Often taught by AMGA-certified guides
Trad & Multi-Pitch
Place your own protection and climb routes longer than a rope.
- Free reference
- No signup
- Find an operator to get there
Traditional ("trad") climbing means placing your own removable protection, cams and nuts, as you lead, then your partner removes it on the way up. Multi-pitch means a route longer than one rope length, climbed in stages with belay anchors you build and manage. Together they demand anchor-building, gear placement, rope management, and rappelling, usually taught by a certified guide or a mentor.
This is where climbing becomes self-sufficient and the margin for error narrows. A guide service or AMGA-certified guide is the safest way to learn it well.
What you'll learn
- Placing and evaluating removable protection
- Building and equalizing anchors
- Multi-pitch systems, belay transitions, and rappelling
Find an operator who teaches Trad & Multi-Pitch
Browse climbing gyms & guides and connect with the people who can get you to this level.
Common questions
- Should I learn trad from YouTube?
- No. The failure modes are serious. Learn from a certified guide or an experienced, careful mentor and verify your systems in low-consequence terrain first.
