February 1 – April 30, 2024 Make the most of your membership, infuse a bit more playfulness and joy into your climbing routine, and snag a FREE T-shirt in our 8th annual, members only 90-day challenge!
THE OBJECTIVE
Adventure meets achievement! Earn points by completing a list of challenges spanning more than 100 activities. From climbing and fitness trials to check-ins, social events, staff interactions, training activities, dance sessions, and more.
As you rack up points, unlock three distinct levels of “peaks” to add to your FREE member challenge t-shirt. A total of 150 points grants you all three peaks, and there are over 300 points up for grabs!
First Peak: 65 points|Second Peak: 100 points|Third Peak: 150 points
THE CHALLENGE LIST
Discover new challenges annually, featuring fitness trials, climbing games, and skill-based challenges. The point distribution caters to both overachievers and those seeking a more laid-back experience. While earning all three peaks in a single day (IAD) is possible, there are plenty of enjoyable challenges accessible to all skill levels, ensuring you keep coming back for more points and peaks!
Available Now! Get a sneak peek at the 2024 Challenge List for your home gym and start devising your strategies now.
Edgeworks staff will tally points weekly, and t-shirts will be awarded upon reaching the first peak (65 points). Your T-shirt, labeled with your name, will be placed on a rolling cart near the front desk for convenient pickup.
*Please be aware that current stock levels may slightly delay T-shirt delivery by 1-2 weeks.
Note: Wear and wash your shirt during the challenge, but hold off on fabric softener until after all your peaks have been added.
THE PEAKS AWAIT
Iron-on peaks, accompanied by straightforward DIY instructions, will be available at the front desk. Alternatively, bring your shirt to the monthly Member Socials in March, April, and May, where our staff will add the peaks for you.
TRACK YOUR JOURNEY
Members are tasked with monitoring their progress and checking off completed challenges on their sheets. For those fueled by competition, keep an eye on the public Challenge Board, showcasing everyone’s points. See how your achievements stack up against others and let the friendly rivalry motivate you further.
Winter, with its pristine snow-covered landscapes, invites adventure enthusiasts to explore the great outdoors. However, the thrill of backcountry touring, skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing comes with its own set of challenges, chief among them being avalanches. Understanding the nuances of avalanches and the skill of navigating snowy landscapes is essential for any winter explorer.
At Edgeworks, we understand the allure of untouched snow and wanting to recreate responsibly. That’s why we’ve partnered with AIARE (American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education) to provide avalanche education courses. AIARE is the national standard in avalanche education with a mission to “save lives through education” at all experience levels. Our courses are tailored to empower new and experienced mountain travelers with the knowledge and skills needed to more confidently travel in avalanche-prone areas.
Our avalanche education courses are led by AIARE certified instructors and ski guides with experience guiding around the world, from the North Cascades to Norway. Not only do they provide invaluable insights into avalanches and decision-making, they’ll also show you how to find good snow, keep warm in the coldest conditions, and adjust your plan for the day’s conditions,ensuring you are well-equipped for your winter adventures.
2. Local Knowledge
Edgeworks guides are local to the Pacific Northwest and have been skiing and climbing in the Cascades for over 30 years. We know these mountains deeply and look forward to sharing our understanding of these places with you.
3. Community Connection
Participating in an Edgeworks AIARE course, you have an instant community of folks who share your passion for winter adventures. By learning together, you also contribute to a larger culture of awareness and preparedness within the outdoor community, enhancing safety for everyone. Students in our courses often continue to go to the mountains together, long after the course has ended.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF AIARE AVALANCHE EDUCATION
AIARE courses have been developed through decades of research and professional experience. Since 1998, AIARE has worked with guides, ski patrollers, highway departments, and the public to produce courses that are up-to-date, engaging, and offer practical tools for everyone.
1. Make Better Decisions
Edgeworks’ AIARE courses equip you with tangible tools to thoughtfully prepare for winter trips in the mountains. From assessing avalanche terrain to communicating with your friends, our courses can increase your confidence in yourself, your group and your adventures while managing potential risks.
2. Hands-on Training
We believe in learning through practical experience. All of our courses include field sessions where you apply your knowledge in and around real avalanche terrain. We’ll practice a range of avalanche rescue scenarios for small groups, identify actual avalanche paths, and communicate our assessment of current conditions. These sessions will further your skills and boost your confidence when facing challenging winter conditions.
3. Comprehensive Learning
Edgeworks’ courses cover a wide range of topics, from trip planning, to route finding, snow layers, and avalanche rescue techniques. Our curriculum is designed to provide a holistic understanding of avalanches, planning and communication tools for your group, helping you to make better decisions before and during your trip. We also assist in developing a plan for continuing your education after the course has ended.
AIARE 1 – The foundation of avalanche education. Learn about avalanche forecasts, terrain, and the basics of rescue. Spend two days in the mountains putting your knowledge to use in real terrain.
AIARE 2 – Take your skills to the next level. Learn more about the snowpack, avalanche forecasting, travel techniques, and get mentored practice while spending three days in the mountains together.
AIARE Rescue – A one day course for practicing the skills needed for an avalanche rescue including using a beacon, effective digging strategies, group management, and what to do after an avalanche. Take it as a stand-alone, refresher, or with your friends to feel more confident with your touring partners.
Winter beckons with its endless opportunities for adventure, and Edgeworks AIARE Avalanche Education Courses provide you with the expertise needed to explore with more confidence. Our expert instructors, comprehensive curriculum, hands-on training, and community-oriented approach make our courses the ideal choice for anyone seeking to learn the art of backcountry exploration.
Are you ready to elevate your winter adventures? Enroll in Edgeworks AIARE Avalanche Education Courses today and embark on a journey in the heart of winter’s wonderland.
Adventure with confidence! Contact us now to start your journey.
February 1 – April 30, 2023 Put your membership to good use, add a little fun to your climbing sessions and earn a FREE t-shirt with our 7th annual members only 90-day challenge!
THE OBJECTIVE
Earn points by completing a list of challenges including over 100 different activities – from climbing, fitness and check-in challenges to attending socials, interacting with staff, fun training games/activities, dancing and more.
As points are achieved, 3 different levels of “peaks” are awarded and added to your FREE member challenge t-shirt. It takes 150 points to earn all 3 peaks; with over 300 points available!
First Peak: 65 points|Second Peak: 100 points|Third Peak: 150 points
THE LIST
New challenges are added every year including fitness, climbing games and skills based challenges with a distribution of points designed to engage both the over and under achievers among us. As proven in previous years, it is possible to earn all 3 peaks in one day (IAD) but there are also plenty of really fun challenges that are accessible to all skill levels and will keep you coming back for more points and peaks!
Now Available! Get a sneak peek at the 2023 Challenge List for your home gym and start planning your strategies now.
Points will be tallied once a week by Edgeworks staff and T-shirtswill be distributed upon achievement of the first peak (65 points). T-shirts will be labelled with the member’s name and added to a rolling cart to be located near the front desk.
*Current stock/availability may delay the delivery of a t-shirt by 1-2 weeks.
Note: Feel free to wear and wash your shirt during the challenge but please refrain from using fabric softener until after all of your peaks have been added.
THE PEAKS
Iron-on peaks will be made available at the front desk along with simple to follow DIY instructions.
Or you can bring your shirt to the monthly Member Socials in March, April and May, when we’ll have staff available to add the peaks for you.
YOUR PROGRESS
Members are responsible for tracking their progress and checking the boxes on their challenge sheets as items are completed.
To entice those of us with an extra competitive spirit, we will update a public Challenge Board with everyone’s individual points – you know, just in case you want to see how you match up to the achievements of others.
Think you have what it takes to be a route setter? Have a new home wall and need tips for how to arrange the holds in more challenging and interesting ways?
Or maybe, you already have a paid gig as a professional route setter and would like to hone your skills, connect with other local setters and add to your existing craft.
Either way, Bellevue’s Head Route Setter, Tonya Bamboe, and USAC Level 4 route setter, Morgan Young. have you covered!
INTRODUCTION TO ROUTE SETTING
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 13 | 12pm – 8pm This beginner level clinic is designed to introduce the tools, skills, and methods to participants with no prior route setting knowledge or experience. Participants will focus on safety, hold selection, tool handling, setting, and forerunning in a classroom setting. The clinic will then move to the climbing floor, and participants will get to apply what they’ve learned to set boulder problems from V0 up to V4.
Details:
Date: Saturday, November 13 | 12pm to 8pm Location: Bellevue Stone Gardens Cost: $100 Audience: Members and General Public More Info: For those who have minimal to no experience setting, are curious about the craft, want to set a route in our gym, hang out with setters, learn the basics, build/set a home wall or college gym, etc. Format: 1 hour of classroom time, 45 minute lunch break, 6 hours of setting and forerunning Prerequisites: No experience needed. No drill use. Guest Instructor: Morgan Young, USAC Level 4 Route Setter
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 14 | 11am – 7pm This advanced level clinic dives into the application of professional setting philosophies and methods to provide career foundations for commercial route setters, those exploring the industry, or wanting to break into the field. Participants will focus on creation and maintenance of product quality through accessibility, equity, and intention to create an experience for public function.
Details:
Date: Saturday, November 14 | 11am to 7pm Location: Bellevue Stone Gardens Cost: $125 Audience: New and Experienced Setters More Info: For those looking to get into route setting, set for a gym, already set and want to hone skills, advance an apprenticeship, get formal education for current/future positions. Format: 1 hour of classroom time, 45 minute lunch break, 6 hours of setting and forerunning Prerequisites: Prior setting experience (college or commercial gym preferred) OR experience using drills/impacts AND taken an Intro to Setting clinic somewhere (can be the previous day 11/13/21^^) Instructors: Tonya Bamboe, Bellevue’s Head Setter Morgan Young, USAC Level 4 route setter.
Calluses gone and finger strength waining? Time to dust off the old hangboard and start re-building your strength. But where do you start?
Join route setter and Team Edgeworks new head coach, Michael, for a weekly live video series all about HANGBOARDING – Fridays at 7:15pm on the Edgeworks Fitness Facebook page.
Each week, Michael will focus on different tips n’ tricks of hangboarding, and each week will have a different theme; starting with the basics of hangboarding, who should hangboard, how to safely hangboard and more.
Miss a session or want to take it again? No problem! These videos will remain on our Edgeworks Fitness page, available for you to participate whenever is convenient for you.
Traversing: 3 Reasons to Add Laterally Inclined Routes to Your Routine
by: Dan Morrow
In climbing, to “traverse” is to climb sideways across the rock face. This is opposed to the normal upwards movement normally associated with rock climbing. I’m here to tell you that horizontal climbing is not just allowed, but awesome.
Now some of you may be saying, “but I want to go up.” Well, up is great! I too wish to climb to great heights and conquer the gnarly routes of the world. But, there are a lot of great reasons to periodically turn your back to the ascent and learn the joys of the more laterally inclined routes.
Reason number one; it’s great as a warm up!
Put on your comfy rock shoes, the ones where your toes aren’t forced to bend like an old mans’ rheumatic knuckles. Get in the zone, play some phil collins or whatever gets you in the mood to crush. Forget about the world outside with all it’s boring, non climbing related issues. Try out different walls and sections of the gym and see which one tends to be the best warm up for you, mentally and physically. Just remember you are warming up, don’t go too fast and remember to stick on something that’s pretty easy for you. Explore the range of motion of your arms and legs and take lots of rest steps, when you get too pumped, just hop off!
Reason number two; it’s great training for specific techniques.
I used to have this bad habit. Whenever I matched feet on a small foothold, I had a tendency to bend my arms excessively at the elbows and over exert myself by squeezing way too hard on the rock with my hands. Now, I’m still no master matcher, but I have improved greatly by practicing that same move over and over again. Where did I do this? On a traverse! Do you grip holds harder then you need to? Do you forget to watch where you place your feet? Maybe you simply forget to breath? Those are habits that need repetition and intention to break, and an extended traverse is a great opportunity to reforge!
Reason number three; it’s a great way to meet people.
In a gym, climbing up is generally a two person activity. But exploring the alternative plane of the traverse is a shared experience. There can be tons of people on the same traverse at any given time.(especially during warm up for our kid classes) Maybe you and I will bump into each other on your next sideways climb! You could even follow behind me for my sweet warm up beta.
There are a lot more great reasons to love traversing, and maybe you can come up with some other good reasons to add traversing to your repertoire. Then, once you get your x axis climbing skills dialed in, treat yourself and find a sweet traverse outside somewhere. I hear this one is pretty rad: http://www.mountainproject.com/v/evolution-traverse/107070687
Climbing games at Edgeworks are not just for our young up and coming Sharma’s, Caldwell’s, and Puccio’s. They are also fun for our fully grown “kids” as well. Games and climbing drills are a great way to build strength, technique, and visualization. Not to mention a great way to kill the monotony of endless hours in the gym.
So grab a few friends and try out these games and drills to spice up your next session:
The Classic – “Add-on”
How to play: The first player begins by choosing and establishing themselves on 2 start handholds preferably on the boulder or in our lead cave, but can be played on any terrain. The second player then uses the same 2 start handholds and adds-on 2 of their own handholds. Then the next player adds 2 more handholds, or the first player returns to the start to try the new sequence and adds 2 more at the end. The feet are open to step on any hold they would like. You can play this classic with 2-4 players of similar ability. The game keeps going until someone makes a mistake, making them out. Add-on is great for training endurance. It is also great for making you aware of where you may excel and others struggle or vice versa. This can make you more aware of what you can work on to become an even better climber.
Variation: Try to add-on 5-8 moves at a time per player. Attempting to do more moves all at once will help climbers work on their on-sighting skills.
The Challenge – Edward Hover-Hands
How to play Edward Hover-Hands: Step One: Start by choosing a route which is easier for you. Right before you touch the next handhold force yourself to “hover” your hand over it and count out loud to five! If you are able to do this without struggling, pulling really hard, or becoming out of balance, move to a more difficult problem. Focus on finding the easiest and most efficient position for your body. Hover Hands helps you slow down and further understand your enemy, gravity. Practice once a week for 20-30 minutes towards the end of each climbing workout. Come back later to crush the enemy.
The Basic – Straight Arm Climbing
This drill may not be the most fun you have ever had, but it is a necessary exercise to add to any climbers arsenal, experienced or not. It is exactly what it sounds like. Straighten your arms and lock those elbows as you climb a slightly easier route. Climbing with straight arms forces all of your upward movement to be derived from your lower body. Even as strong as some upper bodies may be, even the strongest person in the world can’t do pull-ups all day. Because we cannot engage our arm muscles, the pull becomes a push and we are forced to rotate from the hips for reach, causing more efficient technique.
Crushing begins with footwork and it’s important to consider how you use all that wonderful rubber on your climbing shoes.
There are two fundamental techniques: edging and smearing.
Most climbers really only edge in some form or another and this is useful on footholds that have some sort of positive edge for the shoe to grip. When edging, it’s important to think about really flexing your toes and pressing them into the hold while making sure your heel stays level with, or higher than your ankle. This will allow you to fully use the shoes performance.
Smearing on the other hand is a different and often neglected technique. When footholds get tinier and more rounded, it’s generally more useful to focus on keeping your heel down below your ankle and get as much rubber on the hold as you can. Flex your toes into the hold and step onto the foothold with confidence and a little force. Be aware that if you lose focus and let the heel lift, or you don’t commit to stepping into the hold, you will usually skate off the foothold. But soon, with a little practice, you’ll find that even the smallest features of the wall will be usable!
Once you master these two basic foot techniques, progress into playing with edging using the inside and outside edges of the shoe. Many times climbers use only the tip of the shoe and this limits your ability to twist your hips in to the wall at times.