WASHINGTON 鈥� With one hand on a blue climbing rope and another on his harness, Matt Liddle yells out in a language only rock climbers understand.
鈥淵ou ask me first, 鈥極n belay?鈥� And after I check the system to make sure everything is locked and tied in the way it鈥檚 supposed to be, I reply, 鈥楤elay on,鈥欌�� explained Liddle, the outdoor programs and outreach manager at REI.
With one final call 鈥斅犫�淐limb away!鈥� 鈥斅爃e pulls in the slack of the rope. 聽
鈥淚 think there鈥檚 a perception about rock climbing, that it鈥檚 incredibly risky, but I鈥檇 say compared to a lot of things outside, if you manage the risks properly, it鈥檚 one of the safest,鈥� Liddle said.
On July 30 and 31, Liddle and other REI instructors will be teaching exactly how to manage those climbing risks, as well as the ins-and-outs of paddle boarding, kayaking and biking, to hundreds of Washingtonians and more than 4,000 others across the U.S. for free.
搁贰滨鈥檚 aims to introduce the adventure curious to new outdoor activities and bring attention to all of the classes REI offers year-round in its .
鈥淚f you鈥檝e gone to a REI store and you鈥檝e seen the climbing gear or the cycling gear and said, 鈥極h, I鈥檝e always wanted to do that鈥� 鈥� It鈥檚 hard to get into some of these outdoor activities if you don鈥檛 have somebody who knows the ropes and can teach you,鈥� Liddle said.
Most of the free classes in the D.C. area, including wilderness survival, backpacking basics and outdoor photography, are full (there is an option for the waiting list), but Liddle says don鈥檛 let that discourage you from getting outside this weekend.
In addition to the classes, REI is hosting a number of daylong outdoor celebrations in local parks 鈥� , and 鈥� July 30 and 31. These are free and open to the public.
鈥淲e鈥檙e picking these great local parks with tons of trails and other outdoor activities, and 搁贰滨鈥檚 setting up shop there and we鈥檒l be teaching mini-classes and doing tons of giveaways and things like that,鈥� Liddle said.
At the trailhead celebrations, representatives from 搁贰滨鈥檚 Outdoor School will hand out free energy snacks, answer questions on gear and offer up information on local trails.
There are also several opportunities to sign-up for leading up to the fall opening of 搁贰滨鈥檚 first . Thru-hiking panels, camp cooking basics and outdoor movie screenings are just some of those available.
搁贰滨鈥檚 outdoor classes, tours and hikes are available throughout the year at various locations in the D.C. area. Most cost between $10 and $125.
