
• Climber Risk Management - Anticipating and Minimising Risk
• Escaping The Belay - Getting Free of the Rope System
• Incident Assessment - Making The Right Decisions
• Casualty Access - Aiding the Fallen
• Climber Rescue - Lowering and Raising Systems
• Training Scenarios -Rescuing The Second / Rescuing The Leader
• Evacuation - Improvised Carrying Systems
• Some Essentials - Little Things That Make a Big Difference!

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