With over 2,800 established routes, Red Rock Canyon is one of the largest climbing meccas in the United States. Located just 45 minutes from the Las Vegas airport, this National Conservation Area has world class routes that are accessible to climbers of all ability levels, making it the perfect venue for beginner trad climbers, hard-core sport enthusiasts, and multi-pitch masters alike. Â
Our three-day trad course is designed to take competent gym and outdoor sport climbers through the foundational skills necessary for making the shift leading traditional routes without fixed bolts or anchors and introducing multi pitch skills. If you are looking to level up on your outdoor climbing and open up new route possibilities by leading trad and shorter multi-pitch routes this is a great course for you.
2026 Course Dates:
Day 1: We will start off the course with a comprehensive review of placing gear and building anchors, establishing effective communication between belayer and climbers, and mock leading.
Day 2: Building off of the skills covered on Day 1, we will shift into considerations for belaying from above and multi-pitch transitions, as well as rope and belay station management.
Day 3: The course will conclude with an introduction to self rescue techniques. How do you get to a climber who is injured and above you (ie, after taking a lead fall)? How do you descend with an injured partner? How can you bail and get off a route quickly if there are no fixed anchors? These are crucial skills every outdoor climber should have in their toolkit!
Difficulty Level:
Click here to learn more about difficulty ratings.
Overall Difficulty: moderate
Skills Required: confident leading sport up to 5.8
Fitness level: good physical fitness
Prior to the start of your trip, your guide will reach out to the group to assess everyone's interests and skill level. We will do our best to accomodate requests for specific crags or routes, provided that there are good options to meet the needs of everyone in the group.
If you already have a rack, we would encourage you to bring it. While trad gear is fairly standardized, there can be small differences between different brands and generations. Learning on your own gear is best. If you do not have a rack, or have gaps in your gear, the guides can provide you with any additional pieces you may need.
