Instructors
Pete Walka
Andrew Paulson
Outdoor Program
282-3912
walkpete@isu.edu

Course description and objectives
Designed for students with little or no climbing experience, this class covers basic climbing including knot tying, belaying, movement techniques, top rope anchor systems, and safety procedures.  Students will learn to climb, belay, and rappel safely in the gym.

Course requirements and evaluation criteria
This class is both attendance and performance oriented.  Each student will be evaluated on his/her attendance record, ability to demonstrate safely and correctly the skills taught in class, completion of a special project, and attendance and participation during at least one Open Hours session:
 Attendance 50%
 Skill proficiency test 30%
 Special project 10%
 Open Hours climbing 10%

Attendance:  Come to class – there are no “excused absences”.  During an eight-week course, students should attend and participate in every class if they wish to do well.  In the event that a student misses a class, the student must attend Open Hours at the Climbing Wall to make up for the missed class.  The student should get an Open Hours Slip from the instructor, climb at least 5 routes at the Climbing Wall during Open Hours, and get the person monitoring the wall during Open Hours to sign the student’s Open Hours Slip.  Participation at Open Hours because of a missed class does not satisfy the Open Hours requirement of the class (see below).

Skill proficiency tests:  At the second class, students will be tested on their knot-tying and belay skills and certified on an orange Reed Gym card if they demonstrate the skills correctly.  This test will not be considered in the students’ final grades.  During the last class, however, students will be tested on all of the skills learned during the entire class, including knot-tying, belaying, and rappelling, and the students’ “skill proficiency test” scores will be determined.

Special project:  Students must complete special projects, due at the fifth class meeting.   Students should complete one of the following two projects:
Game – Working in pairs, students design a game that can be played on the Climbing Wall and present the project to the class during the 5th class session.  Students must also turn in a written description of the game.
 Paper – Each student writes a 3-5 page paper on accidents in North American climbing.

Open Hours:  Students must attend Open Hours at the Climbing Wall, climb at least five routes, and get the person monitoring the wall during Open Hours to sign the student’s Open Hours Slip. Students will receive Open Hours Slips once they are certified on the orange Reed Gym cards during the second class.  As stated above, participation at Open Hours because of a missed class does not satisfy the Open Hours requirement of the class.

Schedule
All classes will be held at the Reed Gym Indoor Climbing Wall unless otherwise noted.
 1st week Introduction, equipment, knot tying, belaying and communication, gym rules and regulations.
 2nd week Climbing techniques and skills proficiency tests for orange Reed Gym cards
 3rd week Rappelling and climbing techniques
 4th week Rappelling in Holt Arena
 5th week Special project presentations
 6th & 7th weeks Lead climbing techniques
 8th week Final skills proficiency test

Equipment
Harness, helmet, climbing shoes, locking carabiner, and belay device are available at the Reed Gym equipment room and should be secured before arriving at class.  Personal climbing equipment may be used in class pending instructor’s inspection and approval.

 Text
There is no required text.  Handouts will be distributed in class.  Additional reading materials are available at the Outdoor Program Office.

Please note
 Due to the inherent danger involved with rock climbing, I reserve the right to remove from the class any students whom expose themselves and/or other class participants to unnecessary danger by means of improper execution of technique, poor judgement, and/or lack of concern for safety.

Risk acknowledgement and release of liability waiver
Activity and dance technique classes involve inherent risk.  With this in mind, all SSPED activity and dance class students are required to read and sign the attached risk acknowledgment and release of liability waiver prior to class participation.

Reasonable accommodation for students with disabilities
If you have a diagnosed disability or believe that you have a disability that might require “reasonable accommodation” on the part of the instructor, please call the Director of the Center of Services for Students with Disabilities at 282-3599.  As a part of the Americans with Disabilities Act, it is the responsibility of the student to disclose a disability prior to requesting reasonable accommodation