Women’s ROCK Climbing Courses
Practice new skills in a supportive environment, both for and taught by women.
Regardless of your experience level, you’ll find a course that will help improve your skill, confidence, and self-sufficiency at the crag. If your goal is to give outdoor climbing a try or become a great partner or lead your first climb - we got you covered! All individuals (cis, trans, non-binary) who identify with the women’s community are invited to join.
W’s Intro to ROCK Climbing
Give outdoor climbing a try!
This is a great first outdoor climbing experience for climbers of any ability. You’ll enjoy a fun, adventure-packed day with an opportunity to learn or refine belay skills, climbing technique, and rappelling if you choose. Organize a small group of ladies or join us with your regular partner. The focus is type-1 fun and climbing as many classic routes as possible.
W’s Top Rope Anchor course
Strong anchors are the foundation to climbing independently and your life depends on mastering basic skills. If you want to climb outdoors on your own, this course is the best place to start.
We'll spend the day covering the fundamentals of top rope anchoring with natural and traditional protection. You'll have lots of opportunities for hands-on practice in this full-day skills course for small groups.
+ Risk assessment & site management
+ How to evaluate natural protection
+ Rigging top-rope anchors
+ Introduction to placing clean, "trad" protection
+ Small group sizes enhance hands-on practice
+ All equipment provided
Prerequisites
Ages 18+, top-rope belay skills, figure 8 knot.
Next Course
Coming Fall 2023
Tuition
$175ea - full day, equipment included.
W’s Sport Climbing COurse
We’ll teach you to lead climb, clip, belay, and anchor with confidence on climbs outfitted with bolts and fixed anchors. While Connecticut is better known for its "trad" climbing, there is an increasing number of local crags outfitted with bolted climbs and anchors.
We'll spend the day in a combination of workshops and on-the-wall practice starting with mock-lead climbing routes with a top-rope backup. We'll progress through lead climbing and belay skills then spend some time practicing anchors, cleaning/threading and rappelling.
+ Equipment, bolt evaluation
+ Climbing, clipping, and footwork
+ Belaying the leader
+ Anchoring
+ Threading, rappelling sport anchors
Locations:
Central Connecticut area crags (Southington, CT)
Prerequisites:
Ages 18+. Climb routes graded 5.9 or higher, proficient top-rope belay skills, some indoor lead climbing experience is ideal but not required.
Tuition:
$175ea - full day, equipment included.
W’s Trad Climbing Course
Trad climbing skills are foundational to any climber who aspires to climb Connecticut's classic routes, multi-pitch lines in the Gunks, or alpine rock routes in New Hampshire and beyond.
We'll practice placing protection, building anchors, and belay systems for single-pitch terrain. We'll also introduce basic self-rescue skills to help you avoid and escape sticky situations on the cliff. You'll start on low-stress leads with a top-rope backup as you develop your skills and progress under the supervision of an AMGA certified instructor.
+ (2) full days of hands-on practice
+ Selecting and placing traditional climbing gear
+ Anchor skills and assessment
+ Belay systems for the leader and follower
+ Leader security and station management
+ Intro to self-rescue, lowering and raising a follower
Locations:
Ragged Mountain area crags (Southington, CT)
Prerequisites:
Ages 18+. Climb routes graded 5.8 or higher, proficient top-rope belay skills, some indoor lead climbing experience is ideal, but not required. Some top-rope anchor building experience is ideal, but not required.
Tuition (2 Full Days)
$295ea - includes two full days of climbing and instruction, equipment provided.
W’s Private Guiding
You choose the location - we’ll provide the gear and guide to make it happen.
We're fortunate here in the Northeast to have so much amazing rock terrain to chose from. We love climbing the short but steep traprock cliffs of central Connecticut and the gneiss crags of the CT shoreline and beyond.
Our guides love helping our guests work to achieve their goals in the outdoors.
have Any questions?
Frequently Asked Questions | Contact Us | All-gender Climbing Courses
Meet your instructor: Jen Chmiel
Jen (she/her) is passionate about climbing in all its forms and using her experience as a climber, a competitive athlete, a climbing instructor, and a certified strength and conditioning coach to help women achieve their goals in the outdoors.
Recently, she founded Face the Climb as a vehicle to provide mentorship for women and address a real need in the climbing industry for coaches with an educational background in research and exercise science. Jen currently serves on the Board of Directors at the Ragged Mountain Foundation where she founded a community stewardship program and works to protect access to Connecticut crags.
Jen is also the host of Face The Climb Podcast where she discusses all things climbing including topics like training, motivation, nutrition, crag snacks and whatever is on her mind to share.
Credentials and Certifications
B.S. in Biology & Minor in Fitness (2014)
M.S. in Exercise Sport Science, concentration in Exercise Physiology (2016)
Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach (C.S.C.S)-NSCA (2016)
AMGA Single Pitch Instructor (2020)
USA Climbing Certified Routesetter, Level 1 (2019)
CWA Climbing Wall Instructor certified (2019)
