Most climbing instruction focuses on moving upward with leading, building anchors, managing rope. Self rescue is the skill set that prepares you for when something doesn't go according to plan: a stuck rope, an injured partner, a stranded climber who needs to descend or ascend a fixed line. This self rescue class covers the core techniques every committed climber should have before pushing into bigger, more remote, or more serious terrain.

The curriculum covers the most important aspects of self rescue like escaping a belay, building and using hauling systems, ascending a rope with improvised or mechanical methods, and the decision making that determines which technique fits a given situation.

Self rescue skills rarely get used, but the climbers who have them climb with a different level of confidence and judgment than those who don't. AMGA certified instructors teach this course the way they'd want a climbing partner to learn it with practical, hands on instruction built around real scenarios you might actually encounter on the rock.