FAll 2023 “Art of Offwidth” Clinic

Fall Dates October 6-8th
Indian Creek, Utah
Cost: $1350

• 3 Full Days of Climbing

• 3:1 Student to Instructor Ratio

• 10 Clients Maximum

Overview

The Indian Creek Art of Offwidth™ climbing clinic, developed by offwidth expert Pamela Shanti Pack, is a great way to get into offwidth climbing and/or improve your offwidth skills. Offwidth cracks are too narrow to fit your whole body into and too wide to use standard crack climbing techniques. In this intensive three-day clinic, we will provide you with the necessary skill set to climb challenging offwidths from Utah to Yosemite. Our clinic will give you the chance to climb dozens of desert offwidth masterpieces in the world class climbing destination of Indian Creek as you learn techniques and tricks from renowned offwidth masters who have been in the sport for decades and established hundreds of first ascents and world-renowned test-pieces.

The course officially begins Thursday at 4pm in Indian Creek where we will meet at our group campsite. We will make campfires in the evenings and will provide you coffee in the mornings before we head out for three full days of climbing with unlimited access to all varieties of big cams, Big Bros and gear. 

Our emphasis throughout the clinic is learning through climbing after we demonstrate appropriate techniques. Over the course of the three day clinic we will break down into small groups based on individual needs.

What It Includes

• 3 nights camping (beginning April 27th)

• 3 FULL days of Guided Rock Climbing on April 28-30th

• Specialized Instruction at a 3:1 ratio

• Coffee and snacks

 We will provide a personal list of items and equipment that you need for your course

Key Concepts

• Making tape gloves

• Managing pain and protecting your body on offwidths

• Pacing yourself, resting stances and moving efficiently

• Managing fear and improving your mental game

• Training for offwidths

• Reading routes and evaluating hazards

Offwidth Techniques

• Beginning to advanced offwidth techniques

• Hand Stacks: Butterfly stacks, hand-fist stacks, fist-fist stacks

• Upper body offwidth techniques: Arm-bars, chicken wings, elbow locks

• Lower body offwidth techniques: Heel-toes, leg locks, calf-locks, knee locks

• Chimneying and sidewinding

• Introduction to Inverts

Gear Placement and Leading

• Tips and techniques for leading and following offwidths

• Gear placement and removal

• Bumping cams

• Navigating around big pro

• Gear tagging techniques

• Communication between the leader and belayer

• Rope and gear management techniques

• Miscellaneous offwidth tricks

Prerequisites

You must be proficient with basic knots, climbing commands and have experience belaying. The Art of Offwidth clinic is intended for climbers who at a minimum can follow 5.9 traditional climbs or 5.10 sport. Although only a basic fitness level is required, the more prepared you are, the more pitches you will be able to climb. We will provide you with training guidelines and suggestions before the clinic to help you prepare.

Other

We will have a photographer shooting photos on ropes from above throughout the weekend. After the clinic, all photos will be uploaded, and everyone will be sent a link to download high-resolution versions to keep and/or share with friends and family. 

Weather

The ethic in the desert is not to climb on wet sandstone because it damages the rock. The accepted practice is to wait a full day to climb once the rock becomes saturated. Please understand that it is indeed possible to get washed out by rain. We can and will work around sprinkles and non-saturating rain, so be sure to bring a rain jacket. No matter what month the clinic takes place, you will need clothing and sleeping layers for temperatures from extremely hot to extremely cold: check the weather in the days before you travel and pack for every possibility. We have experienced temperatures as low as 10 degrees in October and as hot as 90 degrees. If you can arrange to stay for one day beyond the length of the Clinic, we will climb Monday in the event of saturating rain