What is the Exit 38 Series?
The program in a nutshell:
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Climbing sessions every other Wednesday evening from 4-8:30pm
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Dates: June 17th, July 1st, July 15th, July 29th, August 12th, & August 26th
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5:1 max climber to instructor ratio
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Focus on leading sport and outdoor climbing self sufficiency
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Cost: $675 for all 6 sessions ​
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Who is this for?
Climbers looking for more self sufficiency: This series is intended for Seattle-area locals looking to get out of the gym and out to the crag on weeknights. This program is a great way to meet other local climbers and find new climbing partners!
Climbers of all genders: This program is for anyone of any identity. The instructors are cis queer people who intend to create an environment that welcomes all experiences but specifically encourages a trauma-informed, non-competitive learning space.
Climber Prerequisites
This program is designed to help climbers transition from a gym or mostly top rope environment to an outdoor sport crag. Participants will get the most out of the series if they are able to*:
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Top-rope 5.9 in the gym or 5.7 outside without falling or taking
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Tie in with a figure-8 follow through and top-rope belay
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Some exposure to lead climbing or belaying is helpful but not required
* If you’re curious about this program but not sure if it’s a good fit, please reach out! We’re always happy to talk more about experience levels and answer any questions.
What’s included?
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Instruction covering sport leading, lead belaying, and setting and cleaning anchors, and the opportunity to practice these skills with supervision from a certified guide
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Group gear: ropes, anchoring material, belay devices, quick draws*
* Students are welcome and encouraged to bring their own gear if they have it! Always a good idea to get to know what you have.
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What’s not included?
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Personal climbing gear - helmets, harness, climbing shoes*
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Transportation to the Exits, including WA State “Discover Pass” needed for parking
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Guide gratuity
* Depending on need we may have one or two extra helmets and harnesses to lend, but no climbing shoes.
Curriculum Details:
Our aim is to give students the skills necessary to become competent and safe outdoor climbers, and we have some flexibility to teach to what the group needs to reach this goal.
Lead climbing and belaying: We’ll start with an introduction to clipping bolts, lead strategy, and tips for a secure and comfortable belay. Students will have several opportunities to mock lead and mock belay to give a low stakes practice ground to try new things. During the second half of the summer, we will work toward live leads.
Building and cleaning anchors: Setting up a top rope anchor and being able to get your anchor back when you’re done are key skills for any outdoor climber. We’ll cover the basic principles of anchor building, as well as how to stay safe and get back to the ground when you’re done.
Outdoor climbing movement: Climbing outdoors can feel really different to climbing in a gym. Add in the need for balance and rest while managing the rope while leading, and your movement quickly becomes the highest priority for your safety while sport climbing. We’ll cover some base line techniques to keep in mind, and work on various styles or drills to improve your movement confidence.
Other Skills: Depending on time and group interest, we can also cover other skills to help you grow as a climber - rescue skills, fixed line ascension for photography - let us know what you’re interested in!
Location
“The Exits” or Exit 32, 34, and 38 are the closest high density climbing area to Seattle, and a really great place to cut your teeth at outdoor climbing. So called because of the i90 freeway exit you take to get to each location, the largely metamorphic outcroppings along the i90 corridor offer a great variety of bolted routes from super chill intro routes to quite hard sport crags. Some crags are quite close to a parking lot, some require a bit of a Cascades classic slog uphill, but the views are always worth it.
Why Sign Up for a Multi-Week Series?
Grow Confidence in Skills: We’ve taught enough weekend climbing courses to know that it takes more than two days to solidify new skills. This series will introduce concepts in bite-sized chunks, rather than hitting you with a fire-hose of information. You’ll get ongoing practice and feedback over the course of the whole season. With more sessions over a longer period of time, you’ll gain more confidence and competence as an outdoor climber.
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Learn Your Local Crag: A season-long program will also give you a thorough introduction to climbing at the Exits. We hope to go to different crags with different strengths every week. By the end of the season you’ll have a good mental map of the area and feel more empowered to get out on your own!