Timberline Mountain Guides & Smith Rock Climbing School Guides Training 2010

"To be a professional guide, one must be committed to their own learning process- as well as their clients-through specialized training and personal experience. It is this dedication to professional training and raising the bar for mountain guiding standards in America that sets us apart from other guide services." - TMG/SRCS website

We are just concluding our in-house training here at Timberline Mountain Guides and Smith Rock Climbing School and central O dished out it's best weather for the crew. This season we were fortunate to have Art Mooney of Mooney Mountain Guides as our lead trainer. Art is based out of New Hampshire and is a International Federation of Mountain Guides Association (IFMGA) certified guide as well as a course instructor and examiner for the rock and alpine disciplines with the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA).

Art covering the finer points of auto locking belay devices.

Over the four days of training we covered and revisited many technical aspects of guiding on both rock and steep snow. Along with technical skills it was also a great time for all the guides to share and swap techniques and hangout while enjoying some great climbing.

We all spent some time reviewing and polishing up on transitions in the rock environment. We also went over some pick-offs as well as belay escapes off a hip belay, plate devices off the harness, and off the anchor.

Art and Marc running through a pick-off.

Sheldon setting up for a lower.

The crew also headed out to Smith Rock State Park to cover rigging for our Monkey Face Tyrolean Traverse. The setup for the traverse is pretty involved and requires a lot of work and a lot of ropes!

Some of the crew rigging the traverse into the mouth of the Monkey.

Aiding up the bolt ladder on Monkey Face.

Pulling across the chasm.

Smith Rock Family Tyro Day

Summer is in full swing here in Central Oregon and what better way to beat the heat than catching some air on the Monkey Face Tyrolean Traverse!
Smith Rock is of course a mecca for climbers from all over the world and one of the most renowned features in the park is the famed Monkey Face. A free standing 350 foot tall volcanic plug when looked at from the right angle resembles that of a monkey's face.

We recently had the Burt family join us all the way from the great state of Texas. They say everything is bigger in Texas but they had to come all the way to Oregon to see how big we do rock climbing!
A Tyrolean traverse is when a climber pulls themselves across a span from one structure to another. Smith Rock Climbing School's tyro day is a bit of a climbing circuit. We start with a Tyrolean traverse from a feature called the Diving Board and travel across the void into the mouth of the Monkey. Once successfully into the cave the climber has a short rock climb out of the mouth and up to the Nose Boulder. This climb is known as Panic Point, a short 5.7 climb with some classic exposure!

Now that you're up and on the Monkey it's time to get down with a 250 foot free hanging rappel with great views all the way east to Mt. Jefferson!
Thanks to the Burt family for the photos and a great day out at Smith Rock State Park!

Please follow the link below if you are interested in setting up a day for your group or family to do the Monkey Face Tyrolean Traverse.
Smith Rock Climbing School Tyrolean Traverse