2025 Sport Program

Are you lead climbing in the gym and looking to transition your skills outside? Have you been sport climbing outdoors but want to know how to set up your own systems? Sign up for the inaugural AMC BCMC Sport Program!

Program Details

The Boston Chapter Mountaineering Committee Sport Program teaches skills that are foundational to sport climbing. Our focus is preparing students to become self-sufficient climbers at outdoor sport crags. Along with crag etiquette & experience, route reading, and gear info, you'll also learn about lead climbing & belaying, anchor building & cleaning, and setting up top-ropes at sport crags.

The Sport Program is a two-week commitment for participants including 2 mid-week evening review sessions and 4 weekend crag days. The mid-week evening review sessions will take place at the AMC Boston HQ, and will be a chance to learn and get hands-on, on-the-ground practice of the skills we’ll use on the weekend. All review sessions will be in-person. The weekend crag days will be at Rumney, NH. The program includes dinner & camping at the Rattlesnake Campground on the Saturday night of the crag weekends.

Sport Program 2025 Schedule

Week 1

  • Review Session: Thursday August 7, 7-9 PM, AMC Boston HQ

  • Weekend Trip: Saturday August 9 @ 8:30 AM - Sunday August 10 @ 5 PM, Rumney Crag, NH

Week 2

  • Review Session: Thursday August 14, 7-9 PM, AMC Boston HQ

  • Weekend Trip: Saturday August 16 @ 8:30 AM - Sunday August 17 @ 5 PM, Rumney Crag, NH

Requirements

You must be at least 18 years old to take this program on your own. We will also accept 16 and 17 year olds as long as a parent or legal guardian is taking the program with their child.

Students must be lead-certified at a gym in the greater Boston, MA or New England area to apply for the program.

Gear

You must also have the following equipment:

  • Climbing harness

  • Climbing shoes

  • Mountaineering helmet. Other kinds of helmets (bicycling, skiing, skateboarding, etc.) are NOT acceptable.

  • Assisted-braking belay device (GriGri, MegaJul, Jul, Mammut Smart, Black Diamond Pilot, etc.)

  • Personal Anchor System (Petzl Adjust, Beal Expresso, Metrolius PAS, Black Diamond 18mm Nylon Runner in 120 cm length, etc.)

  • Four locking carabiners rated for climbing

  • Two non-locking carabiners rated for climbing

With the exception of climbing shoes, if you do not own any of the above gear, you can borrow any or all of them from us at no cost.

Participants will also need to provide their own camping gear for Saturday nights at Rattlesnake Campground during crag weekends. If you don’t have appropriate camping gear, we may be able to assist, but this will be in limited supply.

Other climbing gear, such as ropes, quickdraws, anchor materials, etc. will be provided.

Application and Registration

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, with qualified participants who applied earlier receiving preferred placement in the program.  

We announce admission/waitlist decisions on the date(s) in the Schedule section above. Students who are admitted to the program will then be invited to register for the program and pay the registration fee. If you are accepted to the program, you will need to register and pay the program fee in order to secure your spot.

We are still accepting applications for our 2025 program. If you are interested, please fill out our application as soon as possible and shoot us an email to let us know at sport@amcbostonclimbers.com.

Cost

The registration fee for the program is $275 for AMC members and $325 for non-members. This includes all program days, campsites, Saturday dinners on weekend trips, group gear, and a T-shirt. You can wait to join the AMC until you have been admitted to the program.

This cost does not include transportation or the required personal gear.

Program fees help cover the above costs. All instructors are volunteers and are not paid for their time.

The Sport Program offers financial assistance to applicants in need. If you would like to request financial assistance, please complete the associated question on the application form.

Program Materials

Please check out our handouts page for all program material.

Contact

If you have questions, please reach out to sport@amcbostonclimbers.com.

Disclaimer

Climbing is an inherently dangerous sport, and no amount of instruction or precaution can fully eliminate the associated risks. The AMC BCMC Sport Program is not a guiding service, and this program will not be led by AMGA certified instructors. Leaders in this program are members of the AMC community who are volunteering to share their experience and knowledge with the rest of the community.