GROUNDUP CLIMBING ACADEMY
On the beginning of the Amy couloir, Aguja Guillaumet, Patagonia. Photo by Chrise Lorimer
Chris & I on the upper pitches of Comesana - Fonrouge, Aguja Guillaumet, Patagonia. Photo by Chris Lorimer.
The start of the approach (before we started to swim in the snow) to Isroser Ice Route, Mael, Rjukan, Norway. Photo by Benji Landau.
On the beginning of the Amy couloir, Aguja Guillaumet, Patagonia. Photo by Chrise Lorimer
CUSTOM DAY - Private guide / top rope / families & friends.
Need a guide for your next vertical adventure?
The goal of the day/days: have fun or stretch your limits!
Necessary fitness: all levels are welcome.
Do you want to climb a long multi-pitch route in Wadi Rum? Verdon? or any other destination and not sure about the right partner or your abilities?
Want to improve your footwork on rock and looking for a guided day?
Want to have fun with your family or friends but don't know how and when?
Rent a rock climbing guide for the day! Doesn't matter if the purpose is an event for your family, enjoying with your friends or to crush some hard routes in a day, take with you a rock climbing guide and you will be all covered from gear to knowledge!
2 DAYS SPORT CLIMBING COURSE
Course Goals: Teaching basics and advanced techniques of outdoor sport climbing.
Necessary fitness: Rock climbing experience of 5c on toprope / v2 on Bouldering. The entire course takes place outdoors!
Day 1: On the Rock
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Practical training: Studying how to lead climb, how to belay properly (dynamic belaying) with traditional belay devices as ATC, Reverso, Ghost, and auto-locking belay devices as GriGri, Jul, Smart.
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Theoretical aspects of climbing: getting to know the textile and metal world of climbing equipment, studying some of the basic knots (Figure 8, Figure 8 on a bight), toprope climbing and movement on the rock, what is a guidebook and how to use it.
Day 2: Be a Master for Falls & Belays
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Practical training: Practicing lead climbing and fall catch.
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Theoretical aspects: studying what it means – fall factor, impact force and "forces at work in a real fall", how to clean an anchor after a lead, the right way to bail from a route and how to clean an overhanging route.
Day 3, Optional: Basic rope access techniques.
The most important and used rope technics any aspiring multi-pitch climber needs to know before going up on a sport route of more than 1 pitch long. (extra fee).
Guiding ratio: 1 guide per 2 up to 4 climbers.
Location: Bet Arie, Ein Fara, or Gita. It depends on the season and weather.
Price: 920 NIS per person, for 4 climbers include all the climbing gear you will need.
The courses are modified and custom made according to your needs, experience, and abilities
3 DAYS SPORT CLIMBING &
ROPE TECHNIQUE COURSE
Course Goals: Teaching advanced techniques of outdoor sport climbing together with rope techniques for the independent climber.
Necessary fitness: Rock climbing experience of 5c on toprope / v2 on Bouldering. The entire course takes place outdoors.
Day 1: Introduction to the Art of Rope
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Rope techniques: studying important knots (Figure 8, Figure 8 on a bight, Fishermen knot, Double FMK, Bowline, Butterfly knot, EDK, Clove hitch, Classic Prusik knot, French Prusik Knot), Building an anchor with natural features (Bridges, Pillars, Boulders), how to properly rappel down. Passing a knot while rappelling, Prusik Climbing, passing a knot while Prusik climbing, transitioning from Prusik climbing to rappelling.
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Theoretical aspects: Getting to know the textile and metal world of climbing equipment.
Day 2: On the Rock
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Practical training: toprope climbing and movement on the rock, how to lead climb and belay with various belay devices
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Theoretical training: what is a guidebook and how to use it, how to belay properly (dynamic belaying) with traditional belay devices as ATC, Reverso, Ghost, and auto-locking belay devices as GriGri, Jul, Smart.
Day 3: Be a Master in Belay & Falls
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Practical training: Practicing lead climbing and fall catch.
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A must know for a lead climber: fall factor, impact force and "forces at work in a real fall", how to clean an anchor after a lead and rappel /be belayed down
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Advanced material: how to bail from a route and how to clean an overhanging route.
Guiding ratio: 1 guide per 2 up to 4 climbers.
Location: Bet Arie, Ein Fara, or Gita. It depends on the season and weather.
Price: 1,300 NIS per person, for 4 climbers include all the climbing gear you will need.
The courses are modified and custom made according to your needs, experience, and abilities
3 DAYS TRAD CLIMBING COURSE
Your first step into the world of walls!
Course Goals: Teaching the basics of multi-pitch trad climbing, problem-solving on the wall and knowing how to assess risks.
Necessary fitness: outdoor sport climbing experience of 6a+ on-sight. Come prepared to stretch your mental limit more than ever!
Day 1: The difference between Sport and Trad climbing,
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Practical training: studying how to build various types of anchors, studying important knots (Figure 8, Figure 8 on a bight, Fishermen know, Double FMK, Bowline, Butterfly know, EDK, Clove hitch, Classic Prusik knot, French Prusik Knot).
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Gear theory: "Know the Trad climbing rack" (Camelot, nuts/stoppers, Tricams, Hexagons), know how to use it in the rock and match it to the right type of rock,
Day 2: first steps in Multipitch climbing
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Practical training: being on the Trad anchor while belaying, how to belay from above, what to do with the rope, what to do when climber number 2 arrives
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Rope theory: how to properly rappel down, passing a knot while rappelling, Prusik Climbing, passing a knot while Prusik climbing, transitioning from Prusik climbing to rappelling.
Day 3: becoming an independent trad climber!
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Practical training: Problem-solving on the anchor (lowering climber no' 2), how to haul climber no' 2, fall on you Trad gear, multi-pitch climbing, and multi-pitch rappel, fall more on your Trad gear.
Guiding ratio: 1 guide per 2 up to 4 climbers.
Location: Bet Arie, Ein Fara or Gita. It depends on the season and weather.
Price: 2,200 NIS per person, for 2 climbers.
*The courses are modified and custom made according to your needs, experience, and abilities
*The courses may be guided by various UIAA certified guides.
BIGWALL & AID CLIMBING WORKSHOP
(Or just, how the hell to climb El Cap in Yosemite)
If you are aiming to climb a big-wall (more than a day on the wall) and not sure what it means to 'haul' / to 'aid' to 'pull on gear' or whatever you'll find on the complex Big-wall glossary world - we can prepare you for it.
For a normal, average climber, it will take a few good weeks to prepare and understand the complexity of the big-wall world. Once you’ve finally got it, the time is almost over, and no time to go on the wall.
If you want to come prepared, understand the basics, practice them in a safe and supervised environment, this workshop is the right step to start with.
We will learn how to properly: Aid-Climb, use daisy chain, Fi-Fi hook, Petzl Adjust, how to Jumar (Jug) up on overhanging terrain, vertical terrain with 1 Jumar/2 Jumars, how to Haul bags with 1:1 and 1:3 pulley system, with Mini-Traxion, with only Prusiks, How to traverse and clean Aid line, how to lower-out on a pendulum/tension travers, the way to release Haul-Bag, what is "dock line" and MANY more techniques that will prepare you the best for your next Big-Wall adventure.
Who’s it for: The workshop is for people that already know how to "trad climb" (but, if you don't have any "Trad climbing" experience, a 5 days Trad climbing and rope skills course is required)
Ido, the guide, Climbed El Capitan (via The Nose (in a push, 2 days) Pacific Ocean wall, 7 Days on the wall), Half Dome (via Regular NW Face), The Leaning Tower (in a day, via the West Face) and Washington Column (via the South Face), all are big-wall aid climbs.
*The courses are modified and custom made according to your needs, experience, and abilities
*The courses may be guided by various UIAA certified guides.
ARTICLES & PUBLICATIONS
Since 2014, after I was gaining more and more experience and mileage on the rock, quite a few people in my surrounding asked me how and why I'm spending my time, I decided to start and write on my experience as an adventure climber, as a guide and the places I liked the most.
I found the website as a useful place to gather all the articles (and podcast interviews) I wrote for traveling magazines, Israel Climbers Association and on the social media, some of the articles are linked to the original website where they were published and some of them here, almost all in Hebrew.
Hope you will find it useful for your future adventures and enjoy the ride.
3 DAYS WADI RUM MULTI-PITCH TRAD CLIMBING COURSE
Course Goals: Teaching the basics of multi-pitch trad climbing, problem-solving on the wall and knowing how to assess risks.
Necessary fitness: outdoor sport climbing experience of 6a+/6b on-sight, good cardio shape, strong legs (steep approaches), mental fitness - open minded and be prepared to stretch your mental limit like never before.
Day 1: The difference between Sport and Multipitch climbing,
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Practical training: studying how to build various types of anchors, studying important knots (Figure 8, Figure 8 on a bight, Fishermen know, Clove hitch, Classic Prusik knot, French Prusik Knot and more). how to put and take out gear (Camalots and nuts), gear inspections in the rock, how to work with the rope on multi-pitch, how to rappel continues pitches.
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Gear theory: "Know the Trad climbing rack" (Camelot, nuts/stoppers, Tricams, Hexagons), know how to use it in the rock and match it to the right type of rock,
Day 2: first steps in Multipitch climbing
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Practical training: How to belay from above with auto-block device, what to do with the rope on an anchore, what to do when climber number 2 arrives, how to built complicated anchors in the end of a pitch.
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Rope theory: How to read a guide, how to read a topo, understanding the complexities in the approaches, risk assesments when climbing and rappelling and the importance of safety times/margines.
Day 3: becoming an independent trad climber!
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Practical training: Lead your own trad climbing pitch, build your own anchor and bring climbers no' 2 to your anchor, problem-solving on the anchor (lowering climber no' 2), how to haul climber no' 2.
Guiding ratio: 1 guide per 2 climbers.
Location: November to April, Wadi Rum, Jordan (more info on Wadi Rum - here)
Price: 2,900 NIS per person, for 2 climbers.
*The courses are modified and custom made according to your needs, experience, and abilities
*The courses may be guided by various UIAA certified guides.
3 DAYS JABEL RUM SUMMIT TREK
This climb-tours are only done with a personal request and not on a monthly basis like the trad-climbing courses.
Let us know if you are looking for more info the hike-climb up the 2nd (and most beautiful) highest summit in Jordan,
*The climbing-Trek may be guided by various UIAA certified guides.