Montana Rock Climbing Expedition

This ten-day course is a back-country climbing expedition in the northern Rockies of Montana. It features extended rock climbing instruction at a variety of sites in an area full of awesome climbing. You should expect to spend half your time climbing and learning technical skills and the other half traveling between sites. Students enrolling should be expecting to climb, be willing to try hard and be into learning the technical side.

Tucked away in southwestern Montana is a relatively small area called The Humbug Spires, where geology stepped out of the ordinary. Erosion and extrusion together left this area littered with rock fins and narrow rock points (“spires”). It is a perfect place to focus on climbing. Learn setups and safety and experiment with friction climbing, mantles, crack climbing and bouldering.

Adjacent to The Spires are the Highland Mountains, a graceful range with lower elevations rolling hills. Many courses take side trips into this area for solo or a peak ascent.

The Outward Bound Difference
This will not be a guided trip, it is a real expedition. That means you and everyone in your group will participate in everything from cooking to navigation to learning knots. A team effort means sharing the load and working to make sure that the gear is divided appropriately, that the team works together to reach goals each day

Course Description
Wearing a harness that allows a rope to be secured to your body, you climb up, while your belayer hauls up the rope as you climb so there is never any slack in the rope. The belayer uses a metal friction device that allows him or her to “lock” the rope in place so it will catch you if you fall. Fall!!! What!? Yes, you may fall. Yes, the rope will catch you. Faith in equipment, faith in yourself, freedom to try something daring and scary…that is the fun of rock climbing. Heart pounding, senses heightened, you get to, literally in some cases, take a leap of faith. It will stretch your limits, your perceptions and your muscles.

The Spires, jam-packed with fabulous climbing sites, is the perfect place to focus on climbing technique, set-ups, route selection, boulder problems, rappelling and anchor placement. Instructors with wilderness climbing experience teach with an extra emphasis on leadership, judgment and achievement. This course is a wilderness expedition with a series of rock camps. You will camp near one or more climbing areas where you will stay for two nights or more.

Drink water and sleep well the days before your course so you are well prepared for the new altitude. You will start off at about 6000 feet and gradually walk up to higher altitudes. After moving out of you suitcases and into our backpacks you will spend the first night camped near or at the edge or the Humbugs. The first days will be all about learning. Learning to navigate and building the wilderness living skills you will need to travel. By the first or second night you will be at you first rock camp. Start off focused on safety, rope handling, gear care and communication protocols for climbing. Progress to climbing technique instruction and then hit the rocks. Instructors coach and teach, supporting you, providing tips and other keys to success.

Near the end of your course, you and your group will take a break, find a special spot, even farther off the beaten path than you have already been, and spend a day or three at rest. Your instructors will assign each of you separate campsite, and there you spend 24-48 hours, sleeping, writing, sunning and pondering. Instructors check-in regularly.



NOTE: This Rock Climbing course is a back country expedition with a focus on rock climbing. You will do a lot of climbing but you will backpack with climbing gear, group and personal gear nearly every day. Your daily miles will not take you as far but you will carry packs heavier than the typical backpacking packs.

To enroll in this course click the enroll button next to the course dates that work for you. To shop comparatively on line visit our Advanced Course Finder or better yet call one of our expert Admission Advisers at 866-467-7651. Course tuitions listed below do not include our Application Fee or Transportation Fee.

Region: Montana

Activities: Rock Climbing, backpacking, solo, service and final expedition

Additional Information:
Application Fee
Transportation Fee

Dates	Days	Age	Location	Tuition	Course	Enroll
06/20/08 to 06/29/08	10	16-18	Montana	$1795.00	DXN831
07/14/08 to 07/23/08	10	16-18	Montana	$1795.00	DXN832
08/06/08 to 08/15/08	10	18-22	Montana	$1795.00	DXO833