Skills
While getting professional instruction from a certified guide is the recommended way to learn climbing skills, it's also a good idea to supplement that information with advice from other climbers, climbing books, and sometimes even a website or two. Please remember to use this information at your own risk, and that there is no guarantee the information provided is even correct--technical climbing skills are a lot about personal preference.
A good place to start when beginning your journey into the realm of climbing is this Rock Climbing Skills pamphlet. This pamphlet breaks climbing into a progression of sections (Indoor Climbing, Outdoor Climbing, Trad Climbing, etc) with a list of recommended skills for each.
LESSON PLANS
Each document listed below covers a topic best used as a lesson plan. That is, it covers points that are important to know without necessarily explaining each one in depth. If you don't know what a section is referring to, take it as a sign you should seek more detailed information, and seek qualified instruction. Hopefully these documents serve as a stepping stone in your continual learning experience.
Outdoor Etiquette - basic guidelines for keeping peace (and access!) at campgrounds and crags
Reading a Guidebook - explanation of the difficulty rating system, the safety ratings, and rock vocabulary
Top Rope Belaying - detailed explanation of the "Pull, Brake, Under, Slide" universal belay technique
Cleaning an Anchor - step-by-step process for cleaning an anchor via lower and rappel
Lead Belaying & Lead Climbing - so many nuances and considerations to keep in mind. Keep striving to be better.
Rigging Bolted Top Rope Anchors - NERDSS analysis of quickdraws, sliding-X, cordelette, sliding-X with limiter knots, and quad anchor riggings on bolts
If you have other skills or topics you'd like to see in a lesson plan, email climbinginstruction@gmail.com and Carol will try to get one written up!