This course is focused on helping competent and safe rock climbers build the skills and confidence to lead climbing trips with the Alpine Club.  Although the skills will be in a rock setting, many of them will be useful in any type of trip.  The focus of the day will be on reviewing key critical technical skills to lead others on a cragging day, selection, use and care of key equipment, crag and multipitch safety in a group setting, vetting trip participants, group dynamics, selecting appropriate crags/climbs, and other important factors to running a safe, fun, and successful day of rock climbing.  The course is intended to empower climbers to become trip leaders with the Alpine Club, or to help current trip leaders brush up and expand their leadership skills.  The course will be taught by ACMG guide Brent Peters or another Peak Stratagem guide.

Participants are expected to have solid basic rock climbing (top rope) and belay (lead and top rope) skills.  There is no particular grade you need to be able to climb, as long as your skill level matches trips you lead with the club.  Being able to lead climb may be an asset, but this course will also equip top rope only climbers to lead trips at appropriate crags.  If you wish to become a trip leader with the Calgary section you must have been a member for a year and have at a minimum, standard first aid (wilderness recommended), however you can take this course if you are missing one or both of those requirements understanding that you will need to meet them to become a trip leader. 

Participants in this course are encouraged to volunteer to assist on Rock Review trips on Sunday with other club leaders as available or connect with other club leaders to practice their learned skills.  Completion of the course along with a recommendation from the guide and another club leader fulfils the reference check portion of the Climbing Leader Questionnaire and assisting a trip on the Sunday of Rock Review will also help in the vetting process.  Participants who are or become trip leaders and lead 3 climbing trips in the next 12 months will also qualify to apply for an additional $75 subsidy on top of the regular trip leader course subsidy which can be applied retroactively to the leadership course.

To join the course, please put your name on the waiting list and send a 'resume' of your climbing experience to training@acccalgary.ca.  If you meet the course requirements you will be added to the course once you have paid.  The course will be filled on a first come first served basis for those who meet the basic requirements.  Please do not submit payment until you have been approved for the course.

*Cancellation Policy*: If a participant is unable to attend a paid course or trip, there will be no refund unless the participant finds a suitable replacement that is acceptable to the trip coordinator. Acceptable waiting list candidates will have priority. It will then be the participant's responsibility to recover funds from the replacement. If the coordinator cancels an event, participants get a refund (less any non-recoverable costs). Note that ACC National does not refund hut fees due to weather, delay, closures, or any other reasons. The Calgary Section of the ACC is a not for profit club and we only charge attendees what it costs us to provide courses or trips.