In Motion Asia: Outdoor Adventures in Taiwan and Asia

In Motion Asia Climbing Certification Courses

Have you ever wanted to learn how to rock climb, or do you want to raise your skills and experience to the next level? Are you a complete beginner who wants to learn how to climb safely? Experienced sport climber wishing to make the jump to trad climbing? Expert climber dreaming of multi-day big wall climbs like the Nose of El Capitan?

Now it’s all completely possible with In Motion Asia’s rock climbing courses for both first-timers as well as more experienced climbers wishing to expand and improve on their technical skills! You will receive personal training and technical instruction from Matt Robertson, author of two climbing books and internationally respected climbing and rescue guide who has been guiding around the world for fifteen years. Each course is carefully structured to include the right balance of theory and practical workshop sessions meaning you put into practice in the afternoon, what you learn in the morning enabling you to accelerate your learning and confidence to new levels. All our courses are fully supported and include meals, transportation, accommodation and equipment, along with expert support and technical advice.

• Top Rope Belay Certification
• Lead Climbing and Lead Belay Certification
• Advanced Lead Climbing & Technique
• Introduction to Trad Climbing
• Advanced Trad Climbing, Crack Climbing, & Anchor Systems
• Multi-Pitch Systems & Techniques
• Introduction to Big Wall / Multi-Day Climbing including Aid Climbing

Top Rope Belay Certification

Description – Introduction to climbing; the basic skills needed to get started and be able to climb safely in a gym or outdoors. Course includes instruction on proper use of equipment, basic tie-in knots, how to belay a climber, and climbing technique. After instruction, you’ll apply what you’ve learned and spend the rest of the day climbing and improving your technique, learning additional pointers along the way under the watchful eye of your instructor. A belay test conforming to international climbing standards is given to confirm top rope climbing and belay skills. A belay certification card is provided to passing participants.

Training locations – Outdoor Climbing Areas: Long Dong, Beitou; local gyms in Taipei, Hsinchu.

Prerequisites – none.

Course duration – one day includes instruction, practice, testing, and climbing.

Lead Climbing and Lead Belay Certification

Description – Introduction to lead climbing. In this course you will make the transition from top-roping to lead climbing. You will learn sport-climbing lead techniques and protection systems, how to lead safely, safe falling techniques, how to safely belay a leader, how to provide a “soft catch,” risk assessment and mitigation, and a variety of techniques to improving your lead-climbing level, safety and enjoyment. After instruction, you’ll apply what you’ve learned and spend the rest of the day climbing and improving your technique, learning additional pointers along the way under the watchful eye of your instructor. A lead climbing/belay test conforming to international climbing standards is given to confirm lead climbing and belay skills. A lead-climbing/belay certification card is provided to passing participants.

Training locations – course available in Long Dong or at local gyms in Taipei and Hsinchu.

Prerequisites – Top Rope Belay Certification or equivalent.

Course duration – one day includes instruction, practice, testing, and climbing.

Advanced Lead Climbing & Technique

Description – This course focuses on improving your technique so you can take your lead-climbing to the next level. Customized course design facilitating dramatic improvements in movement, flexibility, footwork, use of various types of holds, dynamics, and special focus on improving the mental side of your climbing by understanding and managing fear and doubt and channeling all your mental and physical energy into efficient, fluid movement up the route. Particular attention is given to climbers’ areas needing specific improvement and/or desired focus, including on-sight climbing, maximizing redpoint tactics, competition strategies, speed climbing, bouldering and learning to send traditional leads at your true redpoint limit. Days are spent in a combination of demonstration and on-route application of topics.

Individualized instruction in small group settings builds an optimal synergy between climbers with a supportive, fun and positive learning experience. Climbers finish this course fully equipped to continue raising their lead-climbing level well into the future and accomplish goals that previously seemed impossible.

Training locations – Long Dong, or at local climbing gym (Taipei or Hsinchu) if desired.

Prerequisites – Lead Climbing and Lead Belay Certification or equivalent.

Course duration – 2 to 5 days.

Introduction to Trad Climbing

Description – Get into the natural form of climbing that will open the door to adventures around the world! This In Motion Asia course provides you with the skills and experience needed to safely lead well-protected trad routes and cracks. The amazing sea cliffs of Long Dong offer the perfect stone and excellent routes at all levels with great protection opportunities, and your lead instructor has been teaching trad climbing here for nearly a decade. This course focuses include equipment selection, gear placement, assessment of protection, making judgments regarding risk and safety, rope management, introduction to anchor building, and protection of both leader and follower. Climbing days are spent in a combination of demonstration and on-the-rock practice at placing gear. Participants will have the chance to “mock lead” several pitches while protected by a toprope, before finally setting off on the real “sharp end” and doing true traditional leads on routes carefully selected for safety and confidence-building. Gain this experience and see an entire world of rock climbing become instantly available to you – true self-sufficiency and the satisfaction of climbing while managing your own safety at all times.

Training locations – Long Dong.

Prerequisites – Advanced Lead Climbing course or equivalent.

Course duration – 3 days.

Advanced Trad Climbing, Crack Climbing, & Anchor Systems

Description – Become a trad master! Our Advanced Trad Climbing course takes your traditional climbing skills to the next level. Build proficiency at all areas of trad climbing, including tackling cracks of challenging sizes, pushing your limits, falling safely, arranging complicated anchors efficiently and quickly, handling other challenges such as offwidths, runouts, variable weather, night climbing, and speed ascents. Special emphasis placed on speed, safety, and leadership skills. In this course you will gain the tools and experience you’ll need to travel abroad to major international trad-climbing destinations such as Yosemite and approach those big routes with confidence and safety.

Training location – Long Dong.

Prerequisites – Introduction to Trad Climbing or equivalent.

Course duration – 3 days.

Multi-Pitch Systems & Techniques

Description – Are you ready to get high? Climbing routes longer than one rope length requires new methods and systems to perform safely, efficiently, and stress-free. This course teaches crucial processes and techniques central to multi-pitch rock climbing including anchor building, rope management, route finding, belaying while hanging from a stance, time management, and various descent methods that are necessary to get down to the ground after your adventure. Course applies to both sport and trad multi-pitch climbing, but will be taught on bolted (sport) multi-pitch routes first for safety and efficiency. Get ready to climb to the sky!

Training locations – Long Dong.

Prerequisites – Advanced Lead Climbing or equivalent.

Course duration – 2 days.

Introduction to Big Wall / Multi-Day Climbing including Aid Climbing

Description – Ready for the ultimate rock climbs in the world? Get ready to tackle the big stones! Big-Wall rock climbing is like no other adventure on earth. In this course you will learn the skills to manage the climbing and safety systems that are unique to multi-day rock climbs on the biggest walls on the planet. Aid climbing tools and techniques, jumaring, hauling, pendulums, bivouac techniques, setting up a portaledge, wall cooking, waste management, and self-belay techniques are just a few of the skills you will start to build in this course. You’ll even learn how to properly crack open a well-earned beverage while gazing at the stars three thousand feet above the ground on a 2-foot ledge!

Training locations – Long Dong & overseas

Prerequisites – Advanced Trad Climbing, Multi-Pitch Systems, and/or two years of trad multi-pitch experience.

Course duration – 5 days.