Flash Foxy Education Program
presented by Arc’teryx
Our goal is to provide accessible, standardized learning opportunities for climbers to learn from accredited AMGA-certified instructors, centering the experience of women and genderqueer folks, and creating a program that responds to the unique needs of all marginalized genders. In order to stand by our commitment to making education accessible, all Flash Foxy Education Courses are offered on a sliding scale. Additionally, full scholarships are available for most courses. This program is possible thanks to generous support from our presenting sponsor, Arc’teryx.
At this time, our education courses are only open to participants who identify as women or genderqueer climbers. Select programs may be open to allies and will be specifically noted.
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Provides resources and opportunities for folks in our community to attend and participate and/or teach at our events and education programs.
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What kinds of courses does Flash Foxy Education offer? So many! Check them out via the button below. Note: not all courses currently available.
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Got questions? Maybe we have the answer! If you don’t find the answer here, email us at education@flashfoxy.com.
Upcoming Courses
presented by Arc’teryx
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3/28-3/29: Intro to Big Wall (Joshua Tree, CA) with Out in the Wild
3/28-3/29: Intro to Crack Climbing (Moab, UT) with Smile Mountain Guides
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4/11-4/12: Trad Climbing 101 (Smith Rock, OR) with Out in the Wild
4/25-4/26: Trad Climbing 101 (Red River Gorge, KY) with Rise Outside
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5/2: Intro to Outdoor Climbing (New Paltz, NY) with Rise Outside
5/30-5/31: Trad Climbing 101 (New Paltz, NY) with Rise Outside
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6/6-6/7: Trad Climbing 101 (Boulder, CO) with Smile Mountain Guides
6/13: Alpine Prep (Boulder, CO) with Smile Mountain Guides
6/20: Rescue Skills 101 (New Paltz, NY) with Rise Outside
*Please note schedule is always subject to change. All events are rain or shine. Lodging is not included.
COST Flash Foxy Education courses are offered on a sliding-scale starting at $50.
Full scholarships are available for most courses.
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Thanks to our generous sponsor Arc’teryx, all Flash Foxy Education Courses are offered on a sliding-scale! To ensure our programs are financially accessible, full scholarships are also available for most courses.
It’s up to you how much you pay, but here are some things you can keep in mind when deciding what price is best for you.
The average cost of a 2-day guided course is about $350.
All the tuition payments go right back into this program so that we can run more courses and provided more full scholarships!
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Here’s a loose guideline to help you decide where you might fall on the sliding-scale:
It can be hard to pay rent and cover other basic necessities > Apply for a scholarship!
I can pay for basic necessities, but I do not have extra income for things like a climbing gym membership > Apply for a scholarship!
I can pay for basic necessities and some luxury items like a climbing gym membership > $50-$100
I am able to afford or save up for occasional weekend trips and the costs associated with that (rental car, park fees, owning gear, etc) > $100-$200
I can afford regular weekend trips and the costs associated with that (rental car, park fees, owning gear, etc) > $200-$300
I am financially comfortable and able to help support scholarships for future course participants > $300-$400
*Please also consider that income is not the same as wealth. Income is the amount of money you make. Wealth is passed down from generation to generation and usually takes the form of inheritances, land ownership, and/or earning power. We ask that you take into account not only your income but also your wealth when choosing your price point within our sliding scale.
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*This is a 2-day course.
Flash Foxy’s Trad Climbing 101 course equips climbers with the skills they need to explore the adventurous practice and spirit of traditional climbing whether you're new to the craft or trying to refine the skills you already have. We’ll cover the essentials like learning how to place stoppers and cams, and we’ll also have candid conversations about risk and how to manage it when the variables start to add up. We'll practice lead belay techniques on tube-style and assisted breaking belay devices, and finish up with the basics of building and cleaning anchors on bolts.
You will have the opportunity to (mock) lead traditional climbing routes; however, most of our course time will be spent working on skills with very little rock climbing, so come prepared to spend time hanging in your harness!
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Must know how to belay someone on top rope. Participants have top-roped a minimum of ten climbs on at least three separate occasions (indoor or outdoors). Experience sport climbing (indoors or outdoors) and/or following trad climbs is helpful but not required.
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Have a working knowledge of key equipment, including climbing shoes, harnesses, helmets, chalk, climbing rope, slings/cordelette, carabiners, quickdraws and alpine draws, cams and stoppers, and belay/rappel devices.
Experience and participate in common practices, including stretching, warming up, reading a route, and working a route.
Practice (mock) belaying a lead climber with an assisted-braking device, including setting up to belay, managing the rope, taking and giving slack, and lowering a climber.
Practice (mock) leading up and lowering down a route, including tying-in with the figure eight follow-through, placing and clipping gear, finding and maintaining stances, managing the rope, and doing system checks with their belayer.
Practice building and cleaning common single pitch anchors, including via lowering + rappelling.
Be knowledgeable about trad climbing jargon.
Connect with other climbers interested in trad climbing.
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Rosa Padilla (she/her) and Samie Hohl (she/her)
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*This is a 2-day course.
Flash Foxy’s Trad Climbing 101 course equips climbers with the skills they need to explore the adventurous practice and spirit of traditional climbing whether you're new to the craft or trying to refine the skills you already have. We’ll cover the essentials like learning how to place stoppers and cams, and we’ll also have candid conversations about risk and how to manage it when the variables start to add up. We'll practice lead belay techniques on tube-style and assisted breaking belay devices, and finish up with the basics of building and cleaning anchors on bolts.
You will have the opportunity to (mock) lead traditional climbing routes; however, most of our course time will be spent working on skills with very little rock climbing, so come prepared to spend time hanging in your harness!
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Must know how to belay someone on top rope. Participants have top-roped a minimum of ten climbs on at least three separate occasions (indoor or outdoors). Experience sport climbing (indoors or outdoors) and/or following trad climbs is helpful but not required.
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Have a working knowledge of key equipment, including climbing shoes, harnesses, helmets, chalk, climbing rope, slings/cordelette, carabiners, quickdraws and alpine draws, cams and stoppers, and belay/rappel devices.
Experience and participate in common practices, including stretching, warming up, reading a route, and working a route.
Practice (mock) belaying a lead climber with an assisted-braking device, including setting up to belay, managing the rope, taking and giving slack, and lowering a climber.
Practice (mock) leading up and lowering down a route, including tying-in with the figure eight follow-through, placing and clipping gear, finding and maintaining stances, managing the rope, and doing system checks with their belayer.
Practice building and cleaning common single pitch anchors, including via lowering + rappelling.
Be knowledgeable about trad climbing jargon.
Connect with other climbers interested in trad climbing.
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Cat Runner (he/him) + Matt Moy (they/them)
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*This is a 1-day course.
Flash Foxy's Intro to Outdoor Climbing course is great for everyone from first-timers to experienced indoor climbers who want to try top roping outdoors. Top roping is one of the most accessible forms of climbing, and this course will give you all the tools you need to get started or build on the knowledge you already have. We’ll cover basic outdoors skills, technical systems, and provide tips and tricks to help you have the best outdoor climbing experience possible.
This program focuses on providing students with maximum active climbing time with minimal ground-school instruction.
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None, beginners welcome!
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Have a working knowledge of key equipment, including climbing shoes, harnesses, helmets, chalk, climbing rope, carabiners, and belay devices.
Experience and participate in common practices, including stretching, warming up, reading a route, and working a route.
Be proficient climbing up and lowering down a route, including tying-in with the figure eight follow-through and doing system checks with their belayer.
Practice and receive coaching on basic and intermediate climbing movement.
Be knowledgeable about top roping jargon.
Connect with other climbers interested in top roping.
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Athe Torri Cervantes (they/them) and Vic Fitzgerald (she/her)
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*This is a 2-day course.
Flash Foxy’s Trad Climbing 101 course equips climbers with the skills they need to explore the adventurous practice and spirit of traditional climbing whether you're new to the craft or trying to refine the skills you already have. We’ll cover the essentials like learning how to place stoppers and cams, and we’ll also have candid conversations about risk and how to manage it when the variables start to add up. We'll practice lead belay techniques on tube-style and assisted breaking belay devices, and finish up with the basics of building and cleaning anchors on bolts.
You will have the opportunity to (mock) lead traditional climbing routes; however, most of our course time will be spent working on skills with very little rock climbing, so come prepared to spend time hanging in your harness!
-
Must know how to belay someone on top rope. Participants have top-roped a minimum of ten climbs on at least three separate occasions (indoor or outdoors). Experience sport climbing (indoors or outdoors) and/or following trad climbs is helpful but not required.
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Have a working knowledge of key equipment, including climbing shoes, harnesses, helmets, chalk, climbing rope, slings/cordelette, carabiners, quickdraws and alpine draws, cams and stoppers, and belay/rappel devices.
Experience and participate in common practices, including stretching, warming up, reading a route, and working a route.
Practice (mock) belaying a lead climber with an assisted-braking device, including setting up to belay, managing the rope, taking and giving slack, and lowering a climber.
Practice (mock) leading up and lowering down a route, including tying-in with the figure eight follow-through, placing and clipping gear, finding and maintaining stances, managing the rope, and doing system checks with their belayer.
Practice building and cleaning common single pitch anchors, including via lowering + rappelling.
Be knowledgeable about trad climbing jargon.
Connect with other climbers interested in trad climbing.
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Athe Torri Cervantes (they/them) and Alexis Krauss (she/her)
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*This is a 2-day course.
Flash Foxy’s Trad Climbing 101 course equips climbers with the skills they need to explore the adventurous practice and spirit of traditional climbing whether you're new to the craft or trying to refine the skills you already have. We’ll cover the essentials like learning how to place stoppers and cams, and we’ll also have candid conversations about risk and how to manage it when the variables start to add up. We'll practice lead belay techniques on tube-style and assisted breaking belay devices, and finish up with the basics of building and cleaning anchors on bolts.
You will have the opportunity to (mock) lead traditional climbing routes; however, most of our course time will be spent working on skills with very little rock climbing, so come prepared to spend time hanging in your harness!
-
Must know how to belay someone on top rope. Participants have top-roped a minimum of ten climbs on at least three separate occasions (indoor or outdoors). Experience sport climbing (indoors or outdoors) and/or following trad climbs is helpful but not required.
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Have a working knowledge of key equipment, including climbing shoes, harnesses, helmets, chalk, climbing rope, slings/cordelette, carabiners, quickdraws and alpine draws, cams and stoppers, and belay/rappel devices.
Experience and participate in common practices, including stretching, warming up, reading a route, and working a route.
Practice (mock) belaying a lead climber with an assisted-braking device, including setting up to belay, managing the rope, taking and giving slack, and lowering a climber.
Practice (mock) leading up and lowering down a route, including tying-in with the figure eight follow-through, placing and clipping gear, finding and maintaining stances, managing the rope, and doing system checks with their belayer.
Practice building and cleaning common single pitch anchors, including via lowering + rappelling.
Be knowledgeable about trad climbing jargon.
Connect with other climbers interested in trad climbing.
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Sadie Sullivan (she/her) and Jessie Pouchet (she/they)
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*This is a 1-day course.
This course invites climbers in to learn about the world of alpine climbing and practice some fundamental rope skills to keep the team safe and moving efficiently. As they relate to alpine climbing, we will discuss planning for objectives, gear selection, expectations and communication between partners, forecasts, bail strategies, navigation, and overnight bivy preparation. We’ll also dive into best practices for protecting and preserving fragile alpine environments.
This is a skills-intensive course. Come prepared to take notes, ask questions, outline risks and dream big for your next alpine adventure. Very little time will be spent climbing with the majority of our day being skill building and repetition.
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Experience placing traditional climbing gear, such as Flash Foxy's Trad Climbing 101, is required. Must know how to belay someone lead climbing. Experience multi-pitch climbing (sport or trad) is required.
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Have a working knowledge of alpine climbing and its risks.
Build a framework to prepare for an alpine objective.
Analyze conditions and potential risks associated with an objective.
Establish what is important in partnership in the mountains.
Familiarize yourself with tools for navigation and forecasting in the alpine.
Discuss the packing process and priorities for day objectives and overnight bivies.
Connect with other climbers interested in alpinism.
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Jess Worley (she/her) and Meg Nickman (she/her)
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*This is a 1-day course.
Flash Foxy’s Rescue Skills 101 course helps you prepare for those inevitable mishaps at the crag, and how to extricate you and your climbing partners from them so you don’t have to call for a rescue. We’ll cover basic methods of ascending a rope to help a climber, assisting a climber through a crux, taking over a belay from someone else, and simple rappel techniques. We'll use scenarios to explore improvised solutions and best practices, instead of just teaching a few cookie-cutter drills that might not apply in the real world, and you’ll leave with a solid set of tools to handle most situations that could happen at a crag.
This is a skills intensive course, and we’ll focus on learning fundamentals on the ground, then practicing those skills in a low-risk vertical setting with review and feedback from our instructors. Most of our course time will be spent working on skills with very little rock climbing, so come prepared to spend time hanging in your harness!
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Must know how to belay someone on top rope. Some experience top rope climbing, indoors or outdoors is required.
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Have a working knowledge of key equipment, including climbing shoes, harnesses, helmets, chalk, climbing rope, slings/cordelette, carabiners, and belay devices, and friction cords.
Practice basic rescue skills when belaying from below, including belay takeovers, ascending (including improvised tools), assisting a stuck climber, and lowering with another climber in the system, with coaching and feedback from instructors.
Practice rescue skills when belaying from above, including assisting and hauling a stuck climber.
Be proficient at descending and rappelling in the single pitch setting.
Be knowledgeable about rescue jargon.
Connect with other climbers interested in single pitch climbing.
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Athe Torri Cervantes (they/them) and Andy Lackland (he/they)
*Scroll through the calendar to see both upcoming and past programs!
*Wondering what course is right for you? Check out our Guide to Courses!
