This climic will be held at Carderock over two days: Saturday November 21st AND Saturday November 28.
Participants must be able to attend BOTH sessions from 8 am to 1 pm. DO NOT REGISTER UNLESS YOU CAN ATTEND BOTH SESSIONS,
Participants should ALSO plan to join an evening session on Friday November 13 from 7:30 – 9:00 pm, to focus on knots & basic anchor principles. The location for this session will be determined by who is participating, and a video link may be provided. Anyone who can’t attend the knots clinic will be expected to review and practice the provided material before the first session at the crag.
Who Should Register?
Participants must have already climbed outdoors (e.g., Carderock weekday climbs) and should want to learn how to safely set anchors on natural features (trees, rocks). As this is a skills clinic – and the focus is hands-on learning – there may not be any climbing although we will try to test our setups with a climb, time permitting.
Participants need a helmet, harness and belay device. Ropes and all anchor materials for the clinic day will be provided; participants will learn the components and costs of a top-rope anchor setup.
Instructors November 21: Catherine Hambly and Wesal Astephan
Instructors November 28: Catherine Hambly and Swetha Sribinder
Questions? Contact [email protected]
-
Top Rope Clinic
November 21, 2026 - November 28, 2026
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Venue: Carderock
Venue Website: https://www.canaltrust.org/pyv/carderock-climbing-area/
Address:
Description:
Carderock Recreation Area is on the Potomac River just outside the 495 Beltway. Carderock is part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park and is well known for top rope climbing and hiking. The Potomac Mountain Club has published a guidebook to Carderock.
The climbing area is less than a hundred yards from the parking lot. To access the climbing at Carderock, park in the north parking lot (Pin) and follow the trail westward past the toilet. It leads to the top of the cliffs. At the end, stay slightly left of straight to take the easy scramble to the bottom. You can also go right and follow the longer trail until it turns left. It continues along the base of the cliffs for a couple hundred yards.
Note that cars have been broken into in this parking lot, so do not leave valuables in your car.
PMC Social Events are often held at the Carderock Pavilion. There are two Pavilion parking lots, one to the left and one to the right upon entering Carderock.