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Multi-Pitch Climbing Course
Take your trad skills up the Stawamus Chief. A one-day course on multi-pitch anchors, belay changeovers, top-down belays and rappelling, so you can climb longer routes on your own.
- Location
- Squamish, BC
- Duration
- 1 Day
- Difficulty
- Intermediate / Expert
- Guest Ratio
- 4 to 1
$199 per person
Book nowLearn to Climb Multi-Pitch Routes in Squamish
Our Multi-Pitch Climbing Course is a one-day course in Squamish, BC for climbers who already lead on trad gear and want to climb longer routes. With an ACMG-certified guide and no more than 4 climbers per guide, you’ll practise multi-pitch anchors, top-down belays, fast changeovers and multi-pitch rappels, finishing with supervised leads. It costs $199 and runs Sundays from May to September and Thursdays from June to August.
With the Stawamus Chief towering 700 m over town, it’s one of our most popular courses. You also get access to our online course to study before and after, plus our top-up clinics through the season.
Take our Traditional Climbing Course first if you’re new to placing gear, and save 10% when you book both together. For route ideas, see our trip reports on Squamish Buttress via Banana Peel and Angel’s Crest, and our tip on top-down belaying.
What does this course cover?
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Part of the Advanced skill set.
Advanced anchor building, top-down belay, efficient changeovers and multi-pitch rappelling focus on this course to get climbers out, sending multi-pitch routes up the Stawamus Chief and Beyond.
- Understanding Required Gear
- Advanced Anchor Building
- Different Methods of Top-Down Belays
- Belay Management
- Efficiency: Climbing and Change Overs
- Multi-Pitch Rappelling
- Supervised Multi-Pitch Leads
- Racking Up, Pre- Climb Prep
Prerequisites
No prerequisites required
Is this course for me?
Our Intro to Multi-Pitch Climbing course is for participants who have outdoor sport climbing experience and have started to lead on trad gear (or have just taken our Intro to Trad Climbing course).
- Previous Trad Lead Climbing Experience.
- Climb Sport 5.9 (outside)
- Proficiency with Belaying
- Proficiency with Climbing Knots and Gear
- Excellent Gear Placements
Includes
- 1 full day out in the field with an ACMG guide
- Access to our online course
- Group equipment
Does Not Include
- Lunch
- Transportation to and from the meeting point
Itinerary
8:30 am - Meet and greet at the Squamish Adventure Center
9:00 am - Travel to Smoke Bluff park and head out to the crag (two-minute drive, ten-minute hike)
9:00 am - 4:00 pm - Climbing, learning, and high fives.
4:30 pm - Back to the cars for debriefing and more high fives
2027 Dates
Frequently Asked Questions
Itinerary
8:30 am - Meet and greet at the Squamish Adventure Center
9:00 am - Travel to Smoke Bluff park and head out to the crag (two-minute drive, ten-minute hike)
9:00 am - 4:00 pm - Climbing, learning, and high fives.
4:30 pm - Back to the cars for debriefing and more high fives
Gear List
Please come prepared to spend the whole day outside in all types of weather. It can be anything from cold in the morning as you will be climbing in the shade to very hot in the sun!
Full pants or Capris.
T-shirt or long sleeve
Warm jacket (sweatshirt, lightweight down jacket)
Rain/wind jacket (gore-tex)
Warm hat (for colder days)
Small backpack (30 litres)
Sunglasses
Good shoes; running/gym shoes are fine
Water, 1 litre
Food
Harness, Helmet, Climbing shoes (let us know if you need rentals)
Lunch/Water
Please arrive in the morning with food and drink for the day. This is also available for purchase at the Adventure center
Booking Policy
Please take a moment to read and understand our policies before booking! All the information you need about booking, payment, cancellation and weather policies can be found in our cancellation policy and FAQs.
What experience do I need?
You should have trad lead experience with solid gear placements, climb 5.9 sport outside, belay confidently and know your knots. Our Traditional Climbing Course gets you there.
What is included?
A full day with an ACMG-certified guide, group equipment and access to our online course. Bring your own harness, helmet and shoes, or let us know if you need to rent them.
Where do we meet?
8:30 am at the Squamish Adventure Centre. Days finish around 4:30 pm.
How many people are in the group?
A maximum of 4 climbers per guide.
Can I combine it with the trad course?
Yes. Book the Traditional Climbing Course and Multi-Pitch together and save 10%. Many people do trad on Saturday and multi-pitch on Sunday.
Can teenagers join?
Minors need a parent or legal guardian to sign their waiver. Climbers 16 and over are welcome with a parent or guardian on the course. Younger or unaccompanied minors are considered case by case, so contact the office first.
Reviews
“We did a two day, trad and then multi-pitch training. It was super fun and incredibly informative. Tucker was really friendly and knowledgeable. Really fun to climb with and learn from. ”
“I want to say a big thank you to the Altus team for enabling my future multi-pitch adventures, I feel really good about how today's course has prepared me for the big leagues ”
