Flash Foxy
Education Courses
presented by Arc’teryx with support from Goodr
What kinds of courses does Flash Foxy Education offer? So many!
*Please note: not all courses currently available
The Flash Foxy Education program is designed to meet you where you’re at and help you gain the skills you need to understand risk and be a responsible climbing partner from your first outdoor climbs to ascending the big walls of your dreams! Not sure what course is right for you? Check out our quick guide below and email education@flashfoxy.com if you have any questions or concerns!
QUICK GUIDE TO COURSES
*Please read CLIMBER REQUIREMENTS carefully prior to registering for any course.
Course Offerings
2-day Intermediate/Advanced Course
Intro to Big Wall
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Have you always gazed up at the tall walls of places like Yosemite Valley, and wondered how to climb them? This clinic will cover the essential skills for ascending walls that are too hard to climb without aid - that's placing and pulling up on gear, rather than making upward progress with just our hands and feet. We'll go through basics of aid climbing with and without ladders, "jugging" or ascending a fixed rope, big wall anchors, hauling your food and overnight gear in a haul bag, as well as packing and planning for multiple days on a wall.
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*Practice aid climbing by placing trad gear and using ladders, daisies, and fifi hooks to make upward progress.
*Learn how to ascend a fixed line with ascenders/jumars, daisies and ladders.
*Be proficient at “lowering out” – following a traversing pitch of climbing on jumars safely and efficiently by lowering yourself on a fixed piece of gear with a gri gri.
*Practice hauling a heavy bag with a progress capture device and learn about safety considerations around hauling.
*Best practices at setting up big wall anchors and keeping them organized.
*Learn about more advanced big wall gear, such as portaledges, hooks, beaks, copperheads, and more.
*Be proficient around big wall difficulty rating and jargon.
*Connect with other climbers interested in big wall climbing.
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Must be able to belay someone on a top-rope. Some experience with trad gear (e.g. have taken an Intro to Trad course) is required.
2-day Intermediate/Advanced Course
Intro to multi-pitch
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Flash Foxy’s Trad Anchors + Rescus Skills course covers essential anchoring and rescue skills for a successful outing at your favorite single-pitch sport or trad climbing crag. This course gives you all the tools you need to support the act of climbing itself. We’ll cover setting and cleaning anchors, be it on bolts, with traditional protection such as stoppers and cams, or by using a static line with terrain features like boulders and trees. Additionally, we’ll cover solutions to common mishaps at the crag, be it getting hair caught in a belay device, a rope being too short for a route, ascending a rope to help a climber, or hauling a climber through a crux as the belayer.
This is a skills intensive course, and we’ll focus on learning fundamentals on the ground, then practicing those skills in a low-risk vertical setting with review and feedback from our instructors. Most of our course time will be spent working on skills with very little rock climbing, so come prepared to spend time hanging in your harness!
This course combines the Intro to Trad Anchors and the Rescue Skills courses, with additional, thorough instruction on trad gear anchors and top-accessed anchors, and a more holistic approach towards everything you need to know for managing climbing in the single pitch setting.
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*Have a working knowledge of key equipment, including climbing shoes, harnesses, helmets, chalk, dynamic climbing rope and static lines, slings/cordelette, carabiners, quickdraws and alpine draws, cams and stoppers, assisted and non-assisted belay/rappel devices, and friction cords.
*Practice building common single pitch anchors on bolts and with traditional protection.
*Practice building not-so-common single pitch anchors with terrain features.
*How to safely manage a crag that’s accessed from the top.
*Be proficient cleaning anchors via lowering + rappelling, including at least two variations for each and improvised rappel skills, including using two ropes for long single pitch routes.
*Practice basic rescue skills, including belay takeovers, ascending (including improvised tools), hauling, and lowering with another climber in the system.
*Be knowledgeable about anchoring (“rigging”) and rescue jargon.
*Connect with other climbers interested in single pitch climbing.
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Participants have top-roped a minimum of ten climbs on at least three separate occasions outdoors. Some experience placing and cleaning trad gear - for example, in Flash Foxy’s Intro to Trad course - is required. Some experience with leading sport (indoors or outdoors), and/or following trad climbs is helpful, but not required.
2-day Intermediate/Advanced Course
Trad Anchors + Rescue Skills
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Flash Foxy’s Trad Anchors + Rescus Skills course covers essential anchoring and rescue skills for a successful outing at your favorite single-pitch sport or trad climbing crag. This course gives you all the tools you need to support the act of climbing itself. We’ll cover setting and cleaning anchors, be it on bolts, with traditional protection such as stoppers and cams, or by using a static line with terrain features like boulders and trees. Additionally, we’ll cover solutions to common mishaps at the crag, be it getting hair caught in a belay device, a rope being too short for a route, ascending a rope to help a climber, or hauling a climber through a crux as the belayer.
This is a skills intensive course, and we’ll focus on learning fundamentals on the ground, then practicing those skills in a low-risk vertical setting with review and feedback from our instructors. Most of our course time will be spent working on skills with very little rock climbing, so come prepared to spend time hanging in your harness!
This course combines the Intro to Trad Anchors and the Rescue Skills courses, with additional, thorough instruction on trad gear anchors and top-accessed anchors, and a more holistic approach towards everything you need to know for managing climbing in the single pitch setting.
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*Have a working knowledge of key equipment, including climbing shoes, harnesses, helmets, chalk, dynamic climbing rope and static lines, slings/cordelette, carabiners, quickdraws and alpine draws, cams and stoppers, assisted and non-assisted belay/rappel devices, and friction cords.
*Practice building common single pitch anchors on bolts and with traditional protection.
*Practice building not-so-common single pitch anchors with terrain features.
*How to safely manage a crag that’s accessed from the top.
*Be proficient cleaning anchors via lowering + rappelling, including at least two variations for each and improvised rappel skills, including using two ropes for long single pitch routes.
*Practice basic rescue skills, including belay takeovers, ascending (including improvised tools), hauling, and lowering with another climber in the system.
*Be knowledgeable about anchoring (“rigging”) and rescue jargon.
*Connect with other climbers interested in single pitch climbing.
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Participants have top-roped a minimum of ten climbs on at least three separate occasions outdoors. Some experience placing and cleaning trad gear - for example, in Flash Foxy’s Intro to Trad course - is required. Some experience with leading sport (indoors or outdoors), and/or following trad climbs is helpful, but not required.
2-day Intermediate Course
Intro to Trad
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Flash Foxy’s Intro to Trad Climbing* course equips climbers with the skills they need to explore the adventurous practice and spirit of traditional climbing whether you're new to the craft or trying to refine the skills you already have. We’ll cover the essentials like learning how to place stoppers and cams, and we’ll also have candid conversations about risk and how to manage it when the variables start to add up. Our instructors will provide low-risk practice environments during the course and review the skills you need to continue your trad climbing journey after the course. Plus tips on how to go live when you’re ready!
*Trad climbing is a form of lead climbing. The climber and rope both start at the bottom, and the climber clips the rope to temporary anchor points (i.e. removable protection placed in the rock like stoppers and cams) as they ascend the wall. At the top, the climber establishes a more robust anchor and lowers or rappels off. Climbers and belayers must be aware of a number of additional factors while leading and belaying leading, including the potential for more impactful falls.
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*Have a working knowledge of key equipment, including climbing shoes, harnesses, helmets, chalk, climbing rope, slings/cordelette, carabiners, quickdraws and alpine draws, cams and stoppers, and belay/rappel devices.
*Experience and participate in common practices, including stretching, warming up, reading a route, and working a route.
*Practice (mock) belaying a lead climber with an assisted-braking device, including setting up to belay, managing the rope, taking and giving slack, catching falls, and lowering a climber.
*Practice (mock) leading up and lowering down a route, including tying-in with the figure eight follow-through, placing and clipping gear, finding and maintaining stances, managing the rope, falling, and doing system checks with their belayer.
*Practice building and cleaning common single-pitch anchors, including via lowering + rappelling.
*Practice and receive coaching on basic and intermediate climbing movement.
*Be knowledgeable about trad climbing jargon.
*Connect with other climbers interested in trad climbing.
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Participants have top roped a minimum of ten climbs on at least three separate occasions (indoor or outdoors). Experience sport climbing (indoors or outdoors) and/or following trad climbs is helpful but not required.
2-day Novice Course
INTRO TO OUTDOOR TOP ROPING + ANCHORS
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Flash Foxy’s Intro to Outdoor Top Roping* + Anchors course is great for everyone from first-timers to experienced indoor climbers. Top roping is one of the most accessible forms of climbing, and this course will give you all the tools you need to build your own anchors and climb on them! We’ll cover basic outdoors skills, technical systems, and all the tips and tricks you need to have the best outdoor climbing experience possible.
*Top-roping is roped climbing with an anchor already established at the top of the climb. Falls are virtually inconsequential since the rope will catch you almost immediately.
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*Have a working knowledge of key equipment, including climbing shoes, harnesses, helmets, chalk, climbing rope, slings/cordelette, carabiners, and belay devices.
*Experience and participate in common practices, including stretching, warming up, reading a route, and working a route.
*Be proficient belaying a top-rope climber with an assisted-braking device, including setting up to belay, taking and giving slack, and lowering a climber.
*Be proficient climbing up and lowering down a route, including tying-in with the figure eight follow-through and doing system checks with their belayer.
*Practice building and cleaning common single pitch anchors.
*Practice and receive coaching on basic and intermediate climbing movement.
*Be knowledgeable about top-roping jargon.
*Connect with other climbers interested in top-roping.
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None. Beginners welcome!
1-day Intermediate Course
Rescue Skills - single pitch
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Flash Foxy’s Intro to Rescue Skills course helps you prepare for those inevitable mishaps at the crag, and how to extricate you and your climbing partners from them so you don’t have to call for a rescue. We’ll cover basic methods of ascending a rope to help a climber, assisting a climber through a crux from both above or below, taking over a belay from someone else, and simple rappel techniques. We'll use scenarios to explore improvised solutions and best practices, instead of just teaching a few cookie-cutter drills that might not apply in the real world, and you’ll leave with a solid set of tools to handle most situations that could happen at a crag.
This is a skills intensive course, and we’ll focus on learning fundamentals on the ground, then practicing those skills in a low-risk vertical setting with review and feedback from our instructors. Most of our course time will be spent working on skills with very little rock climbing, so come prepared to spend time hanging in your harness!
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*Have a working knowledge of key equipment, including climbing shoes, harnesses, helmets, chalk, climbing rope, slings/cordelette, carabiners, and belay devices, and friction cords.
*Practice basic rescue skills when belaying from below, including belay takeovers, ascending (including improvised tools), assisting a stuck climber, and lowering with another climber in the system, with coaching and feedback from instructors.
*Practice rescue skills when belaying from above, including assisting and hauling a stuck climber.
*Be proficient at descending and rappelling in the single pitch setting.
*Be knowledgeable about rescue jargon.
*Connect with other climbers interested in single pitch climbing.
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Some experience top-roping indoors or outdoors is required.
2-day Novice Course
SPORT CLIMBING 101
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Flash Foxy's Sport Climbing* 101 course covers all the skills you’ll need to break into outdoor sport climbing or firm up the skills you already have. You will have time to practice essential skills like belaying and lead climbing in a low-risk mock setting, and our instructors will equip you with the skills you need to continue your practice even after the course. Ultimately, mock leading isn’t the real thing so we’ll also make sure you have the knowledge you need to break into live leading when you’re ready.
*Sport climbing is a form of lead climbing. The climber and rope both start at the bottom, and the climber clips the rope to temporary anchor points (i.e. metal bolts in the rock) as they ascend the wall. At the top, the climber establishes a more robust anchor and lowers off. Climbers and belayers must be aware of a number of additional factors while leading and belaying leading, including the potential for more impactful falls.
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*Have a working knowledge of key equipment, including climbing shoes, harnesses, helmets, chalk, climbing rope, slings/cordelette, carabiners, quickdraws, and belay devices.
*Experience and participate in common practices, including stretching, warming up, reading a route, and working a route.
*Practice (mock) belaying a lead climber with an assisted-braking device, including setting up to belay, managing the rope, taking and giving slack, catching falls, and lowering a climber.
*Practice (mock) leading up and lowering down a route, including tying-in with the figure eight follow-through, clipping, finding and maintaining stances, managing the rope, falling, and doing system checks with their belayer.
*Practice building and cleaning common single-pitch anchors.
*Practice and receive coaching on basic and intermediate climbing movement.
*Be knowledgeable about sport climbing jargon.
*Connect with other climbers interested in sport climbing.
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Must know how to belay someone on top rope. Participants have top roped a minimum of five climbs on at least two separate occasions (indoors or outdoors). Experience sport climbing indoors is helpful but not required. Instructors may ask that participants be able to climb a certain grade level or difficulty depending on the constraints of the venue; when applicable, this will be communicated clearly.
1-day Novice Course
Intro to Top Rope Anchors
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Flash Foxy’s Intro to Top Rope* Anchors course is great for indoor climbers looking to learn how to safely set up their own ropes outdoors. Top roping is one of the most accessible forms of climbing, and this course will give you all the tools you need to set up your own anchors for top roping (or to inspect the anchors your friends make!). We’ll cover basic outdoors skills, technical systems, and all the tips and tricks you need to have the best outdoor climbing experience possible.
*Top roping is roped climbing with an anchor already established at the top of the climb. Falls are virtually inconsequential since the rope will catch you almost immediately.
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*Have a working knowledge of key equipment, including climbing shoes, harnesses, helmets, chalk, climbing rope, slings/cordelette, carabiners, and belay devices.
*Be proficient belaying a top rope climber with an assisted-braking device, including setting up to belay, taking and giving slack, and lowering a climber.
*Be proficient climbing up and lowering down a route, including tying-in with the figure eight follow-through and doing system checks with their belayer.
*Practice building and cleaning common single-pitch anchors, including top-access skills.
*Be knowledgeable about top roping jargon.
*Connect with other climbers interested in top roping.
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Must know how to belay someone on top rope.
1-day Beginner Course
Intro to Outdoor Top Roping
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Flash Foxy’s Intro to Outdoor Top Roping* course is great for everyone from first-timers to experienced indoor climbers. Top roping is one of the most accessible forms of climbing, and this course will give you all the tools you need to get started or build on the knowledge you already have. We’ll cover basic outdoors skills, technical systems, and all the tips and tricks you need to have the best outdoor climbing experience possible.
*Top roping is roped climbing with an anchor already established at the top of the climb. Falls are virtually inconsequential since the rope will catch you almost immediately.
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*Have a working knowledge of key equipment, including climbing shoes, harnesses, helmets, chalk, climbing rope, carabiners, and belay devices.
*Experience and participate in common practices, including stretching, warming up, reading a route, and working a route.
*Be proficient belaying a top rope climber with an assisted-braking device, including setting up to belay, taking and giving slack, and lowering a climber.
*Be proficient climbing up and lowering down a route, including tying-in with the figure eight follow-through and doing system checks with their belayer.
*Practice and receive coaching on basic and intermediate climbing movement.
*Be knowledgeable about top roping jargon.
*Connect with other climbers interested in top roping.
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Experience top roping or bouldering indoors is helpful but not required.
1-day Beginner Course
BOLDLY Bouldering OUTDOORS
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Boldly Bouldering Outdoors will go over everything you need to know to about heading outdoors to boulder responsibly. From how to pick the right boulderfield for you to how to pull on once you’re there, we’ll dive into the basics of how to have a great time pebble wrestling and answer all-important questions like: “What snacks should I bring?” and “Is that a mattress on your back?”
Whether it’s your first time touching non-plastic rocks or you’re a trad mami who wants to experiment without ropes, this clinic is ideal for any climber who would like to learn more about bouldering outside. In this course, we will cover foundational skills such as building a safe crashpad landing, spotting, and more techniques for climbing outside.
*Bouldering is rock climbing on boulders that are typically short enough to climb unroped without the risk of serious injury. Foam pads are placed on the ground for protection.
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*Have a working knowledge of key equipment, including crash pads, climbing shoes, chalk, and brushes.
*Experience and participate in common practices, including stretching, warming up, reading a problem, working a problem, falling, and getting down from the top of a boulder.
*Practice risk identification and management skills, including proper falling and spotting techniques, pad placement, and tools for topping out and descending boulders.
*Practice and receive coaching on basic and intermediate climbing movement.
*Be knowledgeable about bouldering jargon.
*Connect with other climbers interested in bouldering.
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Beginners welcome! Experience bouldering indoors is helpful but not required.
