Requirements to Climb

Participants must pass a safety check and sign a waiver and health form before climbing. Safety checks are offered anytime the rock wall is open. The safety check is required annually. Climbers must be able to perform the following skills without intervention.

Basic Skills Check

  1. Put on a climbing harness and buckle it properly.
  2. Tie a figure-of-eight follow through onto the climbing harness in the proper location.
  3. Feed the rope correctly through a belay device (slot device only) and attach the rope and belay device to the harness in the proper place.
  4. Belay properly. The climber must take in rope and let out (i.e. lower) rope safely. The brake hand must never leave the rope. If it does, this person does not know how to belay properly.
  5. Demonstrate an understanding of basic climbing signals. There are many versions of the basic set of climbing signals, and we do not require a climber to know “our” version. However, the basic starting signals (on belay, climbing, climb, or a version thereof), the on-the-wall signals (up rope, slack) and a lowering signal (take, tension, then a command to lower) must be known.
  6. Lower a climber safely and in control.

Lead Climbing Skills Check

  1. Put on a climbing harness and buckle it properly.
  2. Tie a figure-of-eight follow through onto the climbing harness in the proper location.
  3. Feed the rope correctly through a belay device (slot device only) and attach the rope and belay device to the harness in the proper place.
  4. Confidently climb the 5.8+ test route on lead.
  5. Belay properly. The climber must take in rope and let out (i.e. lower) rope safely. The brake hand must never leave the rope. If it does, this person does not know how to belay properly.
  6. Demonstrate an understanding of basic climbing signals. There are many versions of the basic set of climbing signals, and we do not require a climber to know “our” version. However, the basic starting signals (on belay, climbing, climb, or a version thereof), the on-the-wall signals (up rope, slack) and a lowering signal (take, tension, then a command to lower) must be known.
  7. Arrest a lead fall
  8. Lower a climber safely and in control.
  9. Be able to describe Z clipping and back clipping.

Cost of attendance is the estimated cost to attend the UO for the academic year. The Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships provides estimates for cost of attendance information that goes beyond tuition and fees, and includes: living expenses (housing and food), books/supplies/equipment, transportation, and miscellaneous personal expenses.