Higher learning – Montrail Splitter Camps
Crack climbing, unlike the relatively intuitive movement of face climbing, is an acquired art, one at which most climbers must toil considerably before reaching a reasonable level of proficiency. But potential shortcuts are available, including Montrail’s Splitter Camps in Indian Creek. Jim Donini, the camp’s founder and ringmaster, bills the camps as being designed to “demystify crack climbing.” For a relatively bargain price, Donini offers three days of instruction by the top athletes on Montrail’s roster, including alpinist Jay Smith, El Cap speedster Timmy O’Neill, and all-around legend Bobbi Bensman, plus gourmet meals.

The group at the session I attended last fall was for the most part composed of neophyte crack climbers. Over the course of the weekend the guides schooled the students on everything from the basics of taping to the intricacies of torquing overhanging cupped hands. Though I was initially skeptical that Indian Creek could be a proper learning environment for novice crack climbers, I saw dramatic improvement over the weekend. By the end of the session, it was grins, gobis, and gabbing about return plans.

The Splitter Camp is a tremendous value both for its price and its content; a three-to-one client-to-celebrity-guide ratio elsewhere can cost you upwards of $200 per person per day, sans food. Montrail’s option is substantially less expensive and offers up some very tasty cuisine to boot.